Tech conference credited with linking industry insiders
Event gets 800 of Jacksonville technology crowd under one roof.
While organizers of the Tech Coast Conference were thrilled that about 800 people attended the event in Jacksonville, they’re assessing the real impact the conference had on the local technology industry beyond the numbers and say it’s basically planted a stake in the ground.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” JAX Chamber President Daniel Davis said of Jacksonville’s place in the technology industry. “Technology is at the forefront of (most) industries.
“We’re here and we’re serious and we want to see those industries grow and we want to provide opportunities for those industries,” Davis said of the purpose of the conference.
The chamber leader said the tangible impact of that conference wasn’t just that it drew the largest crowd in its three-year history, it’s also the kind of crowd that came.
Most notably, the attendees at the conference held at the Prime Osborn Convention Center were diverse in terms of business interests, ranging from startup operations to veteran corporate executives, Davis said. The age range was equally diverse, bringing in millennials and advanced career chief technology officers.
Mike Nolan, president of the chamber’s Information Technology Council, headed up the organization of the Tech Coast Conference. While he said turnout and interaction were better than he expected, establishing connections between businesses — mostly local — was likely the top achievement.
“We had a lot of feedback where technology providers mentioned that they established a lot of dialogue with other technology providers — not necessarily competitors, but companies that want to start dialogue with prospective companies for different reasons,” Nolan said.
In essence, the Tech Coast Conference is starting to tighten the web of technology firms in Jacksonville that had no real outlet for local connections previously, Nolan said.
“I think we’re gaining recognition,” he said. “It’s one of the few opportunities where, as a (business) community, Jacksonville technology gets together under one roof. A lot can happen because of that.
Most participants were local, but Nolan said his group is looking at possibly extending its reach into national influence, though he acknowledged complete plans are far from finalized for 2017.
Meanwhi l e , a n i mmediate impact is that Davis has already established a planned Cyber Security Conference set for Nov. 30. Davis said it’s a direct spin-off of the Tech Coast Conference and will focus directly on technology security issues, tactics and approaches.