Join us for connection, collaboration and conversation.

August 17 — A Focus on Fiber Field Services

1:00-1:05PM — Welcome & Opening Remarks

Ryan Keel, President, EPB Energy & Communications
Kick off the summit with opening insights on EPB’s commitment to innovation, resilience, and partnership.

1:05-1:50PM — Operational Excellence in Outage Management

Ryan Keel, President, EPB Energy & Communications
Gain an inside look at how EPB prepares for, manages, and executes during outage events. Learn best practices, operational frameworks, and real-world lessons from the field. Presentation plus Q&A included.

1:50-2:45PM — Roundtable: Outage Management Best Practices

Facilitated by Ryan Keel
Participants will collaborate in interactive discussions to share lessons learned, common challenges, and proven strategies for outage response.

What are your biggest outage response challenges?
What are the best practices for outage management and mapping?
How do you prioritize restoration efforts?
What tools or technologies have improved your response time?
How do you communicate with customers during outages?
How do you think your customers would rate you on handling outages?

2:45-3:00PM — Networking Break

3:00-4:00PM — Smart Restoration: Leveraging Drones, Scouting & Birddogs

Bobby Hutcherson, AVP Facilities & Engineering, EPB
Marcus Reese, Senior Field Checker, EPB
Explore how advanced scouting techniques, drone technology, and field coordination tools accelerate outage detection and restoration. Bring your questions and best practices to share.

4:00-6:00PM — Check-In & Free Time

6:00-9:00PM — Welcome Reception @ Paloma Bar

Enjoy networking, refreshments, and scenic views as we kick off the summit atop the Westin Hotel.

August 18 — A Focus on Marketing & Growth

Day two sessions will be conducted in the EPB PowerHouse at the Chattanooga Lookouts ballpark with shuttle service provided

7:30-8:30AM

Breakfast @ The Westin

8:30AM — Shuttle departure to EPB PowerHouse

9:00-9:20AM — Welcome & EPB Strategic Updates

Janet Rehberg, CEO-Elect, EPB
An overview of EPB priorities, vision, and appreciation for partner collaboration.

9:20-10:05AM — AI in Action: Panel Discussion

Hear how industry peers are using AI to transform and influence their broadband operations and marketing efforts. Moderated by Katie Espeseth, VP New Products at EPB. Panelists include:

John Fredericks, Director of IT and Erwin Fiber, Erwin Utilities
Joe Lightsey, Fiber Operations Manager, Tri-CoGo
Rich Carpenter, VP Communications and IT Operations, EPB
Rob Smith, VP Group Purchasing, NCTC

10:05-10:50AM — Winning with MVNO: The Power of Bundling

Eric Bergstrom, Sr. Director, Product Development & Strategy, NCTC
An overview of how broadband and cable providers are approaching mobile services as part of their broader customer strategy. This session will highlight real-world examples of how organizations are experimenting with bundled offerings, responding to increased competition, and evolving their service mix.

10:50-11:00AM — Break

11:00-11:45AM — Future of Communications: Trends & Disruptions

Daniel Crawley, Manager of Strategic Research, EPB
A forward-looking perspective on emerging technologies, market shifts, and what broadband providers must prepare for next.

11:45AM-1:00PM — Lunch & Networking

1:00-1:45PM — Insider's Tour of the New Home of the Chattanooga Lookouts

1:45-2:00PM — EPB Broadband Solutions Intros & Updates
The latest news from your dedicated partner team.

2:00-2:45PM — Marketing in the AI Era: Strategy, Automation & Growth
Andrew Scarbrough, CEO, Delegator
A deep dive into how AI is transforming digital marketing:

Adapting to generative and conversational search
Balancing automation with human creativity
Preparing for agent-driven commerce
Leveraging predictive analytics and AI bidding for maximum ROI

2:45-3:15PM — Roundtable: Your Top Questions Discussed
Sandra Tilley, SVP Brand Strategy, EPB
Katie Espeseth, VP New Products, EPB
You told us what's on your mind, now let's dig in and discuss topics including:

What marketing and retention strategies are most effective against the larger competitors like Spectrum and Comcast?
How do we retain and win back customers who switch providers based on price?
What customer experience best practices can we share with one another?
What SLA best practices should be considered across managed IT, hosted voice, cameras, and networking?
How do data centers impact local communities, and what benefits do they create?

3:15-4:00PM — SEO & Thought Leadership in the Age of AI
Tim Parkin, President, Parkin Consulting
Learn how to stay visible and competitive in AI-driven search through: