2023 Conference Recap

From September 19th through 22nd, NABSA convened shared micromobility leaders, practitioners, operators, equipment providers, advocates, and more in Hamilton and Toronto, Ontario, Canada, for our Growing Shared Micromobility: Connecting People & Places Conference.

Special thanks to our hosts the City of Hamilton and Toronto Parking Authority, our presenting sponsor Lyft, and all our other sponsors for making this event possible!

With events in two cities, this year’s conference offered a unique opportunity for attendees to experience different contexts in two neighboring cities and the multi-jurisdictional nature of mobility.

Across 3 plenaries, 13 sessions, 4 days, we discussed electrification, marketing, partnerships, ridership, equipment and so much more!

We kicked off the first day of the conference with our annual tradition – Lightning Round Slideshow! It was a perfect way to break the ice and introduce organizations, seasoned and new, to other conference attendees and explore the work they are doing in their communities across the globe. 

From there, attendees jumped into one of the workshops below:

• Walking Tour
• East End Ride to the Adaptive Bike Hub
• West End Biking Tour

Through the workshops, we explored Hamilton and its cycling infrastructure before heading over to the opening reception at the Art Gallery of Hamilton which offered a chance to meet with other attendees and learn more about the 2024 NABSA board of directors candidates before voting.

Day two began with the opening plenary and keynote address from Karla Avis-Birch, the Chief Planning Officer at Metrolinx, who spoke about how she guides the planning and benefits of the regional transportation network and how shared micromobility helps to achieve end-to-end transit solutions. We also heard from:

• NABSA Executive Director Sam Herr
• Travis Hill, Curator of Indigenous Culture and Heritage, City of Hamilton
• Mayor Andrea Horwath, City of Hamilton 
• Caroline Samponaro, VP, Public Policy, TBS, Lyft and NABSA board member
• Justin Hanna, Director of Bike Share Toronto, Toronto Parking Authority
• Peter Topalovic, Project and Program Manager of Sustainable Mobility, City of Hamilton

After the kickoff, attendees had the opportunity to dive into breakout sessions with the choices below:

• A Tale of Two Cities: Insights from Hamilton and Toronto
• Improving Active Transportation Networks: A Data Driven Approach
• Scaling Systems for Impact: Equipment, Electrification and Connectivity
• Getting It Right: Lessons Learned in Shared Micromobility
• Crossing Boundaries: Creating Effortless Multimodal Connections for Users 
• Micromobility Economics 101: Redefining Return on Investment to Go Beyond Profit
• Open House: Hamilton Bike Share Workshop

Then we joined NABSA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and Sally Guzik with Fourth Economy for the relaunch of our latest toolkit, Building a Better Shared Micromobility Industry: Best Practices for More Diverse and Inclusive Workplaces. The updated toolkit is a comprehensive guide for organizations operating within the shared micromobility industry and offers invaluable insights into best practices for cultivating a diverse workplace and fostering a culture ingrained with the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

We rounded out the conference sessions on day two with the NABSA annual meeting. Attendees learned what NABSA has been up to this year and what we have planned for the future. We announced next year’s conference location, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and elected new board members! Thanks for joining us!

After the annual meeting, we biked and scooted over to Collective Arts Brewing for a happy hour. Attendees networked, enjoyed a drink, and relished in the excellent weather and welcoming venue.

Day three kicked off with the following sessions in Hamilton: 

• Partnering for Success: The Role of Partnerships in Shared Micromobility 
• Marketing Micromobility: Understanding Your Market and Building a Plan to Drive Success
• Around the World in One Hour: Global Micromobility Success Stories
• Strategies for Driving Micromobilty Ridership 
• Electrify Your Life (and Your Fleet): Efficient, Economical and Equitable Systems
• Transit and Micromobility: Multimodal Connections

After a morning of learning, attendees made their way to Toronto via the GO Train. Activities in Toronto kicked off with a reception at Boxcar Social Harbourfront and a conversation with Bike Share Toronto and Research Strategy Group about revenue and ridership growth.

Attendees closed out their conference experience by participating one of the following mobile workshops before saying goodbye to friends new and old with a local treat at Bike Share Toronto Headquarters:

• Bike Share Toronto Facility Tour with Operator Shift Transit 
• Ride to North America’s Largest Electric Bike Share Station

Thank you again for your support of NABSA and our annual conference. It is an event we look forward to every year and it would not happen without your contribution and support. We are growing and learning together to continue to build better shared micromobility throughout North America. Thank you for sharing and for listening!

We can’t wait to do this all again next year in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!

Miss a session you were interested in? Unable to attend at all? Session materials are available for all members!

Are you a member? Access the materials through our Knowledge Share Conference Archive. Please note that you will need to log in to your member center account to view the archive. Click here if you need to create a member center account.