This year AIM Infotec had its highest adult attendance ever with over 1200 attendees from across the region. In fact, Infotec has grown every year since it was acquired by AIM seven years ago.
“Every year we’ve grown in attendance” said Dave Coover, AIM’s Director of IT Thought Leadership. “[This year] is the most adult attendees we’ve had yet.”
Last year Infotec had 300 high school students attending as part of a grant, so it was technically larger than this year.
Infotec was started in Omaha by the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) in 1973 as a hardware trade show for IT enthusiasts.
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“The trade show concept has given way to a more learning and sharing environment,” said Coover. “We’ve tried to move Infotec more toward creating a 2-day tech community that fosters relationships.”
One example of that is this year’s Peer2Peer sessions which were small, topical, open-ended round table discussions about what IT professionals are dealing with in their companies.
“It’s like having a whole think tank here,” said Coover. “It’s been very popular. People are walking away with real solutions.”
This year’s event also included a popular activity center from last year, the TryIT Zone, where attendees can play with the latest gadgets like the Oculus Rift and 3D printers.
Although the event mainly attracts a corporate IT crowd, local tech entrepreneurs had a presence, including breakout sessions led by Tyson Stewart of Hudl, Alex Gates of What Cheer. and Doug Durham from Nebraska Global.
Don’t Panic Labs, a Nebraska Global company based in Lincoln, also had a booth.
“It’s been a great opportunity for us to come up to Omaha and make connections with new companies and expand our scope,” said Brian Zimmer, general manager at Don’t Panic Labs.
