Second IT Week packed with activities
For the London Free Press – March 24, 2008
TechAlliance’s second annual IT Week, IT Lives in London, starts March 31. The week has several events that will be of interest to those in the tech sector, and non-tech industries alike.
Last year’s events were a great success — enough so that the Tuesday town hall forum had to be moved to a larger venue this year.
TechAlliance says IT Week was created to raise awareness of the world-class IT companies and resources that call London home. It’s a community celebration of the city’s IT sector and its contribution to London’s economy and quality of life. During this week, events and activities take place throughout London and showcase the depth and breadth of the city’s IT sector.
Events include a town hall forum on winning the IT talent war, a seminar on search engine optimization and marketing, and a community mixer. The cost to attend these events is minimal; some are free to TechAlliance members.
At the town hall forum, leaders of some of London’s most successful IT firms discuss the future of London’s IT industry and the potential impact of the looming IT talent shortage, which is a North America-wide issue. A soapbox forum will follow, designed to give participants the chance to share their thoughts and best practices on how we as a community can win the war for IT talent.
In addition to the public events, there is an invitation-only IT Roadshow designed to heighten the awareness of the London IT industry among the media and government officials. The roadshow gives participants a first-hand look at London’s thriving IT community and includes highlights of some of the city’s innovative tech companies.
Invited guests will begin their trip at city hall, then travel through the technology core with a stop at EK3 Technologies, one of London’s most recognized new digital media companies. The IT Roadshow ends at Fanshawe College with a reception and tour of their technology and multimedia facilities.
The roadshow will tell the story of the successes and challenges of London’s IT community, and emphasize the important role our post-secondary institutions play in positioning our city as a global competitor in the IT world.
To reach out to students, TechAlliance is launching an awareness campaign targeting area high schools. The Industry Roster program offers teachers the opportunity to invite seasoned industry experts into their classrooms during IT Week. These speakers will share their experiences with students, providing information that will stimulate interest and encourage students to pursue studies and careers in IT.
A website design competition, the Get Plugged In! Web Development Challenge, is also open to senior elementary and high school students. Winners will be announced March 31.
For more detail about IT Lives in London, or to sign up for events, go to the TechAlliance website at www.techalliance.ca.
In the interest of transparency, I should disclose I am a member of TechAlliance’s IT advisory council and my firm, Harrison Pensa LLP, is an industry sponsor of IT Week.
