DETROIT – Mobile Technology Association of Michigan is collaborating with the USDOT Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office to create a continuous virtual trade show that aims to provide opportunities for the connected vehicle eco-system to actively engage and develop business relationships. The project is expected to launch in early June.

The Connected Transportation Virtual Trade Show will provide a highly interactive platform where online trade show booths will be available 24/7, 365 days per year, allowing the connected transportation community to search and find vendors and collaborating partners, to conduct business across the globe from wherever they are located. Those seeking to do business with any participant will have a multitude of ways to interact, as well as to obtain information about any participating member easily. 

“MTAM is doing this for many reasons, said Linda Daichendt, MTAM Executive Director and CEO. “Obviously it gives us an incredible platform to showcase globally Michigan companies working in the connected transportation space, and to highlight the work they are doing. That’s incredibly important to us because frankly we’re tired of reading that Michigan is supposedly falling behind, and that some other city or country is going to become the mobility capital of the world. This platform gives us a great way to prove otherwise once we have many of our Michigan companies involved and showing what they do better than anyone else. We’re a Michigan trade association, and a big part of our job is showcasing the work of the companies in this state using connected technologies. It’s a total fit for our objectives.

“Additionally,” Daichendt said, “another big reason we took this on when asked was frankly that it is so sorely needed. Someone that we’re working with on this project told me that he had recently gone to a major transportation-related trade show in search of connected technology products and services for transportation projects. He said he literally walked every aisle and stopped at every booth to see what they had; he found nothing! He was stunned. With all the emphasis today on connected and autonomous vehicles, it shouldn’t be that hard to find vendors within this industry – but given his experience, apparently it is. We thought we could help facilitate a more effective way for the eco-system to connect and do business, so we agreed to help when we learned of the issue.”


Companies will be able to purchase an exhibit booth at a cost significantly less than at a typical single in-person trade show event, and gain the benefit of extended global exposure. Booths can be custom-designed to display company branding, and videos, messaging, presentations, white papers, and more can also be uploaded in real-time and throughout the life of the project. Companies will also be able to host webcasts from their booths.

Virtual exhibitors so far include Savari, Inc. (from California); Unex Technology Corp (from Taiwan); Industrial Technology Research Institute (from Taiwan); UL LLC; Security Innovation (from Michigan); USDOT; and Autotalks (from Israel).

Periodically, MTAM will also host live events in this virtual global environment. The organization is currently in negotiations with a number of existing transportation-related conferences that take place in Michigan, and elsewhere around the world, to bring them into the virtual trade show as hybrid events. With a hybrid event people may attend in-person or through a virtual real-time environment. The virtual trade show can accommodate up to 50,000 people at one time. Conferences can also be archived so they may also be accessed at a later time. Organizers of transportation-related conferences that have interest in expanding their reach globally should contact MTAM, Daischendt said.

Additionally, at some point in the near future, companies exhibiting or visiting the virtual environment will be able to take advantage of Connected Transportation online training resources that will be incorporated into the virtual trade show. Discussions also are underway about adding a Connected Transportation job fair since finding trained professionals talent is an issue facing most companies in the connected industry.

Companies interested in exhibiting within the Connected Transportation Virtual Trade Show can register at http://www.gomobilemichigan.org/events/request-to-participate—its-virtual-trade-show.html. MTAM is also currently seeking sponsors for this initiative. Those interested in sponsorship may respond at the same link.

For more information, please contact Linda Daichendt, Executive Director/CEO, Mobile Technology Association of Michigan, at: [email protected].