SPARK Annual Meeting
Examine how utility leadership, communities, and emerging technologies, like AI intersect - and how to navigate the tension between progress and humanity across all utility departments
Where innovation meets humanity
What happens when AI, infrastructure, human judgment, public trust, workforce transformation, and leadership all collide at once?
SPARK 2026 is a highly interactive leadership experience designed to explore the realities utilities are facing today – and the leadership future the industry must rapidly prepare for next.
Hosted at Milwaukee’s stunning Saint Kate Arts Hotel, this year’s experience blends provocative conversations, immersive Learning Experience Design (LXD), visual storytelling, interactive art-inspired activities, and high-energy collaborative experiences designed to help utility leaders navigate an increasingly hyper-connected world.
Why it matters
The utility industry stands at a pivotal moment. Hyper-connectivity is reshaping how we serve customers, engage employees, and operate infrastructure. SPARK brings together leaders who are navigating this transformation - sharing real challenges, proven strategies, and bold ideas for the future.
The experience
Designed through U2030's Learning Experience Design lens, SPARK features interactive sessions, rapid-fire panels, Ignite Talks, and gamified experiences. Every moment is designed to deliver actionable strategies, meaningful connections, and real-world stories from peers who understand your challenges.
Outcomes
Leave SPARK with fresh perspectives on leading through complexity, practical frameworks for AI and digital transformation, a strengthened network of peer leaders, and renewed energy to drive change in your organization.
Built for utility leaders shaping the future
Executive leaders
CEOs, COOs, CIOs driving enterprise strategy and transformation
Customer experience leaders
VPs and Directors shaping customer trust and engagement
Technology & innovation
Leaders integrating AI, analytics, and IoT into operations
People & culture
HR and change leaders building workforce resilience
Technology partners
Solution providers advancing utility transformation
Three days of transformative learning
Interactive sessions, rapid-fire panels, Ignite Talks, and gamified experiences designed for maximum impact.
Day 0 | Human Connection & Community Impact
We begin by grounding leadership in service, creativity, and human connection through hands-on community projects, relationship-building, and shared experiences across Milwaukee.
Community Service Project - Creating a Masterpiece: Foundation for Hospital Art
Attendees create art kits benefiting hospitals and care facilities through the Foundation for Hospital Art.
Community Service Project - Lighting the Way: Engineering Brightness for Navajo Communities
Hands-on solar lantern build supporting NTUA communities experiencing light poverty.
Community Service Project - Lending a Helping Hand at Next Door Milwaukee
Volunteer experience supporting early childhood education and underserved families.
Welcome Reception - Happy Hour: The SPARK Kickoff Celebration
Networking reception with appetizers, conversations, and informal Milwaukee exploration.
Day 1 | Leading in Hyper-Connected Realities
Day 1 explores the complexity leaders are navigating right now: AI, trust, workforce pressure, governance, crisis decision-making, and interconnected operational systems. Highlights include a first-of-its-kind live AI leadership experiment featuring utility executives and their digital twins, along with Crisis Kitchen: The Utility Leadership Challenge — an immersive cooking-show-inspired simulation where teams navigate curveballs, pantry runs, and escalating utility crises in real time.
Wellness Activity - Walk & Reflect: Morning Conversations on the Water
Guided morning walk focused on conversation, reflection, and connection.
Wellness Activity - Run the Current: SPARK Morning Energy Run
Guided run through Milwaukee designed to energize attendees before sessions begin.
Welcome, Intros & Leadership Activation Activity - Framing Our Hyper-Connected Futures: Welcome, Introductions & LXD Activation
Interactive opening session exploring interconnected leadership challenges facing utilities.
Keynote - Against the Current: The Leadership Journey to Rebuilding Puerto Rico’s Grid
Janisse Quiñones reflects on leadership, resilience, and rebuilding Puerto Rico’s grid.
LXD Leadership Activity - LXD Leadership Activity
Participate in a highly interactive, immersive group activity designed to move beyond passive discussion and into real-time collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership reflection.
Break
AI Session - Energy-Brain Nexus: New Paradigms for Utilities to Design and Operate Electricity Grids
Exploration of AI, human intelligence, ethics, and grid reliability in hyper-connected systems.
AI Leadership Experiment - Three Leaders. Three AI Twins. One Live Conversation.
Utility executives and AI digital twins debate real-world utility leadership scenarios live.
Lunch
Interactive Tabletop Discussion - Fault Lines: The Conversations Utilities Keep Avoiding
Facilitated tabletop discussions exploring AI ethics, trust erosion, workforce exhaustion, leadership succession, and organizational readiness.
Leadership Application Panel - Applying What We Learned
RADIATE graduates discuss translating leadership development into real-world action.
Break
LXD Leadership Activity
Participate in a highly interactive, immersive group activity designed to move beyond passive discussion and into real-time collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership reflection.
Cooking Show Lab / LXD - Crisis Kitchen: The Utility Leadership Challenge
Cooking-show-inspired crisis simulation exploring operational leadership in hyper-connected environments.
LXD Session: Painting Our Leadership Canva - Drawing the Future: What Leadership Must Carry Forward
Teams will transform their tables into collaborative leadership canvases, visually mapping the tensions, risks, and human commitments the must carry forward and share them with the larger group.
Awards Gala / Celebration - Disco After Dark: SPARK Awards & Graduation Gala
Celebration honoring Women Who SPARK winners and RADIATE graduates with silent disco and dance party.
Day 2 | Leading Our Hyper-Connected Futures
Day 2 shifts toward the future - exploring what leadership must become in an era shaped by AI, accelerating complexity, and rising human expectations. Through future-focused panels, leadership labs, Ignite Talks, and interactive reflection experiences, attendees will leave with new perspectives on the leadership signals, behaviors, and commitments the future requires.
Breakfast
LXD Leadership Activity
Participate in a highly interactive, immersive group activity designed to move beyond passive discussion and into real-time collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership reflection.
Ignite Talks - Enlighten Us — But Make It Quick
Fast-paced Ignite Talks from Women Who SPARK award winners.
Break
Future Leadership Panel - What Leadership Must Become
Executive discussion on leadership capabilities needed for hyper-connected futures.
Future Trends / Foresight Session - Signals From the Future: The Utility Industry in 2035
Exploration of emerging signals, disruptions, and technologies shaping utilities through 2035.
Closing Commitments Session - The Leaders Our Hyper-Connected Futures Require
Final immersive reflection identifying leadership commitments for the future utility industry.
Speakers
Travel & accommodations
Everything you need to plan your trip to SPARK 2026 in Milwaukee.
Venue & hotel
Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel
139 East Kilbourn Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53202
A vibrant arts hotel in the heart of downtown Milwaukee, offering modern comfort and creative inspiration.
Airport information
General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
Direct flights available from most major U.S. cities. The airport offers convenient access to downtown Milwaukee.
Ground transportation
Rideshare services (Uber/Lyft) are readily available from the airport. The hotel is located in walkable downtown Milwaukee.
Attire & dress code
SPARK is a professional conference with a creative edge. We encourage business casual attire throughout the event.
Ready to SPARK your leadership?
Join utility leaders from across the industry for three days of innovation, connection, and transformation.