DistribuTECH 2011 Smart Grid Power Conference Comes to San Diego

TULSA, Okla., Jan. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- PennWell Corp. – DistribuTECH, the largest U.S. conference that covers the smart grid from end to end, opens at the San Diego Convention Center on Tuesday, Feb. 1.

DistribuTECH knew the grid before it was smart, and it continues to lead the way in information exchange and utility education. From instructional Utility University courses to experts delivering the latest industry details, DistribuTECH is bringing a lot of experience to California this month.

"DistribuTECH has been the leading grid-focused conference in this industry for more than 20 years," said Teresa Hansen, DistribuTECH's conference program chair. "The speakers and exhibits at this year's event should really power up the city and the attendees."

DistribuTECH 2011 officially kicks off with an opening keynote session on Feb. 1, at 8:30 a.m. The keynote features Susan Eisenhower, strategic consultant and president of the Eisenhower Group; Daniel Burrus, author, futurist and technological change guru; Lynda Ziegler, executive vice president of Southern California Edison; and David L. Geier, vice president of electric operations at San Diego Gas & Electric.

After the keynote, the conference itself is open with a bevy of learning opportunities. Sessions are broken down into related tracks, including: customer operations, substation automation, international projects, distribution automation, transmission, advanced metering, communications, renewables and the grid and water utility technologies.

"The speaker list for DistribuTECH 2011 is outstanding," said Michael Grossman, publisher of DistribuTECH's sponsoring publication POWERGRID International and DistribuTECH 2011's manager. "This is easily the most informative conference program we've ever assembled."

Along with a solid conference agenda, DistribuTECH features a large exhibit floor with nearly 400 exhibitors ranging from communications to cable, electricity distribution hardware to software, and meters to smart thermostats.

More than 6,600 people attended DistribuTECH 2010 in Tampa, Fla. In San Diego, DistribuTECH 2011 is expected to surpass those attendee and exhibitor numbers.

Exhibitor registration for DistribuTECH 2011 is closed, but attendees can register onsite for the full conference or just to walk the extensive exhibit floor. Onsite registration hours are: 7:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 31; 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 1; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 2; and, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 3, at the San Diego Convention Center.

Complimentary press registration is available to local media representatives with appropriate press credentials.

More information on DistribuTECH can be found online at www.distributech.com.

About DistribuTECH

DistribuTECH is the utility industry's leading smart grid conference and exposition, covering automation and control systems, energy efficiency, demand response, renewable energy integration, advanced metering, T&D system operation and reliability, power delivery equipment and water utility technology. DistribuTECH is owned by PennWell Corp., a worldwide media company based in Tulsa, Okla.

About PennWell

PennWell Corp. is a diversified business-to-business media and information company that provides quality content and integrated marketing solutions for the following industries: oil and gas, electric power, water and wastewater, renewable, electronics, semiconductor, contamination control, optoelectronics, fiberoptics, enterprise storage, converting, nanotechnology, fire, emergency services and dental. Founded in 1910, PennWell publishes over 100 print and online magazines and newsletters, conducts 60 conferences and exhibitions on six continents, and has an extensive offering of books, maps, web sites, research and database services. In addition to PennWell's headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma the Company has major offices in Nashua, New Hampshire; Houston, Texas; London, England; Mountain View, California; Fairlawn, New Jersey, Moscow, Russia, and Hong Kong, China. In 2010, PennWell celebrated 100 years in business.

SOURCE PennWell Corp.