Why Technology Conferences Matter
Anyone in the field of science and technology today would agree that, as humans, ideas are the most important things we have. Ideas foster social change, open up doors for possibility, and give us a direction for progress. One such oasis for groundbreaking ideas with the ability to catalyze these changes is a technology conference. Tech conferences produce notable connections between academics and industry.
Apart from just getting the general public up to speed with latest developments in the science and technology fields, tech conferences create a perfect opportunity for students to experience what really happens in industry. We, a group of students at the University of Illinois — Urbana-Champaign, have taken it upon ourselves to organize such a conference, and we call it ‘Reflections | Projections’. Living up to its tagline “Where Industry meets Academia,” Reflections | Projections offers an opportunity for the powerhouse leaders of the software industry to join with the world of academia.
Regardless of your interests, there will likely be a conference that caters to what you like. Technology conferences have a wide range of focuses, ranging from the Adobe Max 2018 all the way to IBM’s annual tech conference. Each one of these presentations is rich with ideas, business questions and challenges, and each is an incredible opportunity to network with people with similar interests. Tech conferences can take place in the form of talks, trade shows, summits, or seminars. Topics can cover anything, including Digital transformation, security, AI, Big Data, Cloud Computing, and more! Tech conferences allow you to explore in depth, any aspect of software you may find interest in. Most importantly, they expose you to ideas that you may never knew existed.
“Events are fundamental for supporting and building community.” — Marie Hunter, IEEE. Events help bring together like-minded people, and help foster a sense of community. This community is becoming more and more important and relevant in today’s world of collaboration. We see this urgent need for dynamic collaboration especially in the field of software development where technology is changing at a rapid pace. This type of powerful integration helps aspiring engineers get advice from great minds that have taken pioneering steps in the field of software development.
To anyone passionate about computer science and technology, tech conferences broaden your horizons of what you think is possible. Work that bridges technology and society has always inspired students at UIUC to think bigger and better. This is the essence of our very own technology conference, Reflections | Projections. Organized entirely by students, this conference brings to you the finest minds of the industry to inform, explore, and inspire.
