01 · Attend
Register to attend
Places are limited and the room is utility-only, so every registration is reviewed and confirmed by email. It takes a couple of minutes.
RegisterThe European UVM Forum · Second edition
52.52° N · 13.40° E
What works in utility vegetation management, and what does not.
Trees & the Grid is the closed-door forum where the people who run vegetation management and grid operations at Europe's utilities compare real results, including the ones that did not work. Utility-only, free to attend, once a year. Berlin, 13 and 14 October 2027.
- When
- 13–14 Oct 2027
- Where
- Berlin
- Access
- Free · Utility-only
The first edition · Berlin, 15 October 2026
Utilities from 13 countries came to Berlin.
A keynote, two panels, a hands-on workshop and three case studies. One day of people who run the same programmes comparing how they handle storms, corridors, budgets and crews. This is what it looked like.
See the 2026 edition
What this is
A room for the questions that are hard to ask anywhere else.
Trees & the Grid brings together the people who own vegetation management and grid operations at European utilities, once a year, behind closed doors. No products on stage and no sales pitches. Peers comparing what they tried, what it cost, and what they would do differently.
Utilities in North America have met like this for years. Since 2026, Europe's utilities have a room of their own.
Why it matters
Vegetation management has moved from routine maintenance to a board-level concern.
Climate and wildfire risk are rising, the grid is expanding under Europe's energy transition, and the decisions are getting harder. The people making them need to hear how their peers are making them.
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01 · Wildfire
~80%
of the EU's annual burned area is in Southern Europe, with wildfire damage estimated around EUR 2.5 billion a year.
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02 · Outages
#1
Off-ROW hazard trees, those outside the right-of-way that fall in, are the largest single source of weather-driven outages.
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03 · Cost
Largest
single operations-and-maintenance line many utilities carry is vegetation management.
Who's in the room
A small room of peers who make the decisions.
The room is built for the decision makers in vegetation management and grid operations: the people who own the programme, the budget, the risk and the operating model, and the specialists and engineers they rely on.
Speakers are utility practitioners first, with academics and industry experts where they add to the conversation. The conversation is about strategy, economics, risk and operating models rather than tools and techniques. No vendor sales talks.
What we cover
Six themes the room is built around.
The questions that decide reliability, cost, and risk across European vegetation management. They shaped the 2026 programme and frame the call for 2027.
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01
Climate resilience and extreme weather
Preparing the network for wildfire, storms, and flood, and making fast, confident calls when an event hits.
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02
Moving from cycles to risk
Shifting from calendar-based cutting to condition- and risk-based vegetation management, and proving the return.
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03
Ecological corridors, biodiversity and climate action
Treating corridors as a cost, permitting, and climate strategy, not only a compliance task.
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04
Liability and compliance
The liability and insurance exposure that sits behind every vegetation decision.
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05
Building and leading VM and operations
The operating model, people, and decision flow behind a programme that moves fast.
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06
Funding, budgets and financial performance
Securing the budget and outside funding for VM, and how prudent vegetation management protects a utility's financial standing, from outage costs to insurance terms and credit ratings.
How it works
One evening, one focused day.
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One evening, one day
A networking reception the evening before, then a full day of sessions.
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30-minute sessions
Case studies, panels, and a hands-on workshop, thirty minutes each, so the day stays sharp.
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Single track, some parallel
One track keeps the room together, with small-group work where it helps.
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Free and utility-only
No ticket cost. The room is closed-door and limited to utility professionals. Berlin.
Take part
Two ways in.
Register to attend, and we will confirm your place. Or propose a session if you have a result worth sharing with peers.
02 · Speak
Propose a session
Bring a real result your peers can act on, including what did not work. Talks and interactive workshops, 30 minutes each.
Read the call for proposalsJust want the news?
Leave your email and we will keep you posted on the venue and the programme.
Trees & the Grid is convened and underwritten by LiveEO to support the European vegetation management community and to learn alongside utilities.
When is the next edition?
13 and 14 October 2027, in Berlin: a networking reception on the evening of 13 October, then the forum day on 14 October. The venue will be announced shortly.
Is it really free?
Yes. LiveEO convenes and underwrites the forum. There is no ticket cost.
Who can attend?
People who work at a grid or distribution operator in vegetation management, grid operations, asset management, or a related role. The room is closed-door and utility-only; vendor and consultant registrations are not accepted.
Is my place confirmed when I register?
Not automatically. Places are limited, so every registration is reviewed against the criteria above and confirmed by email. We aim to come back to you within a few days.
What happened at the first edition?
Utilities from 13 countries met in Berlin on 15 October 2026 for a keynote, two panels, a hands-on workshop, and three case studies. See the programme, the speakers, and the photos.
What does it cost LiveEO, and what is the catch?
LiveEO hosts it to support the community and to learn alongside utilities.
Travel and accommodation?
The 2027 venue in Berlin will be announced shortly. The first edition took place in Kreuzberg; the 2026 venue page gives an idea of the setting.