CSBJ: Statewide technology tour kicks off in Springs

By Amy Gillentine Sweet

Posted on July 26, 2016

The second annual Technology Tour will start Aug. 1 in Colorado Springs, says Amy Regnier, director of marketing and events for the Colorado Technology Association.

The second year of the tour, the group will spend a day in the Springs, touring Catalyst Campus and the Olympic Training Center. Representatives from the OTC will discuss ways technology helps athletes train more efficiently.

They’ll wrap up the day at Ivywild School for what Regnier calls a “rapid-fire discussion” of the types of technology companies in the region. Called Storytelling, the public is invited to the Ivywild event. Altia, a local company that makes embedded user interfaces, is one of the confirmed companies that will be part of the public event, while four other companies will also be part of the storytelling event. Click here to register.

“It’s about networking, brining diversity and finding out more about the tech sector,” Regnier said. “The association feels that is is important to learn about the industry as a whole, across the state. That’s why we are traveling to different tech centers.”

High-tech industries represent 11 percent of the state economy, she said, and are a powerful source for job creation.

“We’re in Denver, but we don’t want to just focus on Denver,” she said. “We’re responsible for spearheading technology recruitment efforts across the state, so we want to create awareness that we have high-tech industries everywhere — not just Metro Denver.”

While at Catalyst Campus, the group will hold a lunch-and-learn event to examine strengths and weaknesses to keep the industry moving forward and developing technology workforce for the 21st century, she said. The Catalyst Campus and OTC stops are not open to the public.

According to the CTA website, the tech tour is designed to build bridges to industries across the state.

“Technology helps connect business and industry more than ever before, but there’s no substitute for face-to-face relationships,” the website said. “The Colorado Tech Tour builds those bridges through dialogue, demonstration and storytelling. Colorado Technology Association is committed to advocating for and showcasing the amazing work happening in every corner of the state, and the Tour is its vehicle.”

After the Springs, the group will visit Vail Aug. 2, Grand Junction Aug. 3, Fort Collins Aug. 4 and Longmont Aug. 5