The impressive growth and diversity of the Pensacola Bay Area's Information Technology industry will be on full display during ITEN Wired's 2014 Summit Oct. 2-3.

ITEN spokesman Jim Rhodes said the group is expecting an attendance of nearly 300, topping last year's total of 250.

ITEN Wired is an annual conference hosted by IT Gulf Coast with support from the Greater Pensacola Chamber.

The summit begins with a panel discussion by noted chief information officers and a kick-off reception at the NationalFlight Academy aboard NAS Pensacola on Thursday, Oct. 2.

On Friday, Oct. 3, , the full day of conferences, speakers and panel discussions will take place at the Hilton PensacolaBeach Gulf Front.

"The summit gives the regional IT community a chance to get together and exchange ideas, meet new people and compare notes," Rhodes said. "It's crazy how this summit has grown over the past few years."

Growth of the summit event, Rhodes said, has been spurred along by IT Gulf Coast's involvement.

IT Gulf Coast is an organization founded in 2000 whose mission is to create educational and networking opportunities for its members, and to foster the growth of the technology industry and entrepreneurship in Northwest Florida"

"And I have to give a lot of credit to my predecessor, Maria Weisnicht, who owns CED Technical Services in Gulf Breeze," Rhodes said. "When she stepped in and took on the branding of the summit it really took off."

Rhodes, who chairs IT Gulf Coast, said the summit does not have a overall theme, but it has attracted a number of cybersecurity experts.

A keynote speaker with cyber security expertise will be Brigadier Gen. (retired) Gregory J. Touhill, deputy assistant secretary for Cybersecurity Operations and Programs with the Department of Homeland Security.

Other featured speakers include:

-- Sudheesh Nair, senior vice president of Worldwide Sales & Business Development, Nutanix

-- Don Gulling - CEO, Verteks Consulting.

Registration is now open for the full summit is at a cost of $120 per attendee, which includes attendance at the CIO Roundtable, Pre-conference Reception, and Summit. Student discounts and admission to the Oct. 2 events only are also available.

Previous years have sold out, said Rhodes, and organizers are encouraging early registration.

For more information or to register, visit www.itenwired.com.

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