CLEVELAND, Ohio - Next week, developers and innovators, educators, marketers and manufacturers in technology come together for several days to share their best practices.
Tech Week runs April 16-21, with about a dozen events taking place throughout Northeast Ohio. The annual event is run by OHTec, a program of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, aimed at growing the region's technology-based businesses.
Tech Week kicks off with an update about the most current laws, policies, trends and tips for cloud computing, cybersecurity and all things data. And all-week seminars, networking events and forums with tech tools and resources will be offered.
"It's difficult to imagine a successful business that doesn't rely on technology in some way," said Paul Chaffee, OHtec's new chairman, who also runs Brecksville-based Software Answers, a company that provides web-based classroom and student management products for the K-12 education market. The company's ProgressBook education applications are used by more than 750 school districts nationwide, including 75 percent of Ohio public schools.
"If you want to increase productivity, provide better products and services, track sales and assets, and market effectively, you need the power of business technology," Chaffee said.
Dean Brainard, the former executive director of OHTec, left the organization about six weeks before the annual event, and around the same time that Chaffee was named chairman. Chaffee said he doesn't know the reason he left, but COSE is seeking a replacement for the position. Brainard joined OHTec in October 2016, replacing longtime director Brad Nellis.
"It was unfortunate Dean's separation with OHTec, but OHTec is being operated by a group of staff members who are doing a great job," Chaffee said.
While most of the conference focuses on professionals, educators, high school and college students also are involved in some activities.
"We're really trying to get the younger K-12 school-age kids involved so that when they go to college and get degrees, hopefully they'll stay in the area," Chaffee said. "There's such a shortage of technology professionals worldwide and Northeast (Ohio) is not immune to that."
The week's highlight is Thursday's "Best of Tech" awards, with participants last year tweeting about the event under the hashtag #nerdoscars. The celebration honors organizations or people in categories ranging from most promising startup to best support of the tech community and tech company of the year.
Futuri Media of Seven Hills, which sells software to more than a thousand TV and radio stations, was the 2017 winner for best tech company. And in 2016, Hyland Software was named Technology Company of the Year by OHTec, a second time since the technology association launched the awards program more than a decade ago.
The 12th annual event takes place from 5-9 p.m. at the Tenk West Bank.
This year's finalists are:
Most Promising Start-Up
Best Use of Tech for Social Good
Best Software Device/Product
Best Tech Services Company
Best Support of the Tech Community
Tech Department of the Year
Tech Company of the Year (large companies)
Tech Company of the Year (small companies)
"We're really trying to have a program that touches anybody in the technology space, from small businesses to major firms," Chaffee said. "It's a technology driven world, and we want to to bring the tech community together in Northeast Ohio."
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