Conference Theme: Making Your Organization Customer Driven, Taking Care of #1
Ottawa, ON, August 11-13, 2010
More than 80 people attended this year's summer conference which explored the role of technology councils in their region’s technology ecosystem, supporting technology companies, entrepreneurship, and tech-based economic development, in their states and provinces, regionally, nationally and globally.
The audience heard presentations on going global, reaching out to non-members, driving sponsor/partner satisfaction and more.
Opportunities for funding were discussed and tips for managing a non-profit and best practices for tech councils were shared. In addition to formal presentations, the audience had an opportunity to network with each other and guests of TECNA.
Thanks go to our host, planning committee and program partners for their efforts in making the conference packed with great, usable content: Claude Haw and staff at the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) - the TECNA member host for the 2010 summer’s conference. Planning Committee for the conference: Iain Klugman (Communitech), Cindy Pearson (BCTIA), Claude Haw (OCRI), Nicole Martel (AQT) and Paige Rasid (CTC) and Program Partners: The National Research Council (NRC), Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI), Innovation Partner: Research in Motion (RIM), and Event Supporter: Gowlings.
DETAILS ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
Most of the conference was held at the Chateau Laurier. A splendid hotel, nestled in the heart of downtown Ottawa, attendees were offered gorgeous views of the river and government buildings and easy access to great shops and restaurants too.
OPENING RECEPTION
Attendees included: TECNA attendees, OCRI Staff and Board of Directors, CEO and CIO members of OCRI; Guest Speakers, and TECNA event partners.
Attendees and program partners made new friends and re-connected with old ones at the opening reception. The group was formally welcomed to Ottawa by our conference host, Claude Haw and by Mayor Larry O’Brien, who spoke colorfully of Ottawa and the importance of tech businesses as an economic driver of the city.
Kathy Mahoney from OCRI was on hand to give a brief history of the 100 year old lock system right next to the hotel, and, as would be the case at every meal going forward, smoked salmon was served!
DAY ONE
WELCOME & INTRODUCTIONS
A Year in Review
By Matthew Nemerson, TECNA President and President & CEO of the Connecticut Technology Council and Claude Haw, TECNA Conference Host and President & CEO, Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation
Claude Haw took us on a virtual tour of Ottawa, through their well-wired city and region, with statistics and entrepreneurial support program descriptions that made this techie think about moving there! Below is a youtube video he showed that is used as a marketing piece for the region's tech industry:
Going Global
Why having a Global Focus is the key to success for technology companies of all sizes.
Speaker: Terry Matthews, a Canadian success story tech mogul, Chairman of Wesley Clover and also Chairman of Mitel and March Networks
The full video of the keynote speech can be viewed here - in it you will hear a charge to think from a high level, as well as commentary on the klunkiness of the economy and troubling trends:
BREAKOUT SESSION I
TECNA CEO Scrum, and Senior Staff Idea Exchange - Roundtable on critical issues & Best Practices on topics such as: events, operations improvements, fund raising efforts, website enhancements, etc. that have proved to be successful. Tino Mantella, TAG (CEO Stream), and Kathy Mahoney, OCRI (Staff Stream) facilitated. This is exactly what makes conferences especially valuable: the opportunity to talk about internal issues with peers, creating ideas and identifying best practices.
PANEL DISCUSSION & LUNCHEON
Driving Sponsor and Partner Satisfaction
We heard directly from those who write $1000's of dollars in cheques every year to tech councils & were reminded of the importance of developing win-win sponsor partnerships.
Facilitator: Iain Klugman, Communitech
Panel Guests (pictured, left to right): Bill Mantel, MRI; Tony Rahilly, NRC-CNRC; Renata Rusiniak, RIM; Robert Ford, Gowlings.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS II
From Strategy to Delivery (CEO Stream) - Roundtable discussion on strategy development, delivery and staying focused. Facilitator: Amy Norman, Tampa Bay Technology Forum
Running the Beast (Staff Stream) - Roundtable discussion on membership, events, sponsorships.
Facilitator: Avvey Peters, Communitech
GOVERNMENT INTEREST
IN INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS
Speakers: Philip Singerman, Senior VP, Baker & Daniels (left) and Bill Mantel, MRI (center)
Facilitator: Matthew Nemerson (right)
A recurring theme through the conference innovation ecosystems, especially in regional contexts.
Reception - U.S. Ambassador's Residence
Sponsored by: RIM
Host: Ambassador David Jacobson (left)
Speaker: Matthew Nemerson, TECNA President and President & CEO, Connecticut Technology Council (right)
Ambassador Jacobson was a gracious host, meeting the attendees and welcoming us with an acknowledgement of the close economic ties between the US and Canada. Hopefully all attendees noticed the original Georgia O'Keefe painting at the bottom of the stairs - part of the Art in the Embassies program that places American art (and in this case, Canadian art too) in the foreign diplomatic residences.
TECNA DINNER
Ottawa River Cruise & Dinner, hosted by Claude Haw, OCRI
The OCRI event planning staff chose this unique venue for our dinner - a station dinner aboard a sunset cruise on the Ottawa River.
DAY TWO
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
Breaking Out of The Status Quo -
Reinventing the Tech Association
Roundtable discussion on operating as an "enabling" organization.
Facilitator: Fred Hoch, Illinois Tech
Open Forum
Roundtable discussion on the issues and dilemmas that keep you awake at night.
Facilitator: Maxine Ballen, New Jersey Tech Council
BREAKOUT SESSIONS III
BUILDING YOUR ORGANIZATION
a) Going Global - What does it take - Export Development/Promotion - Help our communities become exporters, Canadian and American perspective. Tapping into new financial resources.
Facilitator: Claude Haw, OCRI and Doug Robertson gave the case study of Finland.
Beyond the humor, Finland was held as a shining example for their focus on clusters and effective networking of companies, universities, universities of applied sciences and research institutions. Check out: http://www.oske.net/en/competence_clusters/
The full slideshow is here:
b) Revenue - Traditional and Unconventional
Exploring an International Sponsorship Model
Revenue generating activities beyond membership and sponsorship.
Facilitator: Cindy Pearson, OCRI
NETWORKING LUNCH
We took a little break from programming for a networking friendly lunch.
TECNA BUSINESS MEETING AND 2011 PLANS
Presenter: Matthew Nemerson
2011 conference cities & formats, fly-in, pubic policy, the new web site, membership and finance reports.
A key vote included approval from the TECNA directors to name Tino Mantella, President & CEO, Technology Association of Georgia as President Select for TECNA, he will be inaugurated at the 2011 Summer Conference in Atlanta. Save the date: August 3-5, 2011.
FINAL SESSION: CHARTER OF CHANGE
Each participant shared one action item they will execute as a result of the conference. Participants also raised issues not addresses for follow-on peer discussions.
Facilitator: Matthew Nemerson
After Hours - Just for Fun
After Hours, TECNA conference attendees enjoyed the city of Ottawa, hopefully all made it to Parliament Hill for Mosaika, a laser show projected against the Parliament building (see YouTube video below), the show is on every night of the summer and is a great draw to the downtown area. We were close to Byward Market and other area destinations.
Many hit the piano bar downstairs where they found camaraderie and a song or two sung by Amy Norman of Tampa Bay Technology Forum (FL) and Drew Snow from Metroplex (TX).
(in picture at right: Amy Norman - Tampa Bay Technology Forum, Jay Larsen - Idaho Tech Council, Richard Nelson - Utah Technology Council).
Good times...
I have so many great pictures from the Conference, they are on flickr or you can see them on our online community - www.technologycouncil.ning.com - have any to share?
Upload them there, or on our facebook page.
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE
2010 Summer Conference in Atlanta.
August 3-5, 2011
For information, contact TECNA Executive Manager, Paige Rasid, prasid@ct.org
Thanks to the support of organizations that add value to our mission, TECNA is able to offer quality conferences to help tech council professionals build their organizations. Thanks to Program Partners: The National Research Council (NRC), Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI), Innovation Partner: Research in Motion (RIM), and Event Supporter: Gowlings
Wish all the happiness of person, more happy, Wish all the unfortunate people, brave to meet next morning!
Posted by: Supra Skytop II | 11/01/2010 at 11:43 PM