The 2018 Tech Expo Enlightened Students and Business Owners Alike

The recap of the 2018 Tech Expo

photo by lawrence davidson  The Tech Expo is hosted by the TalTech Alliance, a nonprofit organization focused on uniting the community’s technology-oriented corporations, small businesses, entrepreneurs, service providers, investors, civic lenders, individuals and students.

Students, business owners and vendors alike gathered on April 18 for the Tech Expo at the Florida State Turnbull Conference Center to witness the varied ways that technology is revolutionizing the way we do local business.

The Tech Expo is hosted by the TalTech Alliance, a nonprofit organization focused on uniting the community’s technology-oriented corporations, small businesses, entrepreneurs, service providers, investors, civic lenders, individuals and students. TalTech has emerged as a vibrant organization of 250-plus members representing more than 75 businesses.

TalTech’s vision is to have strong and fully integrated technology, education and business sectors so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of a more diverse, stable and competitive economy. 

The conference included a mix of state agencies, local companies and student showcases. Some notable speakers included: Chris Snow, director of Space Florida, discussing the future of the state’s aerospace industry; Richard Butgereit, a bureau chief from the Division of Emergency Management Emergency Operations, discussing the many ways that technology plays a role in disaster relief; and Ryan Kopinsky, software developer and director at I/O Avenue, who spoke on augmented reality and the merging of the physical and digital worlds. 

WCTV anchor and reporter Julie Montanaro was the keynote speaker. She discussed how the news business has changed with the technological developments of the past few decades — from electric typewriters to phone cameras that can transmit live video from any location. 

Discussing the expo’s theme — “Technology Transcends Industries” — Montanaro said: “My challenge, perhaps as well as yours, in this age of rapidly changing technology is to be fully present with the people that I’m speaking to, truly sharing the stories of people’s lives and letting technology be the vehicle that helps us stay focused on the business we’re really in.”

The expo also included sessions on chatbots, mobile application innovation, social media, environmental uses of technology, banking and security and more. 

The conference concluded with an awards presentation by Marc F. Paul, TalTech’s chairman. The awards recognized the achievements of the showcases presented by both Florida State University students and Florida A&M University students. Afterwards, attendees took part in a cocktail party at The Gathering above Madison Social which featured music from the Tobacco Rd Band.

See the highlights of the 2018 Tech Expo below.