Conference News: What I learned this week – July 28, 2017
Spaced Out: If you have not already heard, The Economist is hosting a new event focused on the future of human space exploration this fall in Seattle. According to the conference organizers, despite great strides by innovative new companies, most of the money being spent in space remains with old government programmes and incumbent telecom providers. The conference, called A New Space Age, will gather chief executives, thinkers, policymakers and disruptive entrepreneurs on 9 November, to debate what technological advances will further progress in space.
What’s Next for NEXTech: After a successful launch at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the NEXTech hall will now be part of MWC Americas in San Francisco from 12- 14 September. NEXTech is self-described as “the ultimate destination for next-generation technology, featuring most forward-thinking companies and innovative technologies that have demonstrated incredible disruption across the entire mobile ecosystem.” The hall will include different pavilions dedicated to specific technologies and platforms, such as augmented & virtual reality, robotics, connected & autonomous cars, and artificial intelligence.
Speaking Opportunity: The call for speakers for 2017 Dreamforce, which will return to San Francisco from 6–9 November, is now open. The deadline to submit is Friday, 1 September. Note: the organizers don’t want proposals for fully-fleshed out presentations, but rather suggestions for dynamic speakers who have compelling stories, can offer clear & successful use cases, and can go deep on how their company is using Salesforce, highlighting the ROI. Submit your nomination here.
Lunchtime Learning: Last week, the world’s leading experts gathered in Aspen, Co to discuss the most critical questions about national and homeland security at the eighth annual Aspen Security Forum, presented by the Aspen Institute’s Homeland Security Program. The sessions are now available online. Prepare to be a little frightened but educated by senior government leaders and academics.
Coming up next week: The computer graphics industry heads to LA for SIGGRAPH from 30 July – 3 August. If you’re one of the 15,000 attendees in software, hardware, and services taking part, check out the advance program here. CompTIA ChannelCon begins 31 July in Austin and attracts over 1,000 IT professionals and service providers looking to increase their knowledge on topics like cloud and security as well as earn credits toward certifications. Corporate Events Marketing Association (CEMA) Summit will be held 30 July – 1 August in San Diego. Event marketers attend the CEMA Summit to hear from their peers, see new event marketing tech, and obtain CMP accreditation. In the gaming space, developers and designers head to Casual Connect USA (1 – 3 August), which returns to Seattle after four years in San Francisco, and Games For Change (G4C) which starts 31 July in New York and explores how games can impact education, healthcare, research, civics, and social issues.