event description

In its second year, Techweek, aleading technology conference and trade show where startups to Fortune 500 companies network and engage,  will offer exhibits, demonstrations and discussions onhow new technologies and products are changing the way companies do business.

This year’s theme focuses on thelife cycle of an emerging technology business from “Think” to “Learn” to “Start” and “Grow,” enabling attendees to discover how companies like Groupon and Threadless achieved success in the heart of the Midwest. Key speakers include Orbitz CEO Barney Harford, Uberco-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick, and former NHL star Sean Avery, who will reveal the details of his new startup.

In addition to five full days of programming, Techweek 2012 includes a “Start-up City,” offering a sneak peek of the newest ideas entering the market and a LAUNCH competition where one winning startup will receive more than $100,000 in cash and prizes. A hiring fair;  gaming lounge, showcasing Chicago’s growing gaming industry; and multiple daily events,including the Food Truck Face Off and exclusive parties after each conference day round out the schedule.

Conference Overview: From Idea to Scale in Five Days

Each day of Techweek will feature one part of thelife cycle of an emerging technology business:

Day 1 – Think:Matt Barrie, CEO of Freelancer.comwill provide an overview of how small businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals can turn their ideas into reality at a fraction of the cost.

Days 2&3– Learn: Includes workshops and eye-opening presentations about the latest on programming languages and design practices from expert instructors like Founder and CEO of 37signals, Jason Fried.

Day 4– Start:Travis Kalanick, co-founder and CEO of Uber; Matt Mickiewicz, co-founder of 99 Designs; Leah Busque, founder of TaskRabbit; Rand Fishkin, CEO of SEOmoz; Ben Milne, CEO of Dwolla; among others willshare their stories of hardship and success throughout their ventures.

Day 5 – Grow:Focusing on the importance of technology in the economy, the last day of Techweek presents discussions on late-stage private companies including insight from Lightbank founder, Paul Lee.

Beyond the Exhibition Hall

In addition to the five days of dynamic programming Techweek also includes:

Start-up City, a space forstartups and aspiring entrepreneurs to demo their products and network with potential investors and customers.

LAUNCH,Techweek’s startup competition where35 pre-qualified startups will demo their products and services in Techweek Startup City. The final five will compete on the main stage inside the Techweek conference; one winning startup will receive over $100,000 in cash and prizes.

The Gaming Lounge, designed to educate attendees about Chicago’s little-known diverse and fast-growing gaming industry, the massive space will feature new games from fifteenChicago game developers of all varieties – many games will be shown for the first time.

A one-day Hiring Fair, where hiring managers with40-50 companies from Chicago and beyond will discuss job opportunities and career development from noon-5PM on Saturday, June 23 at the Merchandise Mart.Entry is free with a resume.

About Techweek

Techweek helped champion the coming of the Midwest tech explosion in 2010 by gathering passionate and entrepreneurial minded people to celebrate vast possibilities and opportunities in technology and innovation. This sparked last year’s inaugural Techweek in Chicago. The conference and expo garnered 2500 attendees and over 1250 unique brands and businesses from all over the world. For more information visit www.techweek.com