61850ug Meeting
This event has been CANCELLED so we can better focus on the IOP event!
Contact [email protected] for more information
About This Event
The 61850 Users Group meeting is a 2-day, in-person event bringing together utility and industry experts to share practical knowledge, lessons learned, and emerging best practices for applying IEC 61850 in real-world electric utility environments. Attendees will hear directly from their colleagues about IEC 61850 across protection, automation, substation engineering, SCADA integration, testing, cybersecurity, and system modernization—what’s working, what’s changing, and what to watch for next.
Sessions are designed to be technical, applied, and discussion-driven. Speakers present real project experiences, implementation approaches, common pitfalls, and proven methods—creating a valuable forum to compare strategies, ask detailed questions, and learn directly from peers who design, deploy, and maintain IEC 61850 solutions.
For utilities, vendors, system integrators, labs, consultants, and researchers, the meeting offers a high-signal environment to build shared understanding, strengthen multi-stakeholder alignment, and leave with actionable insights that improve engineering decisions and project outcomes in critical grid systems.
Learn more about this event HERE.
Registration
Step 1 - Billing
Pay online by credit card or by invoice
For an invoice, quote, or receipt, email [email protected] and include:
- Billing details (company name, address, billing contact, etc.)
- Your invoicing requirements/process
- Registration type you want to purchase (Member vs Non-Member)
Note: Corporate Membership is required for all UCA Member pricing – click HERE to become a member
Payment terms: UCA invoices are Net-30 (payment due within 30 days of receiving invoice)
Early Bird pricing: Discounted pricing is available until 30 June 2026
Late registration deadline: 30 Aug 2026, 11:59 PM (US Pacific Time)
Processing times: Online payments 1-2 business days; Quotes 1-2 business days; Invoices/receipts 5-10 business days
Step 2 - Know your role
Meeting Attendees: Individuals attending the meeting (can be UCA members and non-members)
Presenters: Individuals presenting at the Meeting (utilities, TSO/DSO, universities, utility/vendor collaborations, consultants and others)
Event Sponsors: A sponsoring vendor organization, receiving benefits such a demonstration table in the conference room, branded signage, commercial presentation time, and more (Click HERE to learn more about sponsoring UCA events)
Step 3 - What's included
Full access to the 2-day conference of expert-led presentations
Complimentary lunch daily (with multiple dietary selections)
Morning and afternoon breaks with snacks
Unlimited coffee, water, and tea
Lanyard and name badge
Invitation to the Day 2 evening networking event on Friday, 9 October 2026 (drinks and appetizers are provided)
Step 4 - Purchase
For online payments, click a price to select your registration. You’ll be sent to our secure payment portal (Shopify).
For invoiced payments, send an email to [email protected] or click HERE to submit an invoice request.
Users Group Meeting Registration | 8 – 9 October 2026 This event has been cancelled! | Early Bird Registration | Late Registration |
| (deadline is 15 August 2026) | (15 August – 30 September 2026) | |
| UCA Corporate Member [1 person] | $700.00 USD | $800.00 USD |
| Non-Corporate Member [1 person] | $800.00 USD | $900.00 USD |
| Click a price to pay online via credit card, or click HERE to generate an invoice. – Invoicing is currently unavailable | ||
Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsorships are a critical part of UCA’s success with in-person educational events, open standards adoption and improved collaboration platforms. Your sponsorship for this event directly supports the infrastructure, planning and attendee experience. Help us to make this meeting special!
Contact [email protected] for more information.
Select a Sponsorship below
Platinum Sponsor - $10,000 USD - 1 Available
Sponsorship includes:
- Nine (9) FREE conference passes (for your team, or your customers)
- One (1) vendor table (located inside the meeting room for the full two days)
- 15-minute commercial speaking slot at the end of Day 2
- 30-minute speaking slot during Day 1’s opening session
- Your company’s logo and recognition on all event promotions and communications
- Your company’s logo, description and website link on the event registration webpage
- Your company’s logo on all in-person signage
- Access to the pre- and post-conference attendee list (e.g., name and company)
Click HERE to purchase this sponsorship online, or contact [email protected]g to request an invoice.
Gold Sponsor - Thank you, Siemens AG!
Sponsorship includes:
- Six (6) FREE conference passes (for your team, or your customers)
- One (1) vendor table (located inside the meeting room for the full two days)
- 15-minute commercial speaking slot at the end of Day 2
- 30-minute speaking slot during Day 1’s opening session
- Your company’s logo and recognition on all event promotions and communications
- Your company’s logo, description and website link on the event registration webpage
- Your company’s logo on all in-person signage
- Access to the pre- and post-conference attendee list (e.g., name and company)
Silver Sponsor - $5,500 USD - 1 Available
Sponsorship includes:
- Three (3) FREE conference passes (for your team, or your customers)
- One (1) vendor table (located inside the meeting room for the full two days)
- 15-minute commercial speaking slot at the end of Day 2
- 30-minute speaking slot during Day 1’s opening session
- Your company’s logo and recognition on all event promotions and communications
- Your company’s logo, description and website link on the event registration webpage
- Your company’s logo on all in-person signage
- Access to the pre- and post-conference attendee list (e.g., name and company)
Lanyard Sponsor - Thank you, Triangle MicroWorks!
Sponsorship includes:
- Two (2) FREE conference passes
- Your company’s logo printed on all attendee lanyards
- Your company’s logo and recognition on all event promotions and communications
- Your company’s logo, description and website link on the event registration webpage
- Access to the pre- and post-conference attendee list (e.g., name and company)
- DOES NOT include a Vendor Table, nor a 15-minute speaking slot prior to the evening event
- DOES NOT include your company’s logo on in-person signage
Vendor Table Sponsor - $700 USD - 5 Available
Sponsorship includes:
- One (1) vendor table (located inside the meeting room for the full two days)
- 15-minute commercial speaking slot at the end of Day 2
- Your company’s logo and recognition on all event promotions and communications
- Your company’s logo, description and website link on the event registration webpage
- Your company’s logo on all in-person signage
- DOES NOT include FREE conference passes
- DOES NOT include access to the pre- and post-conference attendee list
Call for Presentations
We encourage you to come and share your 61850 knowledge at this event!
For questions or to submit a presentation, contact [email protected].
All presentation submissions must include:
- Title of your presentation
- 100- to 250-word abstract or outline
- Presenter and company names
Presentation submission deadline: 15 August 2026
Presentation Policy:
- Priority for presentation selection is given to utilities (TSOs and DSOs), market participants, universities, and non-profit industry organizations
- Suppliers/vendors may present a utility-approved presentation if they are co-authors. However, preference will be given to presentations with a presenting utility
- All presentations must be non-commercial (no overt marketing material in the presentation) with a focus on the 61850 lifecycle which is deemed to be informative and helpful to other companies who are considering the use of 61850
- Presentations that demonstrate implementation experiences with lessons learned are preferred compared to strategies for future projects
- Non-commercial thought leadership presentations from 61850 Users Group members are welcome
- 61850 Users Group membership is not a requirement for presenti
More Information
Points of Contact
Billing inquiries: [email protected]
Questions about participation: [email protected]
Questions about UCA Memberships: [email protected]
Key Dates
- IOP event on-site participant set-up: 7–11 October 2026 – REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
- 61850 IOP Testing event: 12–16 October 2026 – REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
- 61850 Users Group Meeting: 8 – 9 October 2026; CANCELLED, due to overwhelming interest in the 61850 IOP event, watch for new event announcements related to the 61850 Users Group.
- Early-bird pricing deadline: 15 August 2026
- Late registration deadline: 30 September 2026
- Presentation submission deadline: 15 August 2026
- 61850 Boot Camp (not Witness training): CANCELLED, due to overwhelming interest in the 61850 IOP event.
Venue
FAQ (61850 Users Group Meeting)
What is IEC 61850?
An international standard for substation and grid automation that defines how intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) and systems model data and exchange it reliably across networks.
What is an IEC 61850 Users Group meeting?
A technical forum where utility and industry experts present and discuss real-world IEC 61850 topics aligned to a central theme—sharing lessons learned, best practices, and emerging trends.
Why this meeting matters
IEC 61850 projects are complex and multi-stakeholder. Learning from peers helps reduce integration risk, avoid common pitfalls, and improve outcomes across engineering, commissioning, and long-term operations.
What topics are typically covered?
Common focus areas include engineering workflows, SCL (ICD/CID/SCD), MMS client/server behavior, GOOSE messaging, Sampled Values (where applicable), time synchronization, testing approaches, cybersecurity, and integration patterns across multi-vendor environments.
Is this an interoperability testing event?
No. This is not a structured IOP test week. It is a presentation- and discussion-based meeting intended to improve understanding and share practical experience.
How is the meeting structured?
A planned agenda of expert presentations, Q&A, and peer discussion. Sessions are designed to be practical and applicable to live utility environments.
Who should attend?
Utilities, vendors, system integrators, consultants, labs, universities, and anyone working with—or planning to work with—IEC 61850 in electric utility systems.
Value for attendees
Hear directly from practitioners, learn what’s working in the field, understand common challenges and best practices, and bring back actionable insights for your projects.
Recommended background
Helpful (but not required) familiarity with IEC 61850 basics—logical nodes, data models, SCL files, and common communication services.
Boot Camp option
If offered, the Boot Camp is a fast way to build foundational IEC 61850 knowledge so you can get maximum value from the Users Group sessions.
Attendance expectations
Seating and meeting capacity may be limited—register early to secure attendance and support planning.
What to bring
A laptop/tablet for note-taking, your questions and use cases, and (optional) non-confidential examples you’d like to discuss with peers.
What you’ll leave with
A clearer understanding of IEC 61850 implementation practices, current trends, and practical guidance you can apply to engineering, integration, testing, and operations.
This event is presented and hosted by UCA Users Group and the 61850 Users Group.
