The rescheduled Midwest Solar Expo will return for its seventh year on June 15-17, 2020, as the solar industry’s first ever fully-immersive 3D virtual conference, becoming one of the world’s first B2B conferences to leverage event technology which captures the same conference experience as a live event.

The Midwest’s flagship gathering of solar business leaders will conduct all of its proceedings via a virtual environment that features keynote talks, panel discussions, exhibitor booths, private meeting rooms, public areas, networking lounges, and other aspects of the traditional conference venue. As in a live event, participants can roam the conference campus, attend sessions, network freely with other attendees, book a private meeting in advance in the networking lounge, and meet companies on the exhibition floor. This ensures that the Midwest Solar Expo can protect the health and safety of its participants in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every exhibitor, speaker, sponsor and attendee will control a digital avatar within a virtual conference venue made up of both indoor and outdoor spaces. Participants can access the virtual event by downloading the software to a desktop or laptop computer. The revised virtual format has the added benefit of opening up a wider audience — both in the Midwest and nationwide — to this year’s programming. Headphones are recommended to capture the 3D sound that allows conversations to take place with those in a participant’s immediate virtual vicinity.

“There are major limitations to the webinars that many conferences have used to replicate themselves in a virtual format, and these miss the mark in terms of being able to facilitate the same type of value and interaction that you would get at a traditional conference,” said Jake Rozmaryn, Co-Founder of the Midwest Solar Expo and Senior Vice President at Antenna. “After producing industry events for over a decade, I can say without hesitation that this event will be a unique experience for every participant.”

“In light of COVID-19, the solar industry is facing profound challenges, so we must continue cultivating the vibrant relationships, expertise and talent behind its growth as much as possible,” Rozmaryn added. “The introduction of this new immersive, virtual format serves the necessity we see, now more than ever, to preserve the same forums for exchanging ideas and bringing industry leaders together in a new and exciting way.”

Confirmed featured speakers include: Dan Shugar, CEO & Founder, NEXTracker; Adam Browning, Executive Director, Vote Solar; Hilary Pearson, Key Manager, Energy & Environmental Policy, Exelon; David Shaffer, Executive Director, MnSEIA; and Peter Kelly-Detwiler, Principal, NorthBridge Energy Partners & Forbes Contributor.

Information on registration, speakers, agenda, sponsorship, exhibitors and more can be found at www.midwestsolarexpo.com.

News item from Midwest Solar Expo