Adding Color to Gov Tech
Think of a fire engine, and the color red comes to mind. Think government IT and likely the color is dingy, mottled gray. So, attending a conference on gov technology wouldn’t seem to be the most appealing way of spending 8 hours. That is, unless you’ve been to a FedTalks event, like the one I attended at the Sidney Harman Hall, the stunning glass façade performance space across from the Verizon Center in Chinatown.
FedTalks 2010 featured a day of impressive, insightful speakers on "How Technology Can Change Government," including U.S. Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra, U.S. Congressman James Moran, Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington, NASA IT CTO Chris Kemp, Craigslist founder Craig Newmark and other fed and industry leaders.
While there’s no shortage of events featuring talking heads throughout DC, what made it unique was the entertainment spin put on the day’s events by Goldi Kamali, founder of FedScoop, the producing b2g media company. The Harman Center’s dramatic theatre seating and lighting effects would even make a chess match exciting. Between the speaker sessions were musical interludes delivered by Donald Syriani, a tasteful DC-based DJ (who’s played the White House), perched off to the side of the stage, and the networking reception in the sunlight filled glass atrium at day's end.
With entertainment seeping into all areas of our virtual lives, in ads, viral campaigns, and mobile applications, we now see the corporate and government world loosening up, and incorporating more music, levity, gaming into their marketing and media efforts. FedScoop brings color and enjoyment to informative real world events.
*photo courtesy FEDTALKS 2010