Join the Intelligent Community Forum from November 3–6, 2025, for an exclusive VIP Delegation to the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona.
This curated experience includes Full Congress Passes to the 2025 Smart City Expo World Congress, the world’s largest smart city event, along with entry to and exclusive, invite-only side event on November 3, as well as additional programming throughout the week.
Participants will make new contacts, engage in a site visit to a Smart21 Community, join a guided tour of an Innovation District in Barcelona, and more. The program also features several VIP dinners and potential speaking opportunities.
Whether you're a city leader, tech innovator, or community builder, we invite you to join us for this opportunity in Barcelona.
Agenda at a Glance
- 3 November: Access to an Exclusive Event Focused on Urgent Issues Facing our Cities. Includes an Evening Reception.
- 4-5 November: (daytime) Attend the Smart City Expo World Congress
- 5 November: (evening): "Afterwork" Evening Networking Reception
- 6 November: Expo Day / Smart Community Visit / Innovation District Site Visit / Meeting with Innovation District Companies
- 6 November (evening): VIP Delegation Dinner
ICF Sessions
3 November from 11:30 to 13:00 - Workshop: Designing Innovation Centers: Districts, Campuses and Ecosystems Driving Prosperity
Location: Urban Impact Lab: Plus Room (20th Floor)
This session explores how local innovation centres—whether districts, campuses, or broader ecosystems—can act as powerful engines for economic growth, talent retention, and community revitalization. As regions around the world face rising challenges such as economic stagnation, housing pressures, and the departure of skilled talent, investing in innovation-led urban development is becoming an increasingly vital strategy. This session will equip participants with insights to begin shaping innovation ecosystems in their own communities.
Speakers include:
- Michael Donaldson, General Director, BIT Habitat, City of Barcelona, Spain
- Dr. Adrian Johnston MBE, Innovation Commissioner, Innovation City Belfast
- Ronald Otten, Independent Strategy Consultant, Otten+; Brightlands-Limburg, Netherlands
- Kelly Rowe, PhD, Fellow - Urban Innovation, Canadian Urban Institute; Principal, City Action Lab (Moderator)
- Matthew Owen, Executive Director, Intelligent Community Forum (Moderator)
This session is being produced in partnership with
5 November from 09:30 to 10:15 - Agora Session: Redefining “Smart” in an Age of AI, Connected Systems & Data
Location: Smart City Expo Stage: Impact Tech
The original “smart city” idea, focused on automation, efficiency, and instrumentation, has changed with the growth of AI, machine learning, and pervasive connectivity. In this panel, we will explore what “smart” actually means today, and how we approach the realities of connected environments where systems operate across public and private boundaries, often without centralized control.
Speakers include:
- Todd Daubert, Partner and Chair of Communications and Technology Group at Dentons
- Taj Forer, Chief Product Officer, H&S Ventures; Chief Product Officer, Litehouse
- Megan Higgins, Partner, Data Intelligence Leader, PwC UK
- Jacqueline Lu, CEO and Founder, Helpful Places; Urbanist-in-Residence, School of Cities, University of Toronto
- Katarzyna Sliwa, Partner, Dentons (Moderator)
This session is being produced in partnership with
About the Smart City Expo World Congress
Smart City Expo World Congress is the world’s biggest and most influential event for cities and urban innovation. The event is a premier venue where a diverse crowd of industry executives, government leaders, researchers and entrepreneurs gather annually to revisit complex issues at the heart of a new model of city and society.
This year’s event is expecting more than 25,000 visitors, that will have access to more than 1,100 exhibitors and 600 speakers from more than 130 countries around the globe.
You can find our more information at https://www.smartcityexpo.com/
Want to see what an ICF VIP Delegation trip is like?
Click here to read a blog post by ICF co-founder John Jung, who led a delegation to the 2025 Smart City Summit & Expo in Taipei, Taiwan, this past March. The page includes a video for an additional look into the experience.
Learn more and Sign Up
There is a delegation fee to participate, and delegates are subject to an approval process by ICF. ICF Members and Partners are automatically approved for participation, and are eligible for a discount on the delegation fee.
There is limited space available for this delegation opportunity, and approved parties will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you are interested, we advise you to start the process soon to secure a spot.
To learn more, please fill out this Expression of Interest form or reach out to ICF Executive Director Matthew Owen.