SSTI's 9th Annual Conference: Avoiding the End-of-Summer Blues
Your kids may not be bored of summer yet, but if you're an avid bird watcher, you know the season has already changed to fall as Yellow Warblers and several species of shorebirds begin their migrations south by July 4.
If you find that a little depressing, then SSTI has a perfect suggestion to make certain your summer lasts well into October: Make plans now to join us for our ninth annual conference Oct. 19-21 in Atlanta! The average Mid-October temperatures for the area are ideal for discovering why the Buckhead area of Atlanta is called the "Jewel of the South" or "Shopping Mecca of the Southeast." October weather in Atlanta also is usually perfect for playing a few of the more than 1,100 holes of golf available in the metro area.
Shopping? Golf? At SSTI's annual conference? If you are one of our past conference participants or long-time Digest subscribers, you'll know that isn't the purpose of the premier professional development opportunity for the tech-based economic development community. SSTI's annual conference got its reputation as the best event of the year by the outstanding content with timely topics, excellent presenters and top-notch attendees. Breakout session topics will draw on this year's theme, Investing in a Brighter Future: Building Tech-based Economies, but part of that investment is in you.
SSTI recognizes that true inspiration for improving your efforts to promote growth through science and technology, however, may require an additional mental push from outside the conference agenda. A critical ingredient for encouraging creativity and innovation -- within your client companies, university labs and your own tech-based economic development activities -- is fun. And folks in Buckhead, Atlanta and Georgia do it right!
We encourage our conference participants this year to make plans to stay for the whole weekend following the conference to: schedule 18, 36 or 54 holes of golf; or more fully explore the incredible restaurant and nightlight in Buckhead; or shop-til-you-drop in the region's finest stores, shops and boutiques; or explore Atlanta's wonderful musuems, gardens and art galleries; or simply relax and unwind in the pampered luxury of our conference hotel and spa, the InterContinental Buckhead-Atlanta; or create your own weekend getaway. A few suggestions are provided with links on the SSTI conference website: http://www.ssti.org/Conf05/amenities.htm
Georgia