Aug. 20-21st: Two-Day TechFest Conference Filled and Has Four Mini-Tracks, A Trade Show & Toy Room, Two Offsite events at University of Louisville, and a TechJam Slam Picnic
Sponsors To Date Include Aspectx, Bernoulli Small Batch Ice Cream, Bluegrass.Net, Boice.Net, Click IT, Genscape, Hall-Render, Information Builders, Ingrid Design, Marwood Veneer, Mirazon Group, New Generation Benefits Partners LLC, REC Foundation, Rivera Group, Samtec, Signature HealthCARE, Springhouse Press, & Stites & Harbison
Alliance Partnerships for TechFest Include: HEN, KSTC, YPAL, GLI, IDEAS 40203, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, and the Institute for Sustainable Health & Optimal Aging, University of Louisville
(June 10, 2015)—The Technology Association of Louisville Kentucky (TALK) will present its inaugural TechFest on Aug. 20-Aug. 21st at the Henry Clay Building and at two offsite locations inside the University of Louisville campuses. The entire conference program can be found at www.techfestlou.com and tickets are now available online. At the two breakfast buffets and in the trade show hallway, the REC Foundation will oversee the demonstrations of local Jefferson County Public School team robots.
Keynotes will be: (a) Andrew Swartz, Director of Experience Research of Sutherland Labs, “The Human Equation in Technology;” (b) Dr. John Barker, Founder of the Frankfurt Initiative for Regenerative Medicine (Germany), “Current Research Discoveries in Regenerative Medicine;” and (c) Paul Cummings, Investor and Entrepreneur, of the following: Techtown Global, Woople, and SwiftWing Ventures.
The four key mini-tracks (half-day sessions) are: healthcare/biotech, leadership/management, internet of things/big data, and general IT/emerging tech.
There will be a special focus session on “The Last Mile: Broadband Services & Municipalities” on Day 2, Aug. 21st, in the Beaux Arts Ballroom with speakers coming from NC, OR, and KY to discuss unique solutions.
Speaker Paul Cummings, an investor and entrepreneur leading Techtown Global and a partner in Swiftwing Ventures, will address the audience at a VIP luncheon at 8Up on Aug. 21st regarding the opening of Techtown Chattanooga and Techtown Seattle, and related ventures.
For entrepreneurs, Tim Jones, a former tech business owner, will lead the session entitled, “Technology Founders Workshop: The 6.5 Foundations of a Technology Business for ActionCOACH.”
Two free TechFest events will be held on University of Louisville campuses. The first will be aimed at disadvantaged youth and other Jefferson County Public high schoolers, offering an after-school STEM curriculum session at no charge. Sponsorship will come from Jeffersonville-based Marwood Veneer and Springhouse Press and others. The session is called a “Rad Science Skateboard Build.” TALK is working with the University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering on this and other ongoing STEM curriculum for high schoolers in 2016 at their new EG (engineering garage) behind First Build.
The second free public event, “Over 70 and Connected: Tech Tools That Work,” will focus on optimal aging with Facilitator Joseph Steier from Signature Healthcare coordinating discussion and example mobile apps and software from: Joe Steier, President and CEO, Signature Healthcare; Dr. Anna Faul, Executive Director, Institute for Sustainable Health & Optimal Aging, University of Louisville; John Reinhart, CEO of InnovateLTC; Dianne Timmering, Vice President of Spirituality and Legislative Affairs, Signature Healthcare; and Barbara Gordon, Director of Social Services, KIPDA.
A TechJam Slam Picnic will be held at the Henry Clay Building as the closing Day 1 event for all TechFest participants, speakers, and those from the local tech community interested in networking, including the residents of the building. The event includes music from Mondo Mike and the Po Boys with Spice based in Jacksonville, Fla. with a unique New Orleans sound (a mix of R&B, Blues-Rock and Pop tunes), video art and other exhibitions, and magicians, as well as a picnic meal including locally-owned Bernoulli Small Batch Ice Cream, and alcoholic-infused sorbets.
For corporations interested in bulk pricing to encourage more learning with regards to technology solutions, corporate rates for leadership attendance and IT management are available at special rates of $99 a day, per person with a minimum purchase of 10 tickets. This rate will be available until July 31st. All others can also purchase discount tickets for each day online via Paypal, and credit card purchase on the website. Corporate checks can also be written to: TALK for ticket purchases. Mail requests with your corporate check to the office of: Norm Schippert, TALK Treasurer 321 E. Breckinridge St., Louisville, KY 40203. Schippert, TALK’s treasurer, is also a partner in Bluegrass.Net at the same address.
All interested sponsors and speakers will be given the opportunity to meet with representatives from GLI’s Economic Development team; as well as Kentucky’s economic development or workforce development divisions.
About TechFest
The first inaugural Techfest, a two-day technology conference with a trade show and evening entertainment, is designed for tech professionals, as well as corporate leaders and entrepreneurs interested in understanding technology trends for business applications. A special free session will be offered as STEM curriculum for high school students, in addition to a free public session that looks at mobile applications for optimal aging. Topics throughout the conference will focus on a variety of technology issues and ideas that appeal to all professionals involved in the tech industry.
Up to 600 attendees over the course of two days are anticipated, including programmers, engineers, CTOs, CIOs, system administrators, software developers, as well as owners and entrepreneurs. This may lead to economic development avenues for growth and expansion, the facilitation of new ideas or a chance to explore shared resources, and the understanding of technology tools. TechFest is designed for the Louisville, KY region and its surrounding counties to assist in presenting an overall global, regional and national perspective of technology directions.
Current Alliance partnerships for TechFest Include: The Health Enterprises Network (HEN), Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC), Young Professionals Association of Louisville (YPAL), Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI), IDEAS 40203, University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, and Institute for Sustainable Health & Optimal Aging, University of Louisville.
Sponsors To Date Include Aspectx, Bernoulli’s Ice Cream, Bluegrass.Net, Boice.Net, Click IT, Genscape, Hall-Render, Information Builders, Ingrid Design, Marwood Veneer, Mirazon Group, New Generation Benefits Partners LLC, REC Foundation, Rivera Group, Samtec, Signature HealthCARE, Springhouse Press, and Stites & Harbison. For more information, go to www.techfestlou.com. @techfestlou info@techfestlou.com
About TALK
TALK stands for the Technology Association of Louisville Kentucky, our local technology council which focuses on economic development, workforce development, networking, education, advocacy, and talent identification. TALK, a 501C3, is one of more than 50 tech councils in the US and Canada that are members of TECNA (Technology Councils of America). For more information, go to www.talklou.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dawn Marie Yankeelov, Executive Director, TALK, (502) 292-2351; dawny@talklou.com or Dave Mattingly, TechFest Chair, info@techfestlou.com 
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