Tesla Motors Club (TMC) is holding its second annual users’ conference and expo, TMC Connect 2014, on the weekend of July 18-20 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Spa in Monterey, California. Hundreds of Tesla owners and enthusiasts descend on Monterey from all over the USA and Canada.
A group of TMC members have organized the Cross Country @TeslaRoadTrip to TMC Connect inviting others to join them in their trek from Newark, Delaware to Monterey, CA along a planned Tesla Supercharger route.
Registration for the conference is open at: teslamotorsclub.com/connect.
A full schedule for the event can be viewed on the TMC Connect website: https://www.teslamotorsclub.com/connect/#section-speakers.
Speakers include:
- Diarmuid O’Connell – As Tesla Motors VP of Business Development, Diarmuid manages Tesla’s commercial relationships and government affairs (e.g. Tesla’s ongoing struggle against state laws restricting direct sales in NJ and other states). Before joining Tesla in 2006, Diarmuid served in the US State Department, where he became aware of the importance of getting the US off of its dependency on oil as a matter of national security.
- Steve Jurvetson – Steve comes to TMC Connect with insights into a broad spectrum of technology, transportation, and clean energy innovation projects that he has invested and been involved in. He is currently a partner at the venture capital firm DFJ. As a board member of of both Tesla Motors and SpaceX, Steve was also the first person to own a Model S and one of the first to own a Roadster.
- Tom Gage – While CEO at AC Propulsion, Tom was involved in electric vehicle development with major automakers including BMW, Tesla, Volkswagen, Yulon, Nissan, Foton, Volvo, and Toyota. In 2012 Tom founded EVGrid, a company that is taking steps towards integrating electric vehicles and the smart grid.
- Chelsea Sexton – Everyone’s favorite EV advocate, Chelsea has become famous for her work on the EV1 program, especially when she was featured in the film Who Killed the Electric Car?. Later, Chelsea became Consulting Producer on the follow-up film, Revenge of the Electric Car. As an EV industry advisor and consultant, Chelsea has written for multiple outlets including Wired and Popular Science.
In addition to TMC’s featured speakers, SolarCity along with other sponsors and exhibitors will be participating in the event .
Monterey, a true destination location, provides TMC Connect attendees with the opportunity to experience a wide variety of iconic, summer activities. World renowned PebbleBeach, 17-Mile Drive and the Monterey Bay Aquarium are just minutes away. Furthermore the Hyatt lies less than 10 miles from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca where REFUEL will be held on Sunday of the conference weekend.
The event will kick off with a Friday evening reception and mixer at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Spa. On Saturday, the conference will consist of a keynote address, breakout sessions, lunch time topic tables, special presentations, an expo, and other surprises. There will be talks and presentations from industry experts and community members on an array of Tesla and EV related topics. On Sunday, the fun continues with breakfast at the hotel before heading over to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, where the EV performance driving event REFUEL will take place.
