Ade Thomas is the Founder of Green.TV Media, an agency that specialises in elevating businesses, initiatives, and ideas in the emobility sector. In 2017, Ade founded the EV SUMMIT, with enormous success. The EV SUMMIT is the emobility business event of the year. It attracts specialists and innovators from across sectors to engage with emobility, discuss its trajectory in the current climate, and forge partnerships that will advance sustainable transport.
In its sixth year, and hot off the heels of the UK government’s delay of the internal combustion engine ban, the EV SUMMIT 2023 promises to be an event to remember.
We caught up with Ade to hear more about the summit, where it came from, how it’s evolved, and what to expect from this year’s edition.
What’s so special about the EV SUMMIT?
The EV SUMMIT is a proper summit. By that I mean it delivers high-level strategic narratives that really help propel the sector. This is typified at the front end with our panel discussion format, and at the back end with a super strong partnership process of pre-arranged meetings. Something we call ‘Managed Introductions’.
This is delivered digitally via our own proprietary software tool, the Digital Introductions app, and for sponsors via an account-managed process to set up meetings both for the two days of the summit and for a month thereafter.
As well as its c-suite audience and pre-arranged meetings process, what really defines the EV SUMMIT as unique is the opportunities for collaboration between multiple organisations. A private/public partnership with different technology providers, like the Redbridge EV hub, could only be possible due to a platform like the EV SUMMIT.
How has the event changed since you started it in 2017?
Two years ago, one of our partners came to us with a redesign of the format. So, rather than us defining the panel narratives, choosing the speakers, and then finding a sponsor, this partner said to us; ‘you have a strong platform with the EV SUMMIT, but we want more of a sense of ownership of the panels.’
So, we changed our format such that the sponsor owns the narrative, and chooses the speakers, with our support and guidance. Last year, we developed our own proprietary software tool, Digital Introductions. This year, in 2023, we’ve iterated and improved this app which we now believe is our own software solution that’s one of the most powerful partnership tools in the emobility sector. It’s a really elegant and simple app for pre-arranging meetings between attendees at the EV SUMMIT. It’s like a version of Google Calander meets LinkedIn for the closed ecosystem of delegates attending the EV SUMMIT.
What is the format of the EV SUMMIT?
The format of the summit is divided between panel discussions and ample time for networking around our pre-arranged meetings process. Over 4 hours of each day are set aside for these pre-arranged networking sessions. Everything happens in sequence: panel discussion, then networking, and repeat.
That said, this year we have two special side events, with a local authority focus on procurement and LEVI funding, which we know will be of enormous interest to the charge point operator community.
What successes has the summit delivered over the years?
The EV SUMMIT has delivered some huge commercial opportunities over the six years of its existence. One of the most significant is the Redbridge Park & Ride EV charging hub. This is a 45 million pound partnership that was formed from a collaboration at the very first EV SUMMIT and is now infrastructure in the ground, charging EVs as I speak.
What will be addressed at this year’s EV SUMMIT address?
We will have very strong local authority engagement around the LEVI funding and also on private/public sector engagement around access to land and space for charging.
Working with our headline partner Auto Trader, there will be a strong focus on the shifting of the 2030 mandate and the implications of that for the sector. We have strong interest from the software sector with companies like Bridgestone, Geotab, and Mobilize, addressing multiple software solutions around telematics, charge point management software and alike.
The EV SUMMIT 2023 will take place on the 30th-31st of October. There are some spaces available for partnerships and exhibitions.
If you’re interested in attending, you can secure your delegate pass today.
