Call for Special Sessions

The 18th Annual IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE) will be held in Vancouver, Canada, from October 4 – 8, 2026.

This year, Special Sessions will spotlight emerging technologies and industry-driven topics, emphasizing perspectives beyond academia. We especially welcome contributions from manufacturers, government labs, start-ups, and industry professionals.

To broaden participation, Special Session presenters are not required to submit written papers, and presented materials will not be included in the official conference proceedings. The allotted time should not exceed 100 minutes; session formats requiring additional time must be discussed in advance with the special session chairs.

Session Formats

We invite proposals in a variety of styles, including but not limited to:
1. Formal presentations
2. Informal talks (with or without slides)
3. Interactive Q&A panels
4. Panel debates
5. Hybrid or creative formats (e.g., demos, live polling, virtual tours)

Highly Encouraged Proposal Features

• Strong engagement from industry or government
• Focus on industrial applications
• Emphasis on regional or localized topics
• Cross-disciplinary collaborations or topics
• Innovative and engaging session formats

Discouraged Elements

• The following types of proposals are considered less appealing to ECCE attendees:
• Topics that are not emerging or timely
• Academic-style lectures
• Repeat sessions from past ECCE programs
• Sessions promoting specific products

Special Session Proposal Template

Format: Max 5 pages, letter/A4 size, 1” margins, single-spaced, Times New Roman, 11–12 pt font. A Word® template will be available on the ECCE website under “Call for Special Sessions.”

Recommended Sections

• Session Title
• Session Format: Choose from formats listed above; describe any creative elements (e.g., demos, polls, tours)
• Timing: 100 minutes – The allotted time should not exceed 100 minutes; session formats requiring additional time must be discussed in advance with the special session chairs.
• Session Organizers: List name(s), title(s), affiliation(s), and email(s)
• Speakers/Panelists: List name, title, affiliation; mark each as “confirmed” or “tentative”
• Abstract: Max 500 words. Will appear in the program and website
• Session Outline: List topics/titles/activities, including time and speaker breakdown if available
• Organizer Biography: Max 200 words per person
• Speaker/Panelist Biography: Max 200 words per person