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ADVANCING WATER STRATEGIESU.S. MUNICIPAL WATER INSIGHT SERVICE

Source: Timothy Vogel

DATA INSIGHT

The U.S. Water Conference Landscape: Focus, Themes, and Corporate Influencers, 2018

November 2018

U.S. MUNICIPAL WATER INSIGHT SERVICE

Analyzing the Conference Landscape 2018 DATA INSIGHT

2

Summary

Background

Water industry conferences and tradeshows serve as a central meeting

point for companies across the value chain to showcase their

experiences and capabilities, from products-to-services. At the same

time, municipal utilities and regulatory decision-makers receive

continuing education credits on topics and themes. These exchanges,

even in the formal settings of panel discussions and presentations,

enable companies to influence the market.

Bluefield Research has embarked upon analysis of 2,649 conference

proceedings at eleven regional and national conferences in 2018 to

identify key influencers, both corporate and people. In doing so,

Bluefield has built a database of companies, people, presentation titles

and themes to develop data-backed analysis select conferences in the

U.S. that are attended by more than 50,000 people in total.

In conference logistics and preparation, corporate sponsors and

committee leaders for the Water Environment Foundation (WEF) and

America Waterworks Association (AWWA) play significant roles in topic

and themes to be presented. As such, these same companies are also

heavily represented in the proceedings by employees, clients, and

vendors.

This Data Insight is available to Bluefield Research’s U.S. & Canada

Municipal and Industrial Insight Service clients.

Key Takeaways

• Bluefield analyzed 2,649 presentations at 11 conferences in 2018.

The presentations and panel discussion were authored and

delivered by 5,462 people in total.

• The conferences ranged in size from 48 to 859 proceedings.

WEFTEC and ACE, represented 70% of the total, resulting in the

greatest impact on the total numbers with 687 and 859 proceedings,

respectively.

• More than 80% of the presentations are focused on the municipal

sector. Differentiated needs and supply chains for industrial

companies (e.g. Mining, Energy, Food & Beverage…etc), limits

water related discussions outside of their own, vertical-focused

events.

• Wastewater topics, driven by the wastewater focus of WEFTEC,

make up 49% of the total, followed by Water and Other topics.

• Technology focused topics make up 64% of the total, thereby

highlighted the absence of business models, project finance, and

deployment, which represent larger challenges than technology.

• While the largest group of authors were from technology and

equipment vendors, 32% of the total, nine of the top 10 companies

as represented by authorship are from engineering firms. Only

water utility DC Water cracks the top 10 in the ninth spot.

• Only two of conferences– WEFTEC and WateReuse– identified

professional titles. Of these, 21%, 16%, and 12%, of the

proceedings were presented by Technician/Engineer/Scientist,

Executive Level, and Manager/Associate, respectively.



3

Conference &

Tradeshows

National Tradeshows

State Conferences

Symposiums

Other

Presenters & Company

/ Employer

Name

Title

Company / Employer

Company Type

11 Conferences 2,649

Proceedings

5,462 Authors &

1,560 Companies

Mapping the

conference landscape:

• Primary focus

• Industry verticals

• Attendees

• Locations

• Timing

• Lead Organization

Identifying key

themes:

• Presentation/Panel Title

• Segments: Water,

Wastewater, Stormwater,

Other

• Vertical: Municipal, Heavy

Industry, Light Industry,

Other

• Theme: Technology, Policy,

Bus. Mod. Strategy,

Economics, Other

Segmenting the

speakers:

• Name of speakers &

panelists

• Titles of speakers &

panelists

• Organization Type –

Engineering, utility, vendor

other

Proceedings &

Topics

Industry Vertical

Segment

Theme

Topic

Geographic Focus

Trend

Analysis

Guiding strategic

decisions:

• Which conferences should

a company target?

• Which competitors are most

active as presenters?

Key

Questions

Baseline Themes

Emerging Topics

Company Influencers

Strategic Focus

Methodology

Bluefield has analyzed 11 national and regional conferences to identify the most active companies

and influencers in water conference proceedings to support marketing teams in the planning.



Mapping the Conference Landscape

In 2018, 2,649 presentations were delivered, with the lion’s share at ACE 2018 and WEFTEC totaling

687 and 859, respectively, at conferences and tradeshows with over 50,000 attendees.

4

WEF Nutrient Removal &

Recovery

• Raleigh, North Carolina

• Date: June 2018

• Attendees: Undisclosed

• Authors: 95

• Proceedings: 89

WaterCon

• Springfield, Illinois

• Date: March 2018

• Attendees: 1,600

• Authors: 180

• Proceedings:126

Pacific NW Clean Water

Association

• Boise, Idaho

• Date: October 2018


• Authors: 361

• Proceedings: 149

WEF Residuals & Biosolids

• Phoenix, Arizona

• Date: May 2018


• Authors: 97

• Proceedings: 96

AWWA ACE

• Las Vegas, Nevada

• Date: June 2018


• Authors: 1536


WateReuse Symposium

• Austin, Texas

• Date: September 2018

• Attendees: 500

• Authors: 105


WEFETC 2018

• New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: October 2018


• Authors: 2,306


Rocky Mountain AWWA

• Denver, Colorado

• Date: September 2018


• Authors: 155


New England Water

Environment Association

• Boston, Massachusetts

• Date: January 2018


• Authors: 315


KY/TN WPC

• Nashville, Tennessee

• Date: July 2018


• Authors: 263


Central States Water

Environment Association

• Chicago, Illinois

• Date: May 2018


• Authors: 49

• Proceedings: 48



Measuring Corporate Influence

5

Conference proceedings represent

marketing opportunity.

• Vendors and Engineering firms make up the

lion’s share of authorship by authoring and

presenting 58% and 70% of conference

proceedings analyzed.

• Strategically, conference presentations are

valuable opportunities for vendors and

engineering firms to showcase their

capabilities. Behind the scenes, their roles

as presenters are secured via financial

sponsorships and committee leadership

positions.

• Academics and utilities, representing 27% of

the total authors, are often publishing in

coordination to demonstrate experiences and

success with technologies and applications.

AnalysisAuthors by Company Type

Source: Water Environment Foundation, American Waterworks Foundation, WateReuse,

Bluefield Research

While there are 5,462 presentations and paper authors at the 11 conferences, 2,649 presented the

topics and therefore have the greatest influence.

Vendor37%

Engineering33%

Utility14%

Academic/Other12%

Undisclosed4%

5,462

Authors

Vendor32%

Engineering26%

Utility16%

Undisclosed15%

Academic/Other11%

Presenters by Company Type

2,649

Proceedings



Measuring Corporate Influence by Proceeding Authorship

6

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Num

ber

of

Pre

sente

rs &

Panelis

ts

Academic/Other Vendor Utility Engineering

Company Presence by Authors and Co-Authors


Bluefield Research

The Top 50 companies are represented in 1,388, or 52%, of the presentations, excluding other

authors, are weighted heavily toward engineering firms in total volume.



Visualizing EPCs Influence over the Conversation

7


Bluefield Research

Brown and Caldwell, CDM Smith, Carollo, HDR, Hazen and Sawyer, Jacobs, and Stantec among

engineering companies with strong conference presence.



Municipal Water Dominates the Discussion

The municipal sector-related discussions take up the lion’s share of the proceedings– surpassing

80%– largely based on a singular focus not seen in other industry verticals.

8

Municipal80%

Other16%

Light Industry2%

Heavy Industry2%

Industrial-focused content takes low

priority at water events.

• Water-focused events target the municipal

sector, partly for continuing education and

because of organizer interests, such as

AWWA and WEF.

• Industrial conferences, such as those in the

oil and gas sector are often focused on other

topics in addition to water and wastewater

management. The municipal sector is more

uniform in its structure than the industrial

sector, which is made up of individual

verticals and customer bases.

• The Other category makes up 16% of the

total, includes presentations that cover

resources that are not included in the

Municipal or Industrial sectors, such as

aquifers, rivers, and lakes.

Analysis

2,649

Proceedings

Segmenting the Proceedings by Vertical


Bluefield Research



Wastewater at The Forefront

Driven by large conferences (e.g. WEFTEC) and additional industrial content, wastewater takes on

the greatest share of proceedings.

9

Wastewater49%

Water 31%

Other16%

Stormwater4%

2,649

Proceedings

Growth and innovation in wastewater is

reflected in the volume of material

presented in the segment.

• With 32% of total proceedings, WEFTEC

drives wastewater focus overall. In New

Orleans, 73% of proceedings and panel

discussions touched upon wastewater.

• Across the 11 conferences, 36 discussions

specifically targeted Combined Sewer

Overflows (CSO). Given the rise in larger

storm events and impacts on municipalities,

stormwater management themed

presentations is expected to increase.

• With one dedicated conference, WateReuse

Symposium, water (or wastewater) reuse

presentations made up 113 unique

proceedings as identified by “reuse” in the

titles.

AnalysisBreaking Down The Proceedings by Market Segment


Bluefield Research



Room for Growth Outside Technology

Overall, the water industry events target technology and their applications across the municipal

sector.

10

Technology64%

Other17%

Economics7%

Business Model & Strategy

6% Policy6%

Limited discussion on business models and

strategy exposes gap in industry.

• While technology presentations make up the

lion’s share of the proceedings, almost 65%,

with few exceptions technology is not the

industry challenge.

• The opportunity lies in educating the sector–

mostly municipal given this analysis– of the

financial tools and business experiences to

deploy more advanced solutions.

• Given the looming challenges facing the

municipal water sector, the status quo

represents a significant hurdle.

Analysis

2,649

Proceedings

Identifying the Themes of Discussion


Bluefield Research



American Water Works Association ACE 18

ACE 18 is the largest annual water conference focused on water quality.

11

Water 77%

Other14%

Wastewater7%

Stormwater2%

Municipal84%

Other16%

Light Industry0.58%

690

Proceedings

Bus. Mod. Strategy9%

Economics12%

Other14%

Policy7%

Technology58%

690

Proceedings

05

101520253035

Nu

mb

er

of

Au

tho

rs EPC Other

Segments Verticals Themes

Background Top 10 Influencers

Conference SponsorAmerican Waterworks

Association (AWWA)

Conference Type National

2018 Location Las Vegas, Nevada

Date June 2018

Attendees 11,000

Authors / Proceedings 1,536 / 690

690

Proceedings

Source: Water Environment Foundation, Bluefield Research



Central States Water Environment Association Annual Conference

Conference focusing on Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin

12

Wastewater82%

Water 9%

Other7%

Stormwater2%

Municipal84%

N\A6%

Other6%

Heavy Industry2%

Light Industry2%

48

Proceedings

Economics7% Other

11%

Policy7%

Technology75%

48

Proceedings

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Nu

mb

er

of

Au

tho

rs EPC Vendor Utility



Conference Sponsor Water Environment Foundation

Conference Type Regional

2018 Location Chicago, Illinois

Date May 2018

Attendees Undisclosed

Authors / Proceedings 49 / 48

48

Proceedings




KY/TN Water Professional Conference

The annual joint conference of the Kentucky/Tennessee Section of the American Water Works

Association and the Kentucky-Tennessee Water Environment Association.

13

Water 43%

Wastewater32%

Other22%

Stormwater3%

Municipal80%

Other17%

Light Industry3%

190

Proceedings


Economics3%

Other23%

Policy9%

Technology62%

190

Proceedings

02468

10121416

Nu

mb

er

of

Au

tho

rs

EPC Utility





2018 Location Nashville, Tennessee

Date July 2018

Attendees 1,700


190

Proceedings




New England Water Environment Association Annual Conference

Conference convening water and wastewater professionals from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire,

Rhode Island and Connecticut.

14


Wastewater50%

Other28%

Water 13%

Stormwater9%

Municipal68%

Other29%

Light Industry3%

151

Proceedings


Economics4%

Other29%

Policy9%

Technology55%

151

Proceedings

0

5

10

15

20

25

Nu

mb

er

of

Au

tho

rs

EPC Vendor Other


Conference Sponsor Water Environment Association


2018 Location Boston, Massachusetts

Date January 2018

Attendees 2,100


151

Proceedings




Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association Annual Conference

Conference on water issues in Idaho, Oregon, Washington.

15


Wastewater60%

Other22%

Stormwater9%

Water 9%

Municipal82%

Other18%

150

Proceedings


Economics7%

Other18%

Policy4%Technology

63%

150

Proceedings

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Nu

mb

er

of

Au

tho

rs EPC Utility




2018 Location Boise, Idaho

Date October 2018



150

Proceedings




Rocky Mountain AWWA-WEA

Professional Development conference focusing on Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.

16



Conference SponsorAmerican Waterworks

Association (AWWA)


2018 Location Denver, Colorado

Date September 2018



Wastewater39%

Water 39%

Other22%

Municipal78%

Other21%

Light Industry1%

153

Proceedings


Economics4%

Other23%

Policy6%

Technology65%

153

Proceedings

02468

10121416

Nu

mb

er

of

Au

tho

rs

EPC Utility

153

Proceedings

Source: American Waterworks Association, Bluefield Research



WaterCon

“Total water cycle” conference, focused on multi-segment education and training, in Illinois.

17


Water 55%

Wastewater25%

Other19%

Stormwater1%

Municipal75%

Other25%

126

Proceedings


Economics6%

Other22%

Policy6%

Technology65%

126

Proceedings

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Nu

mb

er

of

Au

tho

rs

EPC Utility VendorConference Sponsor

American Waterworks

Association (AWWA)


2018 Location Springfield, Illinois

Date March 2018

Attendees 1,600


126

Proceedings


Source: American Waterworks Association, Bluefield Research



WateReuse Symposium

Conference on water reuse advancement, with special attention to policy and funding.

18


Wastewater86%

Other10%

Water 4%

Municipal54%

Other28%

Light Industry

9%

Heavy Industry9%

101

Proceedings


Economics9%

Other28%

Policy10%

Technology42%

101

Proceedings

02468

101214

Nu

mb

er

of

Au

tho

rs

EPC Utility Vendor


Conference Sponsor WateReuse


2018 Location Austin, Texas

Date September 2018

Attendees 500


101

Proceedings

Source: WateReuse Bluefield Research



WEF Nutrient Removal and Recovery

Highly technical conference on nutrient removal, recovery and management, put on in conjunction

with Central States Water Environment Foundation and the Water Research Foundation.

19


Wastewater100%

Municipal100%

96

Proceedings


Economics2%

Other1%

Policy5%

Technology86%

96

Proceedings

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Nu

mb

er

of

Au

tho

rs

EPC Utility Other




2018 Location Raleigh, North Carolina

Date June 2018



96

Proceedings




WEF Residuals and Biosolids

Highly technically focused conference on wastewater treatment and connected issues such as

energy production.

20


Wastewater93%

Other6%

Water 1%

Municipal99%

Other1%

89

Proceedings


Economics3%

Other2%

Policy8%

Technology82%

89

Proceedings

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Nu

mb

er

of

Au

tho

rs

EPC Other




2018 Location Phoenix, Arizona

Date May 2018



89

Proceedings




WEFTEC 2018

The largest conference of its kind in North America, and the largest water industry exhibition in the

world.

21


Wastewater73%

Other17%

Stormwater6%

Water 4%

Municipal78%

Other14%

Heavy Industry4%

Light Industry4%

Bus. Mod. Strategy7% Economics

6%

Other16%

Policy3%

Technology68%

0

20

40

60

80

100

Nu

mb

er

of

Au

tho

rs EPC Utility Vendor




2018 Location New Orleans, Louisiana

Date October 2018

Attendees 32,000

Authors / Proceedings 2,306 / 859

859

Proceedings

859

Proceedings

859

Proceedings




Global companies across the value chain are

developing strategies to capitalize on greenfield

opportunities in water − new build, new business

models, and private investment. Bluefield Research

supports a growing roster of companies across key

technology segments and industry verticals addressing

risks and opportunities in the new water landscape.

Companies are turning to Bluefield for in-depth,

actionable intelligence into the water sector and the

sector's impacts on key industries. The insights draw on

primary research from the water, energy, power, mining,

agriculture, financial sectors and their respective supply

chains.

Bluefield works with key decision-makers at utilities,

project development companies, independent water and

power providers, EPC companies, technology suppliers,

manufacturers, and investment firms, giving them tools

to define and execute strategies.

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data insight€¦ · this data insight is available to bluefield research’s u.s. & canada...

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