From humble beginnings at a small hotel conference room to a packed auditorium at the University of North Florida, the Tech Coast Conference has certainly grown in size and scope over the past decade.
What started as an event to introduce the sprawling region's tech scene and companies to the public and each other has succeeded and is now drawing in national and international players wanting to develop relationships within the First Coast's ecosystem.
"So many organizations don't realize the kind of tech companies we have here, like the PGA (Tour) and CSX," said James Lampke, president of the IT Council and technology director for Robert Half. "You can argue that most companies here in Jacksonville are tech companies. So, that was a large part of our mission early on but we've been expanding during the previous five years."
To facilitate those new goals and their longstanding mission to support the region as a hub for IT development and employment, the event added a scholarship component to help the next generation secure a seat at the table. This year, the organization will award more than $30,000 to students at the UNF, Florida State College at Jacksonville and Keiser University in tech-driven scholarships to local university students.
The scholarship program is one of the many ways the organizers behind the Tech Coast Conference are helping the local business community identify, hire and retain talent, which is something all tech companies struggle with. To that aim, organizers said more than 90% of its previous recipients are still working in the IT field on the First Coast.
This year marked the event's return from its most recent iterations of virtual or hybrid-styled events during the covid-19 pandemic.
"We're overflowing out of our rooms this year," said Michael Katzmayr, chairman of the Tech Coast Conference and vice president of the Jacksonville IT Council. "It's a great problem."
Katzmayr said the response not only illustrates the event's success during the previous decade but underscores companies' shift toward more tech in the aftermath of the pandemic. What used to be a struggle — attracting high profile sponsors, companies representing diverse industries and attendees — has been simplified in the aftermath.
"If you had a strong IT team and a strong sales force, you likely made it through Covid," Lampke said. "Everyone left knows the importance of technology. For years, that was the biggest struggle for IT departments... getting the C-Suite to understand the company's tech needs and then funding the technology. That is definitely not the case any more."
In between panel discussions and product demonstrations in the "sand box," entrepreneurs could be heard talking about funding, technological advancements and partnerships. Aside from the expertise on display, networking was the chief order of the day.
"The ability to simultaneously be in front of vendors, clients, partners and customers is invaluable... the networking alone makes this event a 'must,'" said Steve Predndergast, CEO of Game Changer Media Group.
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