Tech in Opus HQ’s back yard
Since 2012, thought leaders and tech enthusiasts have congregated in the heart of Portland, Oregon to attend TechFestNW. This three-day event brings together innovators to discuss trends, breakthroughs and opportunity in tech in the Pacific Northwest. We dropped in last week to catch up on what’s happening in the Portland tech scene. Here’s what we took away.
Tech & Politics
Friday morning consisted of coffee and conversation with Senator Ron Wyden. The senator led a discussion titled “Nowhere to Hide? Liberty and Security in 2017.” He likened the tech landscape to the “Wild West,” as mass hacking and surveillance have become increasingly common. He tackled the subject of the government’s role in technology and security, and believes that technology consumers must not give up their liberty for cyber security.
Photo courtesy Portland Art Museum.
Building Trust
The reputation experts at the Portland office of Edelman Public Relations hosted a lunch-and-learn to discuss the way tech companies can build trust. Kent Hollenbeck, Edelman Portland’s Deputy General Manager, led the workshop. He referred to the results of their global annual study, the Edelman Trust Barometer, to draw conclusions as to why trust in tech has remained steady, while trust in other industries has risen.
What’s in Store for VR?
Virtual reality is becoming more and more popular as event technology, so we were eager to attend Eren Aksu’s presentation on The Future of Virtual Reality. Eren comes from the Emblematic Group, a media company exploring how virtual, augmented and mixed reality can change the way people see the world and consume news. They have partnered with news publications and nonprofits around the world to capture footage of current events. Eren and everyone at the Emblematic Group hope that VR will serve as a way for people to understand each other more deeply, rather than a tool for escapism. Learn more about their work here. (Opus is no stranger to event content enhanced by VR—check out our own Google Cardboard-enabled video!)
As event technology buffs and an agency that serves many technology clients, we are always eager to stay up-to-date with tech industry trends. We couldn’t be happier to be headquartered in an up-and-coming tech hub, and look forward to TechFestNW 2018!
Read more about the latest and greatest in event technology on the Opus blog.
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