Ed Tech Industry Summit to Focus on 'Bridging K-12 and Postsecondary'

Ed Tech Industry Summit to Focus on “Bridging K-12 and Postsecondary”

Nation’s premier education technology conference to explore gaming, global opportunities, mobile learning, eBooks, and other hot topics in San Francisco, May 6-8

Washington, D.C. (April 13, 2012) – The ninth annual Ed Tech Industry Summit (ETIS), hosted by the Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), will be held May 6-8 at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco. ETIS is the nation’s leading education technology conference, featuring content-rich sessions on the edtech market and connecting industry executives through networking sessions.

This year, the Summit focuses on “Bridging K-12 and Postsecondary,” featuring topics on transitioning and leveraging edtech businesses from one marketplace to another. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to participate in sessions and speed networking, attend the Innovation Incubator Program Presentations and CODiE Awards Presentations, and meet the honorees of the 2012 Ed Tech Impact and Ed Tech Lifetime Achievement Awards.

During the conference, industry leaders will provide strategies, case studies, and success stories about best business practices on topics within the following tracks:

Gaming for Learning: Educator Feedback Forum; Online Games; Gaming and Research; Revenue Models for Education Games
Mobile Learning: Making Products Mobile; Mobile Markets: From 1:1 Programs to BYOD; Increasing Student Achievement
eBooks and eTextBooks: Developing eBooks and eTextBooks; Sales and Marketing Landscape; eBook ROI
Global Opportunities: Go Global, Think Local; Doing Business Overseas; International Success Stories
Hot Topics: Social Media Marketing; Cloud Computing; Effectively Communicating the Power of Ed Tech; EdTech Funding

SIIA recently announced workshops that will enable attendees to dig deeper into topics:

Games and Learning: A Voice of the Educator Feedback Forum
Doing Business in Malaysia: a NextGen eContent Workshop for Ed Tech Companies
Building a New Evidence Framework for Innovation and Excellence in Education – U.S. Department of Education Focus
Media & Message Training Bootcamp
Shared Learning Infrastructure Workshop

In addition to the conference sessions, ETIS will feature two keynote presentations to further explore bridging K-12 and Postsecondary. The opening keynote will be presented by Ronald G. Dunn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cengage Learning. He began this role in July 2007 when Thomson Learning, was acquired by Apax Partners and OMERS Capital Partners. Previously, he served as Chief Executive Officer of the Academic and International Group of Thomson Learning.

Tom Luna, Superintendent of Public Instruction for the Idaho State Department of Education, will deliver the second keynote presentation on Tuesday, May 8. In 2011, he worked with Idaho’s governor to pass one of the most comprehensive education reform packages in the nation to make every classroom a 21st Century Classroom, ensure every student has access to a highly effective teacher every year in school, and give parents immediate access to understandable information about their child’s school and district.

2012 Innovation Incubator Program
Learn more about the 2012 Innovation Incubator Participants during the Welcome Reception and Innovation Showcase on Sunday, May 6. For more information, visit http://www.siia.net/etis/2012/incubator.asp.

2012 CODiE Awards Program
Join members of the education technology industry on Monday, May 7, during SIIA’s 27th Annual CODiE Awards Reception and Gala, where the premier products and services from the industry will be announced and celebrated.

New School Safety Resources

Sharpen your focus with SPB-based video surveillance

Make every campus a safe campus by following 4 simple rules

The secrets to driving student success with modern networks

To learn more about the CODiE Awards program, visit http://www.siia.net/etis/2012/codie.asp.

Conference Details
What:    The SIIA Ed Tech Industry Summit
When:   May 6-8, 2012
Where:  The Palace Hotel, San Francisco

To register for the conference, visit http://www.siia.net/etis/2012/register.asp.

Media representatives can apply for complimentary press passes at http://siia.net/etis/2012/press_apply.asp.

About SIIA
The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education, and intellectual property protection to more than 500 leading software and information companies. The SIIA Education Division serves and represents more than 180 member companies that provide software, digital content and other technologies that address educational needs. The Division shapes and supports the industry by providing leadership, advocacy, business development opportunities and critical market information. For more information, visit http://www.siia.net/education.

Media Contacts

• Laura Greenback, SIIA Communications, 410-533-1943, lgreenback@siia.net

• Charlene Blohm, C. Blohm & Associates, 608-216-7300 x17, charlene@cblohm.com