- 3,000+ industry professionals broke attendance records
- 170 exhibitors demonstrated breakthrough technologies to solve transportation problems
- Tech leaders showcased V2X infrastructure, autonomous vehicles, and connected mobility systems on Detroit city streets
- Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer met with industry leaders
DETROIT, Mich. — The ITS America Conference & Expo 2026 brought breakthrough technologies and real-world solutions to Detroit, drawing more than 3,000 industry professionals from 46 states, and the District of Columbia together to advance safer, smarter, and more connected mobility worldwide. Organized in partnership by RX Global and ITS America, the four-day event at Huntington Place united the industry’s most forward-thinking companies and global leaders around solutions spanning artificial intelligence, connected transportation, cybersecurity, data analytics, digital infrastructure, and autonomous vehicles.
This year’s conference, themed “Empowering Innovation,” featured more than 100 conference sessions spanning four days, 25 live demonstrations, 170+ exhibitors and sponsors, and an unprecedented outdoor demonstration program that placed attendees directly inside Detroit’s connected transportation corridors. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer helped wrap up the conference with closing remarks, then met with industry leaders and Clinton High School STEM students on the exhibit hall floor.
Detroit served as more than a backdrop. As the birthplace of American automotive manufacturing and home to 1.7 million vehicles produced annually, the city gave the intelligent transportation community a living laboratory to showcase how the industry’s most advanced technologies are being deployed on real roads, in real time. From the 45-mile I-94 Freeway Experience connecting downtown Detroit to Ann Arbor, to the four-mile M-1 Intelligent Woodward Experience featuring 31 vehicle-to-everything (V2X)-equipped intersections and autonomous vehicle shuttles, attendees experienced the full potential of connected transportation firsthand.
“The technologies on display here, including AI-powered traffic management and V2X-connected corridors, represent the very innovation our industry has championed for decades,” said Laura Chace, President and CEO of ITS America. “What we witnessed in Detroit shows that bringing people from across public, private, and research sectors together builds lasting partnerships and leads to safer, smarter, and more connected transportation.”
The conference program brought national leaders to center stage for two landmark plenary sessions. On June 10, Sean McMaster, Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation, joined public and private sector leaders to reflect on the industry’s 35-year evolution and chart the course for the next generation of mobility. On June, 11, Miovision sponsored a plenary session, led by Laura Chace and Kurtis McBride, CEO and Co-founder of Miovision, featuring key transportation executives and focused on turning bold ideas into measurable real-world outcomes. State DOT roundtables also provided transportation leaders with a dedicated platform to exchange implementation strategies and share lessons learned from the field.
“ITS America Conference & Expo 2026 delivered an experience unlike any other,” said Jaime McAuley, Event Vice President, ITS America Events, RX Global. “The demonstration program in Detroit set a new standard, reaching far beyond the show floor and into the city itself. Connecting the ITS community to real, deployed technology along Detroit’s most iconic corridors gave every attendee something they could not experience anywhere else.”
The 2026 show floor introduced two new dedicated zones that reflected the industry’s most urgent priorities. The inaugural ITS StartUps Zone gave emerging transportation companies a platform alongside the industry’s most established players, connecting new voices in the sector with the agencies, investors, and partners needed to advance their technologies from concept to deployment.
The new Cybersecurity & Data Zone brought together 10 exhibitors, including Palo Alto Networks, Google, and 360 Network Solutions, LLC, delivering hands-on workshops, cutting-edge solutions, and expert sessions focused on protecting connected vehicles, securing smart infrastructure, and strengthening the resilience of transportation systems nationwide.
To demonstrate the benefits of using drone technology to deliver supplies to emergency responders, Blueflite staged a series of deliveries at the outdoor demo area. ITS America President and CEO Laura Chace, U.S. DOT representatives, Michigan DOT and ITS Michigan received deliveries of hats and koozies, and ITS Korea and the Korean Delegation received invitations to ITS World Congress 2026.
“As a former chair of ITS America, I know firsthand what this event means to the transportation community, and hosting it in Utah is something we take seriously,” said Carlos Braceras, Commissioner of the Utah Department of Transportation. “Salt Lake City is a city that embraces bold ideas, and the Salt Palace Convention Center will give transportation leaders from around the world the stage they need to share the technologies and solutions shaping the next generation of mobility. We cannot wait to see you in April 2027.”
The Future Leaders Program, sponsored by Southwest Research Institute, challenged students and young professionals to explore artificial intelligence’s role in transforming transportation, connecting rising talent directly with industry pioneers throughout the four-day event.
ITS America and RX also shared plans for upcoming events:
- ITS America Conference & Expo 2027: April 12-15, 2027, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah
- ITS World Congress 2028: Oct. 8-12, 2028, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida
For more information, visit ITSAmericaEvents.com.
