This October, NABSA returns to an in-person conference for the ¡Vamos! Let’s Go: Defining the Future of Micromobility Together Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico. The NABSA Annual Conference is the leading global venue for shared micromobility and transportation leaders, practitioners, operators, and equipment providers to tackle important issues facing the industry.

Now in its ninth year, the 2022 NABSA Annual Conference is set to be an especially critical event as shared micromobility receives increased global attention as a tool that can aid communities and nations in addressing equity, climate change, transportation access, and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the only shared micromobility-focused conference, this important industry event is the one time of year that all sectors of the shared micromobility industry – public, private, and nonprofit – gather from around the world to tackle the most important issues for the industry and chart a way forward together.

The NABSA Annual Conference is built upon and centered on global perspectives, insights, and experiences from around the world, further elevating its importance as the only shared micromobility-focused convening of its kind. The industry benefits from the exchange of diverse information and worldwide collaboration at the conference, fueling mutual growth throughout all sectors. These unique elements of the conference motivate evolution and innovation in the industry.

“The NABSA Annual Conference thrives in its role as a global convener and incubator of ideas for the shared micromobility industry,” said NABSA Executive Director Sam Herr. “It’s been the birthplace of important industry developments, like the initial impetus behind the Shared Micromobility State of the Industry Report, the first report of its kind, that tracks trends, growth, and successes in the industry across North America.”

In addition to the Shared Micromobility State of the Industry Report, of which the third edition was released earlier this month, the General Bikeshare Feed Specification (GBFS), a mobility data standard that allows travelers to find shared micromobility devices in trip-planning apps, can trace its roots back to the NABSA conference. More than 640 shared micromobility systems worldwide have adopted the GBFS open data standard since its release in November 2015.

The NABSA Conference heads to Guadalajara amidst the recent publishing of the monumental General Law on Mobility and Road Safety in Mexico, a law that over 70 organizations and specialists have been working on since 2014. While the NABSA conference has always attracted a global audience, hosting the conference in Guadalajara is an exciting opportunity to elevate the important work and advancements in shared micromobility being made in Mexico and Latin America. For example, Guadalajara boasts a multi-modal transportation network that includes the publicly-funded MiBici bikeshare system, the second-largest bikeshare system in Mexico, and an expanding protected bike lane network. Conference attendees will experience these firsthand through mobile workshops. Guadalajara’s attention to cycling earned them the recognition of Mexico’s #1 cycling city in 2020.

​​Guadalajara’s MiBici bikeshare system, operated by this year’s conference host, BKT bici pública, is making bikeshare more accessible and equitable in Guadalajara. Notably, the MiBici system started in 2014 with 30% of its riders identifying as women, but in 2021 the number of women users was higher than the number of men. BKT bici pública was also recently selected as the new operator of the ECOBICI bikeshare system in Mexico City, making them the operators of the two largest bikeshare systems in Mexico.

“After two years of isolation and uncertainty due to COVID-19, this year we will finally host NABSA’s Annual Conference in Guadalajara! For a city as big as Guadalajara, sharing our experiences with and learning from the industry is very important,” said BKT’s Chief Operating Officer Mario Delgado. “As a member of NABSA, we at BKT bici pública are very happy to convene with the most important minds in the industry to exchange knowledge, technology, and information. That cross sector collaboration is essential for us to face the challenges of today’s urban life.”

The NABSA Annual Conference will feature two Keynotes from prominent Mexican leaders in transportation and shared micromobility – Patricia Martínez and Martha Delgado Peralta. Martínez is the Chief of Staff for Territorial Strategic Management at the Jalisco Government. She is a non-motorized mobility activist and founding member of the nonprofit GDL in BICI A.C, an organization promoting urban mobility that is safe, inclusive and efficient. Delgado Peralta is a Harvard alumna, founding member of ECOBICI, Mexico City’s bikeshare system, and the current Viceminister for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This year, Lyft, which operates shared micromobility systems in the largest cities across the US, joins as Presenting Sponsor.

“Over the past two years, shared micromobility has seen both massive opportunities fueled by the global bike boom, but also new challenges from rapid changes in the world of transportation,” said Caroline Samponaro, VP of Transit, Bike and Scooter Policy at Lyft and Chair of the NABSA Board of Directors. “The NABSA Conference will bring together many of the greatest minds in shared micromobility – in person for the first time in far too long – to meet this moment by sharing best practices, solving problems, and collectively charting a path that serves both cities and the millions of riders who depend on our systems. We at Lyft are proud to support this important gathering as the Presenting Sponsor, and we can’t wait to see you there!”

The ¡Vamos! Let’s Go: Defining the Future of Micromobility Together Conference will be held from Tuesday, October 25 to Thursday, October 27, 2022, in Guadalajara, Mexico. The conference features sessions on topics from electrification to transit integration, equity and community engagement to shared mobility data, and much more. In addition to attending panel sessions, attendees can experience Guadalajara’s bikeshare and street infrastructure firsthand during a mobile workshop, connect with exhibitors, test out devices in the ride area, and network with other professionals from all over the world. More information about the conference agenda, speakers, registration, and more can be found at nabsa.net/2022conference.