David J Babb
The day before bugle sounds to start the biennial ICUEE show. The inaugural Diesel Progress Summit will take place in Lousville, Ky.
A new feature leading into this fall’s International Construction & Utility Equipment Exposition in Louisville, Ky., will be the Diesel Progress Summit.
Presented by Diesel Progress publisher KHL Group, the summit takes place Sept. 30, in advance of ICUEE itself, which runs from Oct. 1 to 3.
“Diesel Progress came to us this year and their concept was to put together an event that would
focus strictly on engines and power trains leading up to ICUEE because we understand there are a lot of folks coming to ICUEE with a high degree of interest in trucks and engines and power trans,” said ICUEE show director John Rozum. “We thought it was a great idea to tie in, just days before the show, while everyone is coming to Louisville, give them another option to learn without missing a minute of ICUEE.”
Among 11 speakers and panelists taking part in the summit will be keynote speakers Jennifer Rumsey, vice-president and chief technical officer for Cummins Inc., and Ramin Younessi, group president of construction industries for Caterpillar Inc.
Service Truck Magazine reached out many of the presenters but only received a response from Caterpillar, which indicated the company had not yet drafted Younessi’s remarks and would likely not share more than the topic and a brief overview prior to the summit.
According to the summit’s provisional program, topics will include market forecasts on the switch from diesel to electric; developments in hydraulic and hybrid/electric powertrains; and developments in powertrains for construction equipment.
Rozum added that ICUEE is also introducing “eat and learn” workshops this year, to allow the educational opportunities to continue while breakfast and lunch are consumed. This year will also see the introduction of a Disaster Simulation Lab, presented by Desi Matel-Anderson, former chief innovation officer for FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The presentation will cover preparedness for large-scale natural disasters.
The Diesel Progress Summit takes place at the Omni Louisville Hotel.
For more information, visit www.dieselprogresssummit.com.
For more about the biennial ICUEE, happening at the Kentucky Exposition Center, visit www.icuee.com.
— Matt Jones