Bentonville Tech Summit Speaks To Businesses Big And Small

BENTONVILLE -- Technology will be the topic as the Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce hosts its first NWA Technology Summit.

The goal is to bring together technology companies in Northwest Arkansas so they can learn about new technology and share ideas, said Jon Cadieux, chairman of the Northwest Arkansas Tech Council.

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For more information about the NWA Technology Summit speakers, visit www.nwatechsummit.c….

Those at the event and not at the event can participate on Twitter using the hashtag #NWAtechsummit

Source: Staff Report

The Tech Council is part of the chamber.

Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers. Jeff Amerine, director of University of Arkansas Technology Ventures and CEO of Startup Junkie, will be the morning speaker. He'll discuss "Building the NWA Venture Ecosystem," according to the event website.

Amerine will be followed by a discussion moderated by Marty Metro, founder and CEO of UsedCardboardBoxes.com. The panel will consist of Michael Stich from Rockfish, Angelo Welihinda from Google, Stan Zylowski from Movista, Peter Coffee from SalesForce.com and Carol Spieckerman from New Market Builders.

Two breakout session tracks will give attendees information about technology architecture or technology application. Technology architecture will cover topics such as big data, e-commerce, security breaches and prototyping. Technology application will cover startup funding, social media for executives, entrepreneur success stories with social media and the value of content strategy, according to the event website.

Keynote speaker Karenann Terrell, executive vice president and chief information officer for Walmart, will conclude the summit by talking about "Technology Driving the Next Generation Walmart."

The event is geared toward small and big companies alike, Cadieux said.

"There are companies there that are one- and two-man outfits all the way up top," he said, referring to Walmart. "And you'll have everything in between."

Walmart employees will represent about 150 of the 430 people who have registered for the event, according to Tammy Thurow, chamber vice president of marketing and membership services.

Word has gotten out about the summit, Thurow said. She has received calls from companies in Tulsa, Okla., Springfield, Mo., and central Arkansas interested in the event.

Corporate sponsorships will allow organizers to invite five students each from Bentonville and Rogers high schools, NorthWest Arkansas Community College and the University of Arkansas, Cadieux said.

"The Tech Council itself is more than just about business and doing business," he said.

It's about helping educate and expose youth to technology, which may give them career ideas, he explained. "This is just one of the steps in doing that," he said.

Organizers are planning for the next Technology Summit in April. Thurow believes it could draw more than 600 people.

"We'll learn from our mistakes, and we'll get some ideas," she said of Monday's summit. "We are going to survey our guests after they've attended and just find out what else we need to do, who else we need to bring in."

NW News on 08/09/2014

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