This year, Fluid Truck attended over a dozen events around the country. From large, nationwide conferences to local industry-specific events, Fluid Truck made a splash at events in 2022. Here are some of the notable highlights from Fluid Truck’s event manager, Claire.
Home Delivery World - Philadelphia, PA
My favorite event to attend this year was Home Delivery World. During the event, we showcased Fluid Truck at our largest booth ever during the expo, our CEO spoke on a panel with Ikea, and then we invited our retail partners to rock out at a private concert with the band Everclear.
It was a whirlwind of a week and by far the busiest I have had at Fluid Truck, but it was incredibly rewarding seeing all the months of work resulting in an incredible event. We also had a fantastic group attend from the Fluid Truck team, which made the entire week better.
Hosting private concerts for auto and retail partners
Top highlights this year were the two rocking concerts we put on for our partners in the industry who are helping us transform fleets.
The first private concert was with the band War at the NTEA- Work Truck Week conference. We jammed out to iconic songs like Low Rider and Why Can’t We Be Friends with our partners in the auto industry and even got to hang out with the band after.
For the second concert, we invited our retail partners at the Home Delivery World conference to experience the legendary 90’s rock band, Everclear. They put on an incredible show at Howl at the Moon Philadelphia!
Women in Trucking Accelerate event - Dallas, TX
Fluid Truck's head of communications, Emily Allen, summed up the Women in Trucking event perfectly. She said, "I've never been to a conference that was almost entirely women. It had a totally different feel than other conferences. At other conferences, interactions feel much more transactional with people focused on only making connections or having conversations that directly benefited them and their sales goals or bottom line.
At Women in Trucking, everyone felt much more focused on learning, professional development and building meaningful connections. Additionally, at all of the sessions, the rooms were packed and everyone was totally engaged. No one was on their laptop half listening, people were listening, taking notes and asking meaningful questions."
We can’t wait to return to this event next year. Trucking and technology are two industries that are underrepresented by women, but organizations like Women in Trucking are doing great things to change that.
ACT Expo - Long Beach, CA
It is so important we attend events like the ACT Expo, because it allows us to experience firsthand the latest and greatest advanced clean-tech commercial vehicles that are driving the future of transportation and learn from some of the most influential and progressive leaders in the industry.
ACT brings the entire clean transportation sector together creating one of the nation's largest networking events and is a great way to connect with peers, exchange information, and create new business opportunities. From seeing and discussing some of the innovations that will shape the future of electric vehicles to hearing from fleets that are paving the road ahead, the ACT expo is the top conference to attend to stay up-to-date and at the forefront of everything clean-tech.
I was lucky to attend with Fluid Truck’s head of hardware and telematics, Ryan. Here’s what he said about the event:
“From an engineering and design perspective, it’s important to interact with other innovators and leaders in the clean transportation space. We were able to see firsthand what the OEMs are doing now and have conversations on what to expect from the industry in the next 5-20 years. Collaboration is the key to progress, and events like ACT Expo continue to prove to be a valuable resource for Fluid, and companies alike, to continue to drive innovation in the mobility space and stay up to date on zero-emission tech’s influence on commercial vehicles.”
Amazon Ignite Live - Las Vegas, NV
This event was the most engaging and most trafficked event we have participated in. Everyone was very interested in learning about Fluid Truck, and our current users were excited to connect as well. We love connecting with independent contractors around the country.
Advice for event professionals
- Push yourself to network and connect as much as possible
Events and conferences are a great way to open new opportunities both personally and professionally and to learn from a group of diverse people. It can be intimidating to put yourself out there and be the first one to initiate a conversation especially when you are one of the youngest people there but everyone is always open to connecting.
- Prioritize your mental and physical health
It can make it very difficult to keep up with a healthy routine as you are constantly eating out, drinking, and have little time to exercise. My trick to staying healthy and active on a work trip is to try and walk everywhere you go and limit taking Ubers or Lyfts unless it is essential. Walking not only allows you to get your steps in, but is also a great way to see the city and take some time to de-stress outside. Work trips are notoriously busy, so take advantage of any time you have to explore a new city!
- Never stop learning
Always be open to trying something new at every event, and learn from your mistakes. You never know what is going to work until you try it. Sometimes the most out-of-the-box thinking is what will make your exhibit stand out from the rest. We have to continue learning and adapting to stay ahead of industry trends and continue to make a splash at every event we are a part of!
What we’re looking forward to in 2023
I am looking forward to the National Retail Federation conference in January 2023. This is retailers’ largest show of the year and the largest conference Fluid Truck has ever had a presence at.
We will be showcasing Fluid Truck at booth #1837 if anyone wants to stop by! This is a great opportunity to make connections with national retailers and delivery companies and the year off on a strong note.
We are also expanding our local market events in 2023, which I am super excited about. This will significantly increase our brand awareness and give Fluid Truck’s business development managers an opportunity to showcase Fluid Truck in their own market.
Are you in the fleet, technology, or mobility industry? What events are you looking forward to in 2023? Let us know at communications@fluidtruck.com!
