2026 Friends of Aurora Vendor Registration | Institute for Transportation

Event Details

LOCATION

Colorado Springs, Colorado

VENUE

Colorado Springs Marriott
5580 Tech Center Dr.
Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Phone: 719-260-1800
Map

DATES

September 22, 2026

Event Contact

Judy Thomas

InTrans, MTC

515-294-1866
jathomas@iastate.edu

About the Event

Please join us for a Friends of Aurora event on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

Vendors will participate in the entire day with representatives from the Aurora Board, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and other organizations to exchange ideas and provide updates on technical issues, products, research needs, innovations, and changes in the road weather marketplace.

Each company will have an opportunity to introduce itself and to summarize the products offered and markets served. Additionally, vendors may choose to reserve a vendor booth (see details below) that will include tables for individual discussions or demonstrations of the company’s products and services at each break, at lunch, and during the end-of-day reception.

The cost for the each attendee is $250. Vendors may register up to two attendees.

Vendors will have the option to reserve a vendor booth during registration. Note that a maximum of 25 vendor booths are available for this event on a first come, first served basis. The vendor booths will be located in the pre-assembly area, which is close to the meeting room. Vendor table assignments will be prioritized by the timing of your registration.

Thank you for considering this opportunity. The Aurora Board values your input, participation, and innovative efforts to improve safety and operations on our public roadways.

Information for Vendors

Vendors will be at the hotel all day on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

Vendors who reserve a booth will receive the following:

6 ft skirted table and 2 chairs
Complimentary Wi-Fi
Electricity for the booth, if needed

Setup and Tear Down

Setup time can usually begin no earlier than 5 p.m. the night before. If no other groups are there the day before, we can usually be flexible on this, but we will not know until it is closer to the event.
Please send any materials to the hotel address 5580 Tech Center Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80919 and to the attention of Judy Thomas or the conference services manager. We ask that nothing arrives earlier than 2 days prior to the arrival date.
Tear down can just be on the last day of the event.

Tentative Agenda for Vendor Day

Time	Event Details
7:00 a.m.	Breakfast anytime on your own
8:00 a.m.	Welcome and Meeting Purpose Welcome from Aurora Leadership Introductions: Aurora Board, FHWA, invited guests, and Friends of Aurora Purpose of Friends of Aurora (FOA) Day: exchange, learning, candid discussions, future opportunities, and research needs
8:30 a.m.	Setting the Stage: National, State, and Research Perspectives FHWA Road Weather Management Team briefing TRB and national road weather research updates Brief Aurora member perspectives: current issues, opportunities, and questions for industry
9:30 a.m.	Friends of Aurora Technology and Capability Exchange – Part 1 Brief FOA updates, 5 minutes each Suggested format: Who we are, what is new, what problem it solves, what has been learned from deployment, and what agencies should understand before adopting it? Moderated full-group questions after each set of presentations
10:00 a.m.	Break
10:30 a.m.	Friends of Aurora Technology and Capability Exchange – Part 2 Continued FOA updates, 5 minutes each and full-group questions after each set of presentations
12:00 p.m.	Lunch together@ hotel
1:30 p.m.	Agency and Industry Panel(s): From Deployment to Daily Operations: What Works, What Breaks, and What We Still Need Moderated full-group panel discussion with Aurora members and FOA Potential topics: RWIS infrastructure and life cycle, sensor reliability, forecasting and decision support, maintenance and operations, data quality, data timeliness, communications, power, traveler information, procurement, workforce capacity, and future collaboration
3:00 p.m.	Break
3:30 p.m.	"What We Need From Each Other” Discussion Aurora Board members: What would help agencies better evaluate, procure, deploy, maintain, and use road weather technologies? FOA: What would help industry better understand agency needs, constraints, and research priorities? Full-group discussion to identify opportunities for better communication, shared testing, pooled research, data integration, and future collaboration
4:30 p.m.	Innovation Exchange and Follow-Up Time Informal full-room interaction with vendors, manufacturers, Aurora members, and guests Opportunity to visit displays, ask follow-up questions, compare field experiences, and identify potential research ideas
4:55 p.m.	Friends of Aurora Wrap-Up Summary of key themes and insights, follow-up engagement and conversations
5:00 p.m.	Friends of Aurora Reception
6:30 p.m.	Dinner on your own

Registration

REGISTRATION DEADLINE

September 15, 2026 5:00 PM

Registration Fees and Policies

Registration is $250 per attendee (in-person and remote). Each vendor may register up to two attendees in total.

A maximum of 25 vendor booths are available for this event on a first come, first served basis. Vendors will have the option to reserve a booth during registration while booths are available.

The vendor booths will be located in the pre-assembly area, which is close to the meeting room. Vendor table assignments will be prioritized by the timing of your registration.

Cancellation Policy

No refunds will be made after September 15, 2026. However, registration can be transferred to an alternate or substitute attendee at no additional cost.