While honoring Atlanta’s legacy as a crossroads of the South, this year, Avant South will explore innovation and growth through the lens of transportation.
In its third year as a conference exploring Atlanta’s potential as a top tech and entrepreneurship hub, Avant South joins forces with Atlanta Tech Week to present a two-day showcase of the ideas, technologies, and collaborations shaping the future of transportation, logistics, policy, and digital transformation.
When: Oct. 16 – 17
Where: Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel and the Historic Academy of Medicine
A.J. Piplica, CEO of the Atlanta-based aerospace company Hermeus, will deliver the keynote address for the conference on Friday, Oct. 17. The Georgia Tech graduate’s remarks will explore how strong infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and an entrepreneurial culture can drive the future of transportation and how the company designing the world’s fastest aircraft can provide a blueprint to elevate Atlanta’s global standing in technology and innovation.
Further emphasizing the city’s leadership in mobility, logistics, and technology, panels and sessions will be led by executives from Delta Air Lines, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Amazon, Waymo, Atlanta BeltLine, as well as startup founders exemplifying the thriving entrepreneurial culture in Atlanta.
Five immersive tracks are designed to showcase the future of transportation, business, and innovation — from shaping public impact through policy and investment, to reimagining global supply chains with automation and resilience, driving digital transformation with AI and agile design, fueling startup growth, and empowering student visionaries to lead the next wave of change.
“Transportation has always been at the heart of Atlanta’s story, from aviation to logistics, and now to the future of electric mobility,” said Donald Beamer, senior technology advisor for the City of Atlanta. “Avant South is where our workforce, entrepreneurs, and students come together with industry leaders to exchange ideas, build connections, and envision what’s next for how we move people and products around the world.”
Fueled by public-private partnerships, including support from the mayor’s office and city leaders as well as several of Atlanta’s higher education institutions, Avant South continues to evolve alongside the city’s entrepreneurial landscape. From cutting-edge startups to corporate trailblazers, Avant South has become an event where culture, technology, and business meet.
“Atlanta’s innovation ecosystem is thriving because our universities, entrepreneurs, businesses, and civic leaders work together to turn big ideas into tangible results for our city,” said Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera. “Georgia Tech is proud to team up with Mayor Dickens’ office and Atlanta Tech Week on this event to strengthen these connections and Atlanta’s reputation as a world-class tech hub.”
Avant South’s alignment with InnovATL as part of Atlanta Tech Week — the Southeast’s largest tech gathering –– is a transformative step for the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s annual initiative aiming to create a more connected and collaborative tech ecosystem in Atlanta.
