You are invited to join us at our sixth annual Awards Banquet on May 20th at the Kirkley Hotel in Lynchburg, VA. The night will begin with a networking reception from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.

After dinner, we will be honoring our corporate sponsors along with three special award recipients from within the community. Our special award recipients will be honored for their achievements in education, innovation, and technology entrepreneurship.

After the awards presentation, we will be hearing from our guest speaker, Dr. Robert Lindberg, President and Executive Director of the National Institute of Aerospace. Located in Hampton, VA, the NIA is a non-profit research and graduate education institute created to conduct leading-edge aerospace and atmospheric research, develop new technologies for the nation and help inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

As our premier networking event of the year, you will have a chance to meet with representatives from local government, higher education and the private sector. If you have an interest in the growth of the region's technology sector and a desire to see more emphasis placed on technology development in the future workforce of our region, then please make an effort to attend this year's event. Your attendance on this special night will be of value to both yourself and the future of the region. We hope to see you there. If you have any questions about the event, feel free contact us at 847-1447 or email at rsvp@region2000.org.

Mark your calendars now for this year's Technology Council Awards Banquet to be held May 20th at the Kirkley Hotel.

Nominations are now open for our three award categories:

Mark your calendars for our Spring Wired Wednesday luncheon on April 23, 2008 at CVCC. John Edmund from the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) for Technology Transfer will talk about how local companies can work with the FLC-MAR. The FLC is the nationwide network of federal laboratories that provides the forum to develop strategies and opportunities for linking the laboratory mission technologies and expertise with the marketplace. The mission of the FLC is to add value to the federal agencies, laboratories and their partners to accomplish the rapid integration of research and development resources within the mainstream of the U.S. economy. Use the FLC as a gateway to more than 700 major federal laboratories and centers and their parent departments and agencies.

Wired Wednesday will be held at Central VA Community College in Lynchburg. The cost of admission includes lunch. Please RSVP to rsvp@region2000.org or call the Tech Council at 847-1447 to reserve your space. Wired Wednesday's are great networking events.

Central Virginia Community College, in alliance with the Region 2000 Tech Prep Consortium and the Region 2000 Technology Council, will once again offer high technology career academies for middle school students August 4-8. These academies are high-quality career exploration events and a growth experience for all participants. Eligible students are rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. New for 2008, an Advanced Engineering camp for rising 9th and 10th graders only. Only 40 spots remain!

This year's camps include:

So You Have A Website, Now What? - With web users in the United States performing an average of 320 million daily searches on Google and Yahoo, search engine optimization (altering a site to increase rankings in the free listings of search engines) and search engine marketing (placing "pay per click" ads in search results) have become part of mainstream marketing. Learn why search engine optimization is important for the success of your website and the growth of your business.

The Tech Council is pleased to co-sponsor this event being held at the SBDC on April 24 from 9am-Noon. The cost is only $15.

The Region 2000 Career Center is holding its 5th annual Career Fair on May 8. Employers who participate in the Career Fair will have the opportunity to recruit prospective employees and educate the community about career opportunities both now and in the future. You will also be able to familiarize yourself with employer services available to your business from the Region 2000 Career Center. Participate in the fun aspects of the Career Fair also- door prizes for vendors, networking with other HR representatives and a fun and festive atmosphere.

There is no charge for your exhibit. One 6 ft draped table will be provided. Space is limited. Electricity available is on a first come, first serve basis. For more information contact Carol Pilot at cpilot@region2000.org.