21st International Meeting on Lithium Batteries (IMLB) 2022
1200 in-person delegates
200 virtual delegates
32 Exhibitors
Venue: International Conference Centre
"People applauded the quality of the event - the delegates had an amazing time, the gala dinner and conference program was very well received. The head of the IMLB was impressed with how well it went. We made a profit and were very happy with the results. We were able to do more panel discussions and exchange ideas and solutions. We were also able to achieve greater diversity and inclusion across delegate attendance and speakers."
Dr Adam Best
Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO
Why Sydney?
According to Associate Professor, Neeraj Sharma from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), and Director of the Australian Battery Society, it was an easy sell to IMLB’s international audience. The accessibility, flight connectivity and the beauty of the destination made it an attractive proposition.
Delegates had the opportunity to explore Sydney’s bucket list attractions alongside the conference program by foot, or a short ferry or taxi ride.
One evening, delegates were transferred from ICC Sydney on the water to an exclusive Gala Dinner with private access to iconic Luna Park on Sydney Harbour – an only in Sydney experience.
Highlights
A key highlight of IMLB 2022 was the strong attendance in the post-Covid reopening of business events. The program received positive feedback from delegates, as did the venue and Sydney as an event destination. The event committee applauded the support and assistance from the team at BESydney.
The program brought together around 200 virtual participants who were able to join live sessions online alongside the 1000 delegates from 32 countries, 66 expert speakers from around the world and five plenary speakers. ICC Sydney’s state-of-the-art ICT and AV facilities made the virtual experience seamless for delegates who were unable to attend in person.
Creating impact
A key goal for the conference organisers was to attract a diverse talent, particularly a younger generation of delegates. As such the speaker program was designed to improve gender and geographical balance and to feature younger academics and researchers. With the demand for lithium-ion batteries growing exponentially, so too is the demand for new (and local) talent to work in this industry.
Hosting the event in Sydney gave the opportunity to showcase Australian research and talent to the global industry. The event allowed local companies specialising in lithium battery technology and services to exhibit and interact with global specialists. It also provided an opportunity to grow community here in Australia via the Australian Battery Society.
A first for IMLB, to inspire the next generation of experts in the industry, was a full day STEM program offered to teachers and high school students held in collaboration with the Australian Battery Society. This enabled 70 students to participate in talks, including one from a Nobel Laureate and female leaders in the field in Australia, browse and assess the posters on display and see the lithium battery industry exhibitors.
Delivering results
This is the first time the IMLB conference has been held in Australia, providing an opportunity to highlight the country’s resource strength in minerals used in lithium battery technologies and demonstrate its research capabilities.
Many Australian companies want to break into the Lithium battery industry and the conference provided an important opportunity to create connection and explore research and commercial initiatives with global industry representatives.
"With the demand for lithium-ion batteries growing exponentially, we need people working in the field. We need researchers and developers thinking not only about the current challenges but also about the future challenges we will face. For example, can we make batteries more sustainable?"
Neeraj Sharma
Associate Professor, UNSW
