The Intelligent Community Forum makes available for bid by outside organizations the opportunity to bring the world’s Intelligent Community movement to their city. Primarily, these opportunities are via Announcements in the Intelligent Community Awards Program. Other Events include our Global Summit, workshops, matchmaking events, and one-day seminars. ICF invites expressions of interest from potential organizers – government, public-private, nonprofit, educational and others – to host an ICF Event, which may be in-person, virtual or a hybrid of the two. 

About the Events

Each year, the Intelligent Community Forum presents an awards program for Intelligent Communities and the public-sector and private-sector partners who contribute to them. It provides communities with a platform for attracting international attention, stimulating inward investment and building public support for progress. ICF devotes 11 months to soliciting nominations, evaluating them and selecting each year’s honorees, from the Smart21 semi-finalists (October) to the Top7 finalists (February) to the Intelligent Community of the Year at the ICF Global Summit (October).

ICF’s Global Summit, Smart21 Announcements and Top7 Announcements are more than just the announcement of honored communities. They consist of a 1-2 day (Smart21 and Top7) or 3-4 day (ICF Summit) multifaceted conference designed to showcase a city or region and attract delegates from within the host region, as well from select other countries.  The plenary conference portion can consist of keynote addresses, panel discussions, conversations with leaders of Intelligent Communities, workshops, cultural presentations of compelling interest and more. Delegates include mayors, city managers, IT directors, private-sector executives, academics, urban planners and economic development officials.  Other attendees, who participate to support their community and take advantage of net­working opportunities, include technology executives, educators, researchers, foundation executives, non-profit leaders, social entre­preneurs and officials of state, provincial and national governments.            

The format of ICF Events allows hosts to:

• Showcase local achievements to a regional and international audience of influencers.
• Dramatize your community’s global ambitions to citizens, businesses and institutions.
• Stimulate and inspire local community groups and organizations to become more fully engaged in the community's development strategy and program.
• Make valuable connections for economic development, sustained business partnerships and international collaboration for ventures.
• Gain high-value social media and press coverage.

    

Other ICF Events

ICF Events are not limited to Announcements in its Awards Program. ICF also has smaller, region-focused events that serve to educate attendees, provide networking opportunities, attract investors and startups, and inspire action.

• Master Class: The Master Class is a one-day workshop for the individuals in the community who will lead your transformation into an Intelligent Community. Delivered by an ICF leader, it trains them in the ICF Method, illustrated by roadmaps and practical examples from Intelligent Communities. It includes a presentation, interactive workshops, and more.  See the Community Accelerator for more information. 
• ICF Method Factor Seminar: One-day events focused on an individual factor of the ICF Method - Connect, Work, Innovate, Engage, Include, or Sustain. While intelligent community development does require a holistic method of planning and growth, understanding each factor and why it is valuable on its own is essential. Seminars have bee produced as single events highlighting one factor, or as a series focusing on a different factor each time.
• Economic Development Matchmaking: One-day events consisting primarily of economic development matchmaking meetings, where community representatives, investors, start-up companies connect with their peers in other communities in the ICF network to establish relationships and pursue economic development opportunities.
• Keynote Address: A One-Hour Keynote to introduce the potential of the Intelligent Community path to the formal and informal leaders of your community. This is often recommended for introducing the ICF Method and its potential for helping your community achieve its goals.  See the Community Accelerator for more information. 

          

Hosting an Event

ICF will work with the host to develop a program, which can include many unique ICF elements. ICF will send representatives to the event to help moderate and speak in some of these sessions, and will put the host in touch with other members of the intelligent community movement to help you bring perspectives from the global Intelligent Community network to the event.

ICF will work closely with the host to create an event that is educational and memorable for attendees. Through regular production meetings, site visits, and more, ICF will make sure any host - even those without event production experience - have the tools they need to run a successful event that highlights their community and increases their notoriety among communities and companies in the global intelligent community movement.

ICF promotes all ICF Events to its international audience of hundreds of communities and thousands of individuals around the world. Smart21, Top7, or ICF Global Summit events will receive additional promotion through marketing of the Awards Program throughout the year. For all events, ICF's team will coordinate with the Organizer to develop a regional audience, encourage press coverage and social media activity. 

Contacts

Requests for more information can be sent to:

• Louis Zacharilla, Co-Founder, Intelligent Community Forum: [email protected]
• Matthew Owen, Director of Operations, Intelligent Community Forum: [email protected]

Thank you for your interest in hosting a future ICF Event!

Note: Terms and conditions for hosting an ICF Event apply. Contact us at the addresses above for more information. Inquiries for hosting of an Announcement will be accepted up to 6 months prior to the scheduled date of the event. Inquiries for hosting other Events will be accepted up to 1 month prior to the scheduled date of the event.