When you think high-tech, realize Philadelphia is the place to find IT. The Emerging Technologies for the Enterprise conference, held in Philadelphia on March 26 – 27, 2008 was a huge success and attracted over 400 IT professionals. Innovation Philadelphia spoke with Tracey Welson-Rossman of Chariot Solutions, the host of the third annual conference.
What were the outcomes of the Emerging Technologies for the Enterprise Conference?
Over 60 speakers attended from inside and outside of our region that were exposed to our IT community and its happenings. Feedback from the participants has been extremely positive regarding the quality of the other speakers and the quality of the attendees. All were willing and happy to come back next year. We doubled the attendees from last year, with 400 in attendance. Unfortunately we had to turn people away due to space constraints. Attendee comments have been positive, with feedback saying that it was great content, great community meeting place.
We had outstanding attendance for one of the sessions on Philadelphia and how the region supports startups and entrepreneurs. Over half the attendees came from 25-100 mile radius from Philadelphia. Ninety (90) percent of the attendees said they would come back next year, so we have laid the groundwork for a destination conference in the IT space for this area.
What are the assets of the information technology industry in Philadelphia?
The Philadelphia Region has a committed developer community - they want to learn. We have over 25 user groups in our region addressing all different facets of the IT spectrum. There are more user groups located in this area than anywhere else on the East Coast. Companies need this type of worker to help them grow and use newer technologies.
How has the information technology industry grown over the past five years?
Over the past five years, we have seen a steady growth and demand for our business. Considering we started at the lowest point after the dotcom bust, we have seen our competitors and partners grow and expand, also. We also know there is a tremendous demand for Java architects and developers even with the presence of offshore resources.
What is your advice for young professionals working in/trying to break into the information technology industry?
Make sure to stay current. Core courses are being taught at universities and colleges, but you need to pay attention to the tools and technologies being used in organizations. Go to conferences, user groups and learn outside of your regular studies.
To download the presentations from the event, visit http://www.phillyemergingtech.com/index.php.