Project
California Hydrogen Leadership Summit (CHLS)
Advancing Policy, Investment, and Industry Collaboration to Scale the Hydrogen Economy
Sector: Hydrogen
Event Type: Policy & Industry Summit
Location: Sacramento, California
Partners: California Hydrogen Business Council (CHBC)
Duration: Annual Event (2022-2025)
Opportunity
California is leading the transition to a clean hydrogen economy, but scaling deployment requires alignment across policymakers, industry leaders, investors, and communities. As the hydrogen market continues to evolve, stakeholders face a critical challenge: translating policy ambition into real-world deployment, infrastructure development, and equitable economic growth.
In partnership with the California Hydrogen Business Council (CHBC), TRC identified the need for a premier convening platform to bring together cross-sector decision-makers to align on policy, funding, and regulatory pathways while accelerating commercialization. The California Hydrogen Leadership Summit (CHLS) was created to serve as that platform, fostering collaboration between public and private stakeholders and positioning California at the forefront of hydrogen innovation and policy leadership.
Approach
Develop Event Brand and Infrastructure
TRC named the event, developed its positioning, and built the full brand identity from scratch: logo, color palette, typography system, and a complete set of event collateral including badges, banners, stage backdrop, and digital assets. The visual identity reflected the Summit’s standing as a policy forum, giving sponsors and speakers a clear signal about the level of engagement they could expect.
To support audience development, TRC created target audience personas and tailored messaging for each segment, from state legislators and regulatory officials to utilities, fleet operators, investors, and community organizations. That segmentation informed outreach strategy, website copy, and the sponsor prospectus.
TRC built a custom WordPress site to house the event, managing the registration experience alongside event content and sponsor visibility. The site served as the primary conversion point for the audience development campaigns that generated 143,000 unique visitors over three years.
TRC also developed the event overview and sponsor prospectus, establishing the tier structure and value proposition that supported sponsor growth in each subsequent cycle.
Execute Integrated Marketing & Audience Engagement Campaigns
TRC led the Summit’s integrated marketing and audience development strategy, creating a comprehensive campaign designed to engage policymakers, public agencies, utilities, fleet operators, investors, technology providers, and community organizations. Working alongside CHBC, TRC developed audience-specific event messaging and content that translated complex hydrogen policy and market developments into compelling, actionable communications for diverse stakeholder groups.
The team managed all aspects of event branding, website development, marketing, email campaign development and deployment, content creation, and social media strategy to drive awareness and engagement before, during, and after the event. These efforts were amplified through strategic partner outreach, industry associations, sponsor networks, and earned media opportunities to extend the Summit’s reach across California’s hydrogen and clean energy ecosystem.
Design a High-Impact, Policy-Driven Program
Session topics were selected based on where policy friction and investment uncertainty were highest: hydrogen hub development and DOE funding, infrastructure permitting and siting, transportation integration for drayage and Class 8 fleets, workforce development, and project financing structures.
Program credibility depended on assembling participants who could represent both the regulatory and commercial dimensions of hydrogen deployment. TRC worked with CHBC to secure speakers from the California State Legislature, California Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission, and ARCHES H2 Hub, alongside executives representing vehicle OEMs, infrastructure developers, and technology providers.
Sample speakers included:
- Anna M. Caballero, State Senator, 14th District, California State Senate
- Josh Newman, State Senator, 29th District, California State Senate
- Cottie Petrie-Norris, Assemblywoman, 73rd District, California State Assembly
- Angelina Galiteva, CEO, ARCHES H2 Hub
- Juan Carrillo, Assemblymember, 39th District, California State Assembly
- Siva Gunda, Vice Chair, California Energy Commission
- Nuray Elci, Vice President of Renewables, Chevron
- Mike Hart, CEO, Sierra Railroad Company
- Sydney Vergis, Assistant Division Chief, Industrial Strategies Division, California Air Resources Board
- Heather Tomley, Managing Director of Planning and Environmental Affairs, Port of Long Beach
- Tom Swenson, Director, Global Regulatory Affairs, Cummins Inc
- Bill Zobel, Senior Director, Hydrogen & Infrastructure, Pilot Company
- Blaine Waymire, Project Manager for Hydrogen Engineering and Strategy, SoCalGas
- Adam Weber, Senior Scientist and Leader of the Energy-Conversion, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Austin Hastings, Vice President of Gas Engineering, Pacific Gas & Electric Company
Delivered consistent end-to-end production across four years
TRC managed all production responsibilities across four consecutive annual events at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento. The event combined a policy-driven conference program with keynotes and panel sessions and dedicated networking opportunities, including a hosted welcome reception and a sponsored lunch. Onsite, TRC fielded a team of six to seven staff managing every aspect of the attendee experience: registration and check-in, signage placement, speaker green room, run-of-show coordination, and AV vendor management. TRC also handled venue contract negotiation, hotel room block management, food and beverage, and all sponsor activations.
Post-event, TRC provided sponsors with deliverable tracking and recap reporting. Consistent execution across four years supported the Summit’s reputation as a reliable, high-quality convening, which contributed to returning attendance and sustained sponsor investment.
Results
Through integrated strategy, targeted outreach, and end-to-end event execution, TRC helped establish the California Hydrogen Leadership Summit as a leading platform for advancing hydrogen policy, investment, and commercialization in California. The Summit convened more than 500 leaders from across government, energy, transportation, and environmental sectors, creating a high-impact environment for collaboration and knowledge sharing.
By aligning program development, marketing, sponsorship, and onsite execution, TRC facilitated meaningful engagement among policymakers, industry leaders, and community stakeholders. The event provided policymakers with a platform to present pending legislation, enabling broader stakeholder feedback and support for advancing key policy initiatives. It fostered important discussions on infrastructure development, regulatory alignment, and investment strategies, while strengthening the partnerships necessary to support the continued growth of California’s hydrogen economy.
500+
attendees convened annually
143K
unique website visitors over three years
40M+
earned media impressions
4
consecutive annual events produced from 2022-2025
How ACT News Helped Deliver Results
CHLS was supported by ACT News, to build audience, amplify visibility, and drive attendance before, during, and after the event. Media coverage included:
News Coverage
Targeted Social Media Campaigns
Targeted Outreach Campaigns
Contact
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