Join us for the 49^th PLMA Conference

Register for the Conference

• PLMA members must sign in with an authorized user account for member rates or a member pass.
• If you need information on member passes, contact Monica Hammond at [email protected].
• If you are not a PLMA member, click on "Register Today" and follow the directions to create a free user profile and receive our non-member rate.

Registration includes one admission to all core conference sessions. Attendees who pay the full registration rate and whose organizations are not already PLMA members will receive the incremental registration fee as a membership credit if they join before June 30, 2024.

Conference Pricing Discounts

Planning to register multiple conference attendees? Consider a sponsorship that includes free conference passes.
Academic members receive 50% off the standard member registration.
Interested in Volunteering?: A limited number of volunteer positions offer the opportunity to trade access to select conference sessions in exchange for assisting the PLMA conference staff with security and safety tasks. Please contact Judy Knight for more information

Payments, Cancellations, and Refunds Policy

All registration payments must be received one week prior to the conference. All walk-up registrations, including those for off-site events, must be paid on-site at the time of signup.

If circumstances change and you are no longer able to attend this event, you can cancel your registration for a full refund until Monday, April 22, 2024. Cancellations received on or after Tuesday, April 23, 2024, will receive a 50% refund of the total registration fee.

If you become ill after Friday, May 3, 2024, please obtain a doctor's note documenting your illness. In this situation, you can apply your registration fee as a credit toward a future PLMA event, or you can request a refund in the form of your original payment method. Please email your doctor's note with proof of illness to [email protected].

PLMA is unable to issue refunds for no-shows.

FOR EVERYONE'S SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

• SAFETY IN PORTLAND: Portland — like many cities — is navigating a host of complex issues, from the COVID-19 pandemic to police reform to social justice.
• Click Here for Detailed Answers on Surrounding Safety and the Visitor Experience 

Conduct

All attendees or others who interact with attendees must comply with PLMA's Code of Conduct posted at Policies. Some policies are highlighted below but these are not the entirety of the policy or the Code of Conduct. You are encouraged to review the Code of Conduct in its entirety to ensure you and your organization are in compliance during PLMA events. Here are a few key highlights:

• Anti-Harassment Policy:
  PLMA is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, color, ethnicity, political position, or religion.
  
  
• Conference Promotion Policy:
  PLMA recognizes that one of the benefits of a PLMA event is the interaction among the attendees and the open environment provided. It is the intent of PLMA that participants attending PLMA events be allowed to fully participate without outside distraction.
  
  
• Anti-Trust Statement:
  PLMA's Antitrust guidelines direct all conference participants to avoid discussion of topics or behavior that would result in anticompetitive behavior including: restraint of trade and conspiracies to monopolize, unfair or deceptive business acts or practices, price discriminations, division of markets, allocation of production, imposition of boycotts, and exclusive dealing arrangements.
  
  
• Photographs:
  Video recordings, screenshots, and still shots are taken throughout the event and may be posted afterward as conference resources. By completing registration you agreed to have your image captured and all such images may be used for PLMA promotional purposes.
  
  
• Free Time:
  You are welcome to conduct your own special events or meetings that do not compete with PLMA's conference agenda. To make meetings more accessible and still allow registrants to get the most out of the conference's learning and networking opportunities, PLMA offers the following guidance for hosting sanctioned sponsor or other activities: (please also see the Conference Promotion Policy in the Code of Conduct)

  Please schedule your personal and professional meetings and activities either prior to or following PLMA's scheduled conference programming.

  • Monday, May 6:
    Conference activities are scheduled for 8 to 10 pm
  • Tuesday, May 7 and Wednesday, May 8:
    The conference agenda includes a 90-minute lunch during which food will be served for the first 30 minutes. Free time is available during the last hour until conference sessions resume.
  • Tuesday, May 7:
    The networking reception is scheduled for 90 minutes. Food will be served during the first hour and free time will be available after the first hour.
  • Wednesday, May 8:
    ULME's Networking Dinner will end at 8 pm. Please plan personal and/or professional activities following the dinner.
  • Thursday, May 9:
    The ULME meeting concludes at 4 pm. Please plan personal and/or professional activities for after 4 pm.

Conference Location and Hotel

The conference sessions will take place at:

Hilton Portland Downtown
921 SW 6th Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 226-1611

The Hilton Portland Downtown is located less than one block from the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall and Pioneer Courthouse Square. Pioneer Place Mall, Portland Art Museum, Newmark Theatre, and several parks are within three blocks. It includes the HopCity Tavern, grab-and-go market, and a 24-hr fitness center.

Book Your Room

PLMA PREFERENTIAL PRICING ENDS FRIDAY, April 26, 5 PM PT

Lodging is not included with your conference registration. Make sure all your organization's attendees have time to book a room. PLMA's preferential rate of $179 a night at the Hilton Portland Downtown ends at 5 pm PT, Friday, April 26.

Register online at: Reservations at Hilton Portland

PLMA's preferential rate is good for the dates May 3-8, 2024, until it's sold out. If you receive a sold out message when trying to book, try a different set of dates, as the pre- and post-days may sell out earlier than the main conference days. If that happens, access the booking window on the hotel's webpage or call the hotel directly at 1-503-226-1611 and ask for the PLMA room block.

Choose PLMA's event dates which are May 6-8, 2024.

Taxes, fees, and optional gratuities are not included in PLMA's preferential rate. Please note that PLMA never uses an attendee or exhibitor lodging provider. We provide you the ability to book directly, and cannot be responsible for promises made or broken by unaffiliated third parties.

Click Here to Book Your Hotel Room at
the Hilton Portland Downtown

Meals

PLMA provides breakfast and lunch each day, together with light refreshments and two receptions. You are free to make your own dinner plans anywhere you choose.

Getting Around

• For those flying in you may Lyft or Uber directly from the airport to the hotel.
• Parking (On-site fees)
• Self-parking is not available
• $55, Valet Parking
• EV Charging is available on-site

49^th PLMA Conference Agenda and Activities

Sunday, May 5

PLMA Networking Events

PLMA prides itself on connecting load management practitioners in supportive, collegial environments. And, together with the many learning opportunities of these conferences, we're also in favor of adding a little bit of fun to the mix! Here is an overview of the networking opportunities planned for the 49^th Conference—we hope you'll join us!

Click Here to View Our Sunday Events

Monday, May 6: Concurrent Activities

Interest Group Meetings, May 6

PLMA Interest Group sessions planned for May 6 are open to everyone, and are included with your conference registration. Monday's breakfast and lunch is provided to all session attendees. Please see the 49^th Conference Agenda page for details.

Training Class: The Evolution of DR to DERS, May 6


This PLMA Training is offered separately from the 49^th PLMA Conference and requires its own registration. It is not covered by PLMA member passes and it costs $299 for members and $499 for non-members. The Evolution of DR to DER is a one-day class that explains how today’s demand response initiatives are evolving to interact with an emerging future that includes distributed energy resources. Breakfast and lunch are provided to class attendees. You can learn more about this class and other PLMA trainings here.

Click Here for More Info on this Class and to Register!

Spring 2024 Board Meeting, May 6


PLMA invites all current Board Members and At-Large Representatives to join us as we introduce a brand new Board Meeting format! The new 75-minute PLMA board meeting will include a high level overview of progress across the organization and across its strategic initiatives. Board Members, At-Large Representatives, and their designates (listed here) are kindly requested to RSVP for this event.

Tuesday, May 7: Plenary Sessions

Women in DM Breakfast Connection


Grab some breakfast and join the PLMA Women in DM Affinity Group for the chance to collaborate and knowledge-share. Everyone is welcome, no sign-up needed.

Plenary Sessions and 21^st PLMA Awards


Start off the conference with the Keynote Address followed by real-world insights and peer-selected sessions into flexible load management, DERs as grid resources, and much more! Join us to recognize the award winners in three categories: Program Pacesetter, Technology Pioneer, and Thought Leader.

49^th Conference Lightning Round and Networking Reception


Don’t miss the opportunity to hear from several PLMA sponsors about their solutions and the specific ways they create value for the energy industry. Afterwards, join us for the opportunity to network with your colleagues and take your chances at winning one of PLMA's awesome door prizes! Everyone is welcome, no sign-up needed.

Wednesday, May 8: PLMA Breakout Sessions

Close out the conference with more peer-led discussions and conversations on key energy topics and developments from more industry leaders.

Utility Load Management Exchange (ULME) Spring 2024 Meeting, May 8-9

This private post-conference meeting is a utilities-only event, and is NOT OPEN to other guests. Registration is $150 and includes dinner, breakfast, and lunch. Please Note: Registration for the ULME Spring Meeting is not covered by a PLMA member pass. For more information about ULME and this event, please visit ULME Spring 2024.

Day 1 of ULME is reserved for introductions and a networking dinner before the main day’s agenda on Thursday.

Thursday, May 9

Day 2 of ULME will focus on a variety of load control topics as viable options for utility deployments in demand reduction, economic dispatch, and more through a forum of member practitioner sharing of case studies, lessons learned, and results driven discussions. Topics include (but are not limited to) program design, marketing, vendor management, benefit-costs and technology deployments.

Frequently Asked Questions

PLMA Conferences

The Spring and Fall Conferences, and PLMA Symposiums allows for 200-350 load management practitioners to convene for peer-led discussions and conversations on key energy topics and developments, all within a welcoming and supportive professional community. If you want to learn more our conferences, please click below to view these frequently asked questions.

Frequently-Asked Questions for PLMA Conferences

More About PLMA

PLMA is inclusive of all member practitioners and encourages any organization with an interest in dynamic energy management to join us. To learn more about our organization and membership, please click below to view these frequently asked questions.

Frequently Asked Questions About PLMA
and PLMA Membership

Questions?

Please get in touch with Rich Philip, [email protected].