Confluence coming together
The technologythemed conference is set for Thursday.
The technology conference is set for Thursday.
Confluence conference committee member Angela Devine (left) goes over the proposed agenda with Rome Floyd Chamber Small Business and Entrepreneurial Coordinator Drew Wharton. This year’s event will take place Thursday at the DeSoto Theatre at 530 Broad St.
Rome Floyd Chamber officials believe the community finds itself uniquely located at the junction where innovation and inspiration come together. Hence Confluence seemed to be the perfect name for a conference seeking to promote a spirit of entrepreneurship that is focused on ideas and developments in cutting-edge technology.
The annual Confluence conference will take place at the DeSoto Theatre at 530 Broad St. this Thursday. This year the event has been shortened from a two-day event to a single daylong program, which Chamber Small Business and Entrepreneurial Coordinator Drew Wharton believes will allow more attendees to experience the full range of opportunities to learn from the lineup of entrepreneurs and academicians.
“The board took a look at what we could do to improve attendance, and typically Friday was the lower attendance day,” Wharton said. “We’ve had great lineups the last few years and we want everybody to be able to be there.”
Confluence committee member Angela Devine said the Chamber has also determined that it’s easier for some people to get off from work for one day to attend the event rather than two.
“Confluence is a valuable asset to our community, not only because A large crowd attends the 2017 Confluence conference.
Bill Rader, president and CEO of Efferent Labs, a medical technology firm, addresses the crowd at the 2017 Confluence conference at the DeSoto Theatre. it gives people the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge innovation and technology, it shows the rest of the world that our community is interested in the topics being discussed on stage,” said Chris Kerr of Hardy Realty and vice chair of the All Things Digital Division of the Rome Floyd Chamber.
Devine said the conference is attractive to anyone interested in the changing technologies Contributed by Rome Floyd Chamber Contributed by Rome Floyd Chamber that are making a difference in people’s lives on an almost daily basis.
“We have a lot of people who have made connections through the conference over the years,” Wharton said. “A student at Berry a couple of years ago actually got offered a job with a company in Chattanooga.”
It’s designed to introduce Rome to technology but also technology to Rome. HackBerry Lab (at Berry College) is a product of Confluence, Devine said.
“3-D printing at Darlington and their makerspace has been a product of Confluence as well.”
The keynote speaker for Confluence this year is David Lee, vice president for research and development at the University of Georgia.
“He’ll be talking about innovation through research and education, as well as entrepreneurship,” Wharton said.
Annie Eaton, CEO of Atlanta-based Futurus, a company that deals in both virtual reality and augmented reality, will be next on the agenda. She is a 2010 graduate of Georgia Tech.
Thomas Gatliff, owner of Gatliff Industries which does 3-D printing, will be discussing future trends in 3-D printing technology during the third segment. Devine said 3-D printing has progressed to the point where some people are printing in concrete.
“It’s pretty durable,” Devine said.
Wharton said the technology now allows people to print in mediums ranging from plastics to metals to wood, even chocolate.
“That’s one of my favorites,” Devine said.
A group of students — led by Joshua Cutter of Berry College — will discuss a development the students came up with working in conjunction with Cevian Design Lab of Rome.
“They came up with a solar-powered sensor that is placed in auxiliary drainage spouts of flat-topped roof buildings that will notify you when there is a clog,” Wharton said.
Matt Nuccio is next on the agenda with a program about his business, Doug Walker / RN-T Design Edge Inc. of New York. One of the developments that Nuccio is expected to bring involves a projector system that might be set up in a child’s room. As the parent reads the story, a picture is projected on a wall or screen and the projector keeps up with the adult’s voice, changing images at the pace of the adult.
Dr. Himanshu Patel, from Redmond Regional Medical Center and Harbin Clinic, will be discussing CardioMEMS technology. The technology is the first and only FDA-approved heartmonitoring system proven to significantly reduce heart failure admissions to the hospital.
The final speaker will be Witt Teem of Berry College, who will discuss wearable technology and its applications to fashion.
“Confluence is also an opportunity for the thought leaders in our community to get together to learn and discuss these topics. The source of almost all successful innovation and creativity is typically not a result of a single person, but from many intelligent ideas bouncing between multiple people,” Kerr said.
Registration is open to the public, $30 for students, $50 for members of the Chamber and their employees, and $75 for non-members. The registration includes a $10 voucher for lunch that can be used at a number of downtown restaurants. Devine said the lunch break will be an hour and a half to give people plenty of time. Roman Chariot shuttles will also be available to help Confluence guests get up and down Broad Street.