Whether you’re looking to share your expertise or just curious about the cleantech space, the CleanTechies Events and Conferences Calendar may feature a must-see event in your part of the world.

Among the highlights in the coming weeks:

• U.S.-Japan Clean Tech Symposium, Feb. 18, San Francisco, CA

What’s big in Japan’s cleantech sector? This four-hour session explores the state of the overseas market as well as ties between U.S. and Japanese companies. It’s organized bythe U.S. State Department and Japan’s trade ministry officials.

• Texas-Israel Cleanovation Conference, Feb. 22, Austin, TX

The launch of this conference promises to bring together some 200 attendees including from utility and clean energy companies, investors and technologists. Dr. Eli Opper, Chief Scientist of Israel, is among the keynote presenters.

• Cleantech Forum, Feb. 24-26, San Francisco, CA

This annual forum is among the blockbuster events in this sector, attracting close to 1,000 attendees. Luminaries on the list include Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, Waste Management CEO David Steiner and former New York Governor Pataki.

• MIT Energy Conference, March 5-6, Boston, MA

This yearly student-run show brings together technology, policy, industry, and finance leaders to explore cutting-edge approaches to change how the world produces and consumes energy.

• Clean Technology World Africa, March 5-18, Johannesburg, South Africa

What clean energy and tech solutions hold promise in Africa? This convention includes Africa’s largest energy exhibition and features 50 free technical workshops.

This is just a taste; plan ahead into the fall by exploring more cleantech confabs on this page.

To add your own events to the CleanTechies calendar, please click here for a submission form.

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Many green industry professionals and career changers are interested in clean tech conferences and alternative energy events. You can find many upcoming green tech events and clean energy conferences in the United States and worldwide in the CleanTechies Events Calendar, but how do you make the most out of your attendance? No matter whether it’s an event on energy efficiency, solar energy, wind energy, green building or sustainable transportation, there are a few things common to each that will help YOU make your participation a success.

Just in time for your next clean tech event or alternative energy conference, here are our tips:

1) Have a game plan. Most events are overwhelming, and trying to find someone at the event is often impossible. That’s why it’s imperative that you reach out at least two weeks in advance of the event to target the top three people you’d like to have ten minutes with.

2) Talk into the microphone and identify yourself.  When you ask a question from the audience, it’s time to brand yourself and your company. Nothing makes a worse impression than someone who doesn’t give their name and company, mumbles and has not formulated a question. Oh, and make sure you ask a QUESTION. Leave the monologues to super villains.

3) Swallow the microphone. Many people are afraid of the sound of their own voice. They believe that holding the microphone around their waist or leaning back in their chair while talking on a panel somehow insulates them from the impact of their words. Wrong. If you have something to say, make sure everyone hears it.

4) Make friends with the people running the conference. They have a master list of emails and phone numbers, and probably know a lot of the attendees on sight. They can make connecting with the right person so much easier.

5) The most powerful word is “hello.”  It’s usually all you need when meeting someone to get their attention. We’ve seen it work wonders with strangers.

6) Have a business card conveniently ready. Digging through your briefcase, purse, satchel or suit sends a message about how you’ll handle a project. And it’s not a pretty message.

photo: octal

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Next week one of the premier events in the world of green building, water, energy, clean tech, social innovation and what many call the “new economy” will occur in San Francisco at the Fort Mason Center.

Billed as the “world’s largest conference on green innovation” for buildings, West Coast Green runs from Oct 1-3. It’s packed with presentations such as “Greening Existing Buildings: The Biggest Piece of the Low Carbon Puzzle,” “The Smart Grid Meets Smart Buildings” and “The Water & Energy Nexus.”

The conference is expected to draw over 14,000 attendees and a veritable who’s who in the world of green and clean technologies. Authors, CEOs, government representatives, entrepreneurs and inventors will show off and discuss innovative new products that can help us create a more sustainable world.

Planned keynote speakers include San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Interactive displays will include a self-sustaining, off-grid relief structure that fits inside a shipping container and comes equipped with enough supplies to sustain a family of four for a week without any external infrastructure. Watch the video to see the structure below:

The recent New York Times story, Clean Water Laws Are Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering, has me very interested in meeting the people from Atmospheric Water Systems. They’ll display their water filtration system that pulls the moisture out of the air to create drinkable water. With no pipes connected to water and the unit standing only four feet tall, this is a product I have to see to believe.

If you can’t make the event, stay tuned as our team from CleanTechies will provide coverage of many aspects of the event.

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CleanTechies is proud to be official media partner of two upcoming clean technology-related events that are just upon our alley: Both events connect CleanTechies from different parts of the world and allow them to share their insights and experiences with their counterparts. Both events are being held for the 5th time this year – while TABCON brings US professionals together with those from Turkey, the Germany California Solar Day unites them with their German counterparts.

Check out our Events Calendar for more upcoming CleanTech conferences, and submit more events.

If you are interested in a media partnership with CleanTechies, please contact us.

Saturday, May 30, 2009
TABCON: Areas for cooperation between the U.S. and Turkey in renewable forms of energy
Parc 55 Hotel, San Francisco, CA
Time: 08:00 am – 07:00 pm

Started in 2005 with the goal of bringing the US and Turkey closer together, the Turkish-American Business Conference addresses relevant topics that hold promising opportunities for those individuals or companies looking to do business between the two nations. Speakers from both the private and public sectors address important issues that affect both countries. Particularly interesting in the general context of this blog is a panel on “Areas for cooperation between the US and Turkey in renewable forms of energy.” TABCON got some smart executives lined up, such as Bülent Başol from thin-film PV innovator SoloPower. The session will take a close look at possible joint venture and partnership opportunities between the US and Turkey in promoting cleaner forms of energy. Panelists will discuss how evolving energy regulations for cleaner energy in both developed and developing countries are creating a niche in the market for cleaner technology. .

Panelists:
Bülent Başol – Co-founder, CTO and Executive Vice President, SoloPower
Dr. Izak Bencuya – CEO, Deeya Energy
Prakash Ramachandran – CFO, Nordic Windpower
Dr. Mustafa Tırıs – Director, Energy Institute, TUBITAK Marmara Research Center

Mention “CleanTechies.com” when you register, and get the chance to meet with our management team during the day.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009
5th Germany California Solar Day
PG&E Main Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
Time: 09:00 am – 08:00 pm

Based on a decision by the German Parliament, the 5th Germany California Solar Day is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and is hosted by the German-American Chamber of Commerce. It provides a bilateral platform for US and German experts to discuss the latest trends in the solar power industry. There will be several German companies presenting their products and services, including Concentrix Solar, Mage Solar, Phoenix Solar, Phoenix SonnenWaerme, Powersol, SOLARC, SunEnergy Europe, and SUNSET Energietechnik.

This event is free to attend if you register by Friday, June 5th.

As official Media Partner of the event, the CleanTechies team looks forward to meeting other like-minded CleanTechies during the day. Let us know if you are attending, and we’ll try to meet you.

[photo: flickr/hartp]

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Last week, Steve shared his thoughts on online social networking – something he believes “allows for a wider understanding, access and appreciation of what’s happening” in our industry. If you’re an avid online networker (or want to become one), join in the discussion, and let us know what you think. Of course, offline social networking continues to exist in parallel, and maybe it’s the more effective way after all… Meeting in person has a big advantage over meeting virtually – only physical interaction tells you if you really like somebody. While you can easily exchange information on the internet, talking to somebody face-to-face usually leaves a bigger mark (both on you and your counterpart). At the end of the day, we like to share experiences and thoughts – not necessarily in a chat room, but ideally over a cup of coffee.

In the words of Rob Day, a well-known CleanTech venture capitalist blogging on greentechmedia:

“Network, network, network. Find a local cleantech-related professional networking organization (for example, here in the Bay Area there is the Renewable Energy Business Network – REBN), attend cleantech-related events, and make contact with people that you know who are already involved in the industry and can keep an eye out for opportunities that may fit you. Most jobs and consulting opportunities will come to you through someone else, who happened to know you were looking, and knew your general background and preferred role.” Rob Day, July 26, 2005

What Rob Day suggested to do in 2005, still holds true in 2009. That being said, here are a couple of upcoming events that should be great for networking purposes. You can find more events and conferences in the CleanTechies Calendar. Most events and conferences feature some sort of reception, and – with your business cards handy – you might bump into somebody who turns out to have the perfect job for you. While the economic situation is challenging, there are interesting CleanTech jobs out there – as you can see from a look at the CleanTechies Job Board. Wherever you go, be prepared to give a 20 second pitch about yourself, your interest in CleanTech, and your career goals. For more advice, check out my recent article on how to Boost your CleanTech career.

If you want to submit an event (e.g. a job fair, workshop or seminar) to the CleanTechies Calendar, let us know.

Upcoming CleanTech Networking Events

March 26, 2009 – Boston (MA), USA
Entrepreneurial Energy Expo (E3)

The Babson Energy & Environmental Club at the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business is hosting the Entrepreneurial Energy Expo (E3). This annual event aims to connect the energy industry to the Babson community, provide insight into emerging clean energy solutions, facilitate networking, and celebrate the growing business opportunities within this rapidly expanding and entrepreneurial sector. In 2009, E3 will focus on how innovation will drive a new era of energy, ecology, economics and policy. Panel topics include:  Green IT & Energy Efficiency, Cleantech Venture Capital, A New Era of Environmental Policy, Green Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Selling in the Energy Market, and Sustainable Resource Management Solutions. The event takes place from 9am to 6:30 pm. Tickets are $20 per person and $18 per person for groups of 5 or more. You can register here.

The Young Professionals in Energy (YPE) are hosting a Happy Hour (=networking!) at John Harvard’s Brew House in Cambridge. YPE is a non-profit energy industry networking organization with over 6,000 members worldwide. It is dedicated to providing a forum for networking and career development for professionals in the global energy industry. YPE runs a year-round calendar of events in eighteen chapters around the world. The event next month takes place from 6:30-9:30pm, and you can register here.

Policy-makers, law students, lawyers and those of you generally interested in legal issues, read on: UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) and The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) are presenting a conference that explores topics at the junction of constitutional and environmental law. The symposium will have three keynote speakers and several expert panels with leading scholars, practitioners, and policy-makers analyzing and discussing current trends in the federal courts that influence environmental protection. There should be plenty of networking opportunities for those of you looking to enter the industry, both during the day and at the cocktail reception Monday evening. The event will be held at the University of California’s Washington Center. Participation is $25 for students, $75 for non-profits and $150 for companies. You can register here.

For all of you who want to drive social change, there will be a Symposium on Social Entrepreneurship the next day, which brings together over 300 leaders and innovators from both business and academia in this field. You can engage in panels, participate in interactive workshops, and discuss the most recent trends and issues with leading and aspiring social entrepreneurs. The winners of the business plan competition the day before will also there for you to meet. A strong focus of the event is on networking, and the organizers promise there will be a good mix of Bay Area social venture capital firms to talk to.

One particular panel particularly struck my attention. “Scaling Your Social Venture: Lessons from successful social ventures in health care, clean tech & international development” will discuss the right time to “scale up” a social enterprise. In this panel, CleanTechies that have successfully scaled social venture will demonstrate what growing businesses can do to achieve both financial and social return on investment

Early bird registration closes April 3rd and is $35 for students, $95 for non-profits and $125 for for-profits.

Check out the CleanTechies Events Calendar for more events and conferences.

[Flickr photo by Luc Legay]

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