The 2018 Government Fleet Expo & Conference took place June 4-7 in San Diego, Calif. Public sector fleet professionals, suppliers, and other members of the industry gathered to discuss the state of the industry. This year's event included the first-ever Block Party, where attendees test drove vehicles and got a preview of the latest solutions for fleets. Photos by Thi Dao, Alex Drachnik, and Roselynne Reyes.
2018 Government Fleet Expo in San Diego
The City of San Diego and County of San Diego, OEMs, and other companies displayed vehicles at the first-ever GFX Block Party.
Photo: Alex Drachnik
Rounding out the block party atmosphere, attendees played giant jenga, poker, and other games along with lunch, music, and ice cream.
Photo: Alex Drachnik
Block Party attendees check out a solar-powered electric vehicle charger from Envision Solar.
Photo: Alex Drachnik
Caterpillar hosted a game, where attendees attempt to pick up a soccer ball and drop it in a basket.
Photo: Alex Drachnik
The Government Fleet Expo & Conference (GFX) took place June 4-7 in San Diego, Calif.
Photo: Roselynne Reyes
Kicking off the conference portion of the event, the Municipal Equipment Maintenance Association (MEMA) hosted two educational panels.
Photo: Thi Dao
Rudy Ruettiger, the former University of Notre Dame football player whose life story inspired the 1993 movie "Rudy," gave a keynote presentation on never giving up on your dreams.
Photo: Thi Dao
Craig Croner, administrative services manager for the City of Boise, Idaho who led his fleet to win the No. 1 Leading Fleet in 2015, gave a keynote presentation on how to tell your fleet's story.
Photo: Alex Drachnik
Bob Stantion, fleet consultant and member of the Public Fleet Hall of Fame, tells the story of how a city fleet won a managed competition to avoid outsourcing.
Photo: Alex Drachnik
The Government Fleet Expo & Conference included more than 20 hours of education, with five sets of training sessions to choose from.
Photo: Alex Drachnik
Mario Guzman, CAFM, from the City of West Palm Beach, Fla., hosts a panel on the latest patrol vehicle offerings from Dodge, Ford, Chevrolet, and Harley-Davidson. Pictured (l-r): Dana Hammer, General Motors Fleet; Tony Gratson, Ford Motor Company; George Petropoulos, Harley-Davidson Motor Company; and David Callery, FCA - Dodge Law Enforcement.
Photo: Alex Drachnik
Eric Bearly, publisher of Government Fleet, hosted an interactive roundtable discussion on fleet tracking where attendees were welcome to ask questions and share experiences with subject matter experts.
Photo: Alex Drachnik
Jeffrey Tews, fleet services manager for the City of Milwaukee, shares his experience during a roundtable discussion.
Photo: Alex Drachnik
Session topics this year covered facility construction and renovation, electrification, succession planning, and becoming an effective fleet leader.
Photo: Alex Drachnik
The exhibit hall was packed with suppliers, in-booth presentations, and intimate educational campire sessions.
Photo: Thi Dao
Campfire presentations in the exhibit hall were more intimate than regular educational sessions with presentations from the American Public Works Association, National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence, and Kelly Reagan from the City of Columbus (pictured).
Photo: Thi Dao
Several exhibitors offered in-booth presentation. FASTER Asset Solutions gave an in-booth presentation on managing alerts.
Photo: Alex Drachnik