The producers of APPNATION and the Chief Digital Officer Global Forum are proud to announce the launch of our inaugural Internet of Things (IoT) Influencers Summit which will be held July 21, 2015 at Levi's Stadium in Silicon Valley. We will host a VIP reception at a TBD location on the evening of July 20 followed by the Summit on July 21 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. We couldn't be more excited about hosting the Summit at Levi's Stadium, the home of the San Francisco 49ers and Super Bowl 50, and the most technologically advanced stadium in the world. The IoT Influencers Summit will bring together a critical-mass of key business decision makers, business developers, and other industry influencers for a full day of content, an intimate, high-touch exhibit showcase, and start-ups from across the IoT ecosystem featured in our always-popular Garage e showcase. Another unique element will be our VIP lunch and closing reception for all delegates on the 50-yard line at Levi's Stadium!

The last thing the industry needs is another generalist IoT conference that simply talks about how big the IoT economy will be - Gartner's estimates that there will be more than 20 billion connected devices globally (excluding smartphones and tablets) by 2020 resulting in a global market valued at $1.9 Trillion. That's big! Subsequently, the focus of our inaugural IoT Influencers Summit will be on the emerging business and use cases for IoT app development and platform investment as well as  the emerging consumer engagement opportunities for leading and upstart brands, agencies, and content companies across emerging IoT platforms and devices. More specifically:

1) The Business Case for IoT App Development: Ultimately, there is one universal thing that every IoT platform and device must have: APPS. Regardless of their utility, market potential, or "cool factor", IoT platforms and devices that do not have valuable, relevant, consumer-friendly apps will not have commercial viability. IoT platforms and devices without relevant apps or vibrant, easily-accessible app ecosystems will be dead-on-arrival. Convincing app developers of the business case to develop apps for emerging IoT platforms is, therefore, of paramount importance. The IoT Influencers Summit will help developers of all sizes with the business case for developing apps for a wide range of connected devices and platforms and dive-in on emerging best practices around IoT app discovery, acquisition, monetization and distribution as well as key emerging technical standards, development platforms and tools, and cross-platform platform and development opportunities

2) Leveraging IoT To Drive Consumer Engagement: We have a rich history of providing actionable and prescriptive content and discussions for leading brands, agencies, and content companies in regards to how they can leverage apps and emerging mobile and IoT platforms and devices to engage with, and learn more, about current and prospective consumers. The IoT Influencers Summit will bring together a pre-qualified group of business decision makers and investors to discuss and explore the broader consumer engagement, branding, and marketing opportunities across the emerging IoT ecosystem.

The IoT Influencers Summit will offer a diverse editorial mix of engaging keynotes, fireside chats, high-caliber roundtables, and deep-dive breakouts along with ample networking time including a VIP lunch and all-delegate closing reception on the 50-yard line at Levi's Stadium. And unlike the big-box, bland trade shows, the IoT Influencers Summit features a more intimate, high-touch exhibit showcase area as well as our recurring Garage showcase of cutting-edge young IoT start-ups from leading universities, accelerators, and incubators. Join us for an informative and inspiring day in Silicon Valley as we discuss, debate, and explore the exploding IT economy and business ecosystem.