WTIA's Full ConTech Conference Set to Take On Region's Top Challenges

SEATTLE, July 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA), Washington state's unifying voice for the technology community, today announced Full ConTech, the Pacific Northwest's newest event that will bring together hundreds of all-stars from across the tech, education, business, and government sectors to develop a playbook for tackling Washington state's biggest tech talent and ecosystem challenges head-on. Beloved pro-basketball coach and legendary NBA Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens will tip off the full-day conference, which will take place on Tuesday, September 15^th at the Washington State Convention Center.

"Washington's tech sector is growing very fast, and that is creating a spotlight exposing huge challenges in our talent pipeline and our impact on the local community. There is simply no way that the tech industry can tackle these challenges alone," said Michael Schutzler, CEO of the WTIA. "At Full ConTech, we are bringing together everyone with passion and expertise on these two important topics to collaborate on developing a game plan we can use for years to come."

The full-day conference will be organized in a reverse bracket style. Attendees will participate in a series of evidence-based discussions about the key issues, focused on proposing solutions we can address as a team after the conference. Building power-house teams in our region that also serve as community champions is one thing keynote speaker Lenny Wilkens knows all about.

"I'm famous for saying that intimidation doesn't last very long, and that's true off the court too," said Wilkens. "These issues of attracting top talent to Washington and building tomorrow's infrastructure can seem like giants at first, but we shouldn't back down in fear. The timing is ripe for us to come together as a team to strategize our playbook for taking them down and show the world this region is a champion for change."

In Washington, the tech industry creates jobs ten times faster than the state produces people qualified for those jobs. Meanwhile, this rapid growth is putting tremendous pressure on our infrastructure. Recognizing these are massive multi-faceted issues – the Full ConTech conference is designed as a progression. As the day progresses, the number of related sessions will increase allowing for more intimate groups to address more manageable obstacles contributing to the greater challenges. This will give attendees the chance to outline practical goals and solutions on everything from how to graduate a greater number of more qualified engineers to improving regional transit (reference bracket here for a full list of sessions).

But this event isn't just about strategy; it's about execution so the work doesn't stop at the end of the conference. To ensure the ideas that emerge from this event drive real outcomes, the WTIA has committed to using the recommendations from the conference to inform its programs and advocacy priorities moving forward. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to continue engaging with the WTIA after the event to move the plays into action.

To register to attend and be a part of designing a playbook for Washington State's economic future please visit: http://washingtontechnology.org/event/full-contech-ultimate-tournament-technologists/

WTIA's Full ConTech Conference
Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Time: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm: registration opens at 7:30am, and happy hour starts at 5:00pm
Place: Washington State Convention Center
Registration link: http://washingtontechnology.org/event/full-contech-ultimate-tournament-technologists/
Follow the Conference on Twitter: #FullConTech

About Lenny Wilkens
Seattle SuperSonics former Head Coach Lenny Wilkens is an NBA legend. A Hall of Fame player and coach, he ranks first in all­-time games coached and second in all-­time wins for the NBA. He is the only person to have been inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame three times – once as a player, as a coach, and as a member of the 1992 USA Basketball Dream Team. In 1979, Wilkens coached the SuperSonics to their only NBA title. His team oriented philosophy and unique talent for crafting championship contending clubs out of competent but unspectacular units made him a sought after coach. He won NBA Coach of the Year in 1993, and served as Head Coach of USA Basketball's Gold Medal­ winning Dream Team at the 1996 Summer Olympics. With his commitment to community, Lenny founded the Lenny Wilkens Foundation, which supports children's healthcare and education. The Wilkens family and foundation have raised well over $7 million dollars supporting their mission, healthcare and education for all children.

About Washington Technology Industry Association
Founded in 1984, the WTIA is the unifying voice for 8500 technology companies and 250,000 tech professionals in Washington. We inform and motivate industry, education and government leaders to help attract and develop the talent and capital required to make our region the leading technology community in the world. For more information visit: http://www.washingtontechnology.org.

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SOURCE Washington Technology Industry Association