For anyone who has worked with government agencies, you know that they are usually years behind the rest of the world when technology is involved. However, in the past few years, the federal government has made efforts to catch up with the rest of the world, and actually grasp some of the new technologies that have appeared in the last couple of years. They have also begun embracing social media, which is something that would shock many people. However, the government has realized that technology is extremely important, especially when trying to engage the public, eliminate cyber security threats, and using “the cloud.”

One of the most exciting conferences that brings together government officials and influential technology leaders to discuss technology and how it fits within the government is FedTalks 2010.

What is FedTalks 2010?

Fedtalks 2010 is an all-day conference being held on October 12, 2010 in Washington, DC. The exact location is the Sidney Harman Hall, which is where they have all those wonderful plays because it is also the Shakespeare Theater. It is hosted by FedScoop, a government media and marketing company that specializes in government IT news, new media, and special events.  At FedTalks 2010, government officials and technology leaders will discuss emerging technologies and new media, and how they can help the government with their goals and initiatives, in the present and future.

Who are the FedTalks 2010 speakers?

The list of speakers is impressive.  They are some of the most influential thought leaders in high tech, new media, and government IT. Here is the confirmed list of speakers at Fedtalks 2010:

• Arianna Huffington, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post
• Alec Ross, State Department. He was the Senior Advisor for Innovation to President Clinton.
• Craig Newmark, Founder of Craigslist.org
• Chris Kemp, CTO of NASA
• Congressman Jim Moran, of the Virginia’s 8th District
• Rob Bole, VP, Digital Media Strategy Corporation for Public Broadcasting
• GiGi Schumm, VP of Symantec Public Sector at Symantec Corporation
• Dr. Peter Levin, Senior Advisor to the Secretary, and Chief Technology Officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs
• Gwynne Kostin, Co-Director of the Center for New Media & Citizen Engagement at GSA
• Linda Cureton, CIO of NASA
• Sonny Bhagowalia, Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Citizen Services & Innovative Technologies at GSA
• David Dejewski, DOD-Business Transformation Agency at DoD
• Nigel Ballard, Director of Federal Marketing at Intel
• Chris Dorobek, Co-Anchor of Federal News Radio

To view the agenda, click here.

Why should I care?

The real question you should be asking yourself is “why wouldn’t you care?” Technology changes every day. Whenever you open up your RSS Reader of choice, you are hearing about the latest gadgets, cloud computing, social networking sites, and cyber security. Our government has to definitely catch up and start using the same technologies that the rest of the country is using.  Everyone is on one or more social networking sites, like Facebook, Twitter, etc. There is an increasing number of people who have some type of smartphone, and it’s easier than ever to turn one into a hotspot. You can’t enter a restaurant or café without having access to free Wi-Fi. Therefore, everyone is connected in some way, whether it be via smartphone, netbook, tablet, or laptop.

The government has realized that using technology to aid them to fulfill key initiatives and goals is essential. We have already seen the government using technology, like live streaming important presidential speeches, during natural disasters, and keeping the public aware of health issues.  I have seen within government agencies that they are starting to create web portals to disseminate information, upload files into a central location that everyone can access, use chat systems to quickly contact people, and provide smartphones to government employees so they are kept abreast of any important news.

How do I register?

If you are a government employee, then FedTalks 2010 is absolutely free.  This is something that every department within each of the government agencies should send someone to attend.  Even if you can only attend one or two sessions, go.  You can learn a thing or two that you can take back to your office.

If you are someone who is interested in how the government is leveraging technology, then FedTalks 2010 is the place to be.  The registration fee is $395. At my last workshop, I told a group of people who wanted to work with the government that they need to build relationships with government officials. One of the main questions everyone had was how. Here is your chance.  You will definitely be able to listen to innovative speakers, while mingling with government officials from different government agencies. It is a win-win situation for you.

If you want to register for FedTalks 2010, click here.

Will I see you there?

Yes, I will definitely be there. I am not going to miss all the wonderful discussions that are going to go on.  Also, the White House DJ Donald Syriani is going to be spinning at the reception after the conference.  It’s going to be an experience that I don’t want to miss, so meet me there!

How do I keep up with FedTalks 2010 updates?

FedTalks 2010 is on Twitter and Facebook. Add them.

Written by: Shevonne on September 23, 2010.
Last revised by: Shevonne on September 27, 2010.

Tags: fedtalks 2010, government and technology