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Gulf Coast Tech. Summit Attracts National Tech. Firms
Posted: 11/5/2002
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**NEWS ADVISORY**
-For Immediate Release-
November 1, 2002
Contact:
Dave Perry
Gulf Coast Technology Summit and Exposition
Scarborough Consulting, Inc
103 S. Alcaniz Street
Pensacola, FL 32501
850-439-9101
850-439-9105 fax
877-912-8356 toll free
Gulf Coast Technology Summit Draws Nationally Known Technology Firms
(Pensacola, FL) The Pensacola Civic Center will be transformed in to a "Cyber Center" for the second annual Gulf Coast Technology Summit and Exposition to be held November 7-8. The Gulf Coast Technology Summit and Expo is the only show of its kind from Jacksonville to New Orleans and is attracting national and regional interest. More than 75 exhibitors from twelve states will be showcasing their products and services to an expected crowd of 3000 attendees at this year's event.
Event producer, George Scarborough, President of Scarborough Consulting, Inc. is very pleased with the response from the technology community. The Summit was originally scheduled in September, but tropical storm Isidore forced it to be postponed. "We had to make a difficult decision to postpone the Summit, but it was the right thing to do. Actually, we picked up five new exhibitors after we rescheduled. I'm very pleased with the response from the technology community here and from around the Southeast. More than 20 percent of the exhibitors are from outside northwest Florida. It's a very positive thing for this entire region," said Scarborough.
Participants with National Presence
Exhibitors from as far away as Virginia, Maryland, Arizona and California will be demonstrating the newest innovations and applications of technology for business and home. The Summit boasts 27 of the 78 exhibitors at this year's event that have a national or international marketing presence. Companies like Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, Novell, Hewlett Packard-Compaq are sending representatives from their corporate offices to attend the Summit. Other major players include BearingPoint, formerly known as KPMG Consulting, Inc., Applied Research Associates, Cox Communications, Nextel, Sprint PCS, and Xerox. In the Department of Defense arena, Raytheon, GTSI, Space and Naval Warfare Command Systems, Titan Systems, MCSi, Anteon Corporation, Motorola CES Team One, and Information Systems Support will be there.
This kind of attention has not gone unnoticed by the local and regional economic development groups. Escambia county is the title sponsor for the GCTSE2002 and Florida's Western Gate, the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce's economic development committee, is a Platinum sponsor this year and Florida's Great Northwest will be in attendance. "The recognition that will be gained by having the Summit will aid in creating name recognition for our area as a technology center. We have a lot to brag about and the Summit will bring together a network of people who work in this very important arena. Bringing name recognition to our area for hi-tech jobs will take a concerted effort on the part of the community and we are glad to play a role in these efforts," states Tommy Tait, Chairman of the Board, Pensacola Chamber of Commerce. According to Florida's Western Gate EDC Chairman, Dick Baker; "All of those advising and supporting our economic and development efforts in Santa Rosa and Escambia counties tell us of the tremendous importance of supporting and attracting technology-rich businesses. The Summit will bring hundreds of individuals together who can share information and help each other grow and prosper their businesses, and statistics show that these 250+businesses [located here] will generate the majority of the good jobs in our future."
Technology businesses that are already in northwest Florida are not being left out either. Baker feels; "Networking with similar businesses and people is probably the best way to learn of new ideas and others' experiences in growing and improving your business, in 500+ miles of the I-10 corridor there is no other such opportunity." Locally owned companies Technical Software Services Inc., Bit-Wizards, CED, Corbett Systems SE, Computer & Hi-Tech Management, and Regional Internet Media are just a few of those in attendance.
In addition to the exhibit hall and seminars, the Summit will feature a VIP reception. The VIP reception will be held at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, November 7 at the Pensacola Civic Center. Sponsored by Team Santa Rosa and Florida's Western Gate, the reception will feature Dr. David Goetsch, Provost of the joint campus of Okaloosa-Walton Community College and the University of West Florida in Fort Walton Beach. Dr. Goetsch will discuss the definition and benefits of "Collaborative Business Networks within a Community". Dr. Goetsch is a nationally recognized speaker and consultant on the subjects of leadership, quality, and competitiveness. He is also the founder and Chairman of the Board of The Quality Institute (TQI), a training organization that serves Northwest Florida. Dr. Goetsch is the author of 50 books on various leadership and management topics, four of which are bestsellers. His latest book is entitled Quality Management in the Age of Global Competition.
The GCTSE2002 begins at 6:00pm Wednesday night with a networking event, BeachNet, at the Hampton Inn on Pensacola Beach. Seminars begin Thursday 9:00am - 4:00pm and Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm. The Exhibit Hall opens Thursday 1:00pm - 6:00pm and Friday 10:00am - 4:00pm. The public is encouraged to attend. Admission to the Exhibit Hall is free. Seminar packages are available for a nominal fee. Please visit www.itgulfcoast.com for more information or call toll free 1-877-912-8356.
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