TECHNOLOGY DELIVERS NEW WAYS TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH PLANTS

AT DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS

Technology Day at the Gardens

July 31, 2008

DENVER- More than 40,000 Colorado technology professionals from a wide range of industries are invited to Technology Day at the Gardens on July 31 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. This forward-thinking and informative event, co-hosted by the Gardens, CSIA (Colorado Software and Internet Association) - the state’s largest and most influential technology association - and the Gardens’ Technology Task Force Committee, will spotlight the innovative ways technology is being used to connect people with the natural world.

A team of member organizations from CSIA, including the Gardens’ Technology Task Force Committee, will present actual product demos of new features such as fully enabled Wi-Fi across the Gardens, the re-designed Gardens Web site (http://www.botanicgardens.org/) with blogging and video capabilities, social networking strategies, HD video conferencing and much more.

The Gardens’ Technology Task Force Committee - under the direction of Michael C. Vaughn, Director of Customer Relations at TEKsystems Inc. - is comprised of nearly 30 engaging, dedicated technology professionals representing more than 15 companies. The team has developed strategies and implemented products for the Gardens that are connecting more people with plants than any other botanic garden in the nation. As new infrastructure is installed, fiber is being laid alongside irrigation lines. The Gardens’ York Street location is a Wi-Fi hub, and live streaming video of the Gardens will soon be accessible on the Internet.

Technology professionals visiting the Gardens on Technology Day are encouraged to stroll the grounds, bring their teams out for teambuilding activities and meetings, network with their peers, participate in a panel discussion on technology and philanthropy, and get involved in the technological transformation at the Gardens.

“This is an opportunity to showcase how cutting edge technology can co-exist with the natural world and offer a better, more educational experience for all visitors to the Gardens,” says Michael Vaughn, Director of Customer Relations at TEKsystems Inc. and leader of the Gardens’ Technology Task Force. “Our partnership with more than 15 high-tech companies, along with Denver Botanic Gardens staff, will revolutionize the way technology connects people with plants.”

Schedule

9:30 -10 a.m.: Welcome breakfast for attendees

10 a.m. - noon: Product demos set-up across the Gardens from more than 20 cutting edge Colorado technology organizations including CSIA, TEKsystems Inc., Indigio Group Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., NEC Unified Solutions, XO Communications, ViaWest, Palmaris Solutions, Marquee, COMtuity, Connection One Inc., Flexant Solutions Group, Newsgator Technologies Inc., Sentegra, Business Cellutions and R.J. Macklin Associates.

Noon - 1:30 p.m.: Lunch and panel discussion* covering “The Value of Technology in Connecting People with Plants” 

1:30- 5 p.m.: Product demos set up across the Gardens

*Distinguished panelists include David Oliver, a software and IT Leadership consultant; Brian Vogt, CEO at Denver Botanic Gardens; Tim Higgins, CEO at Indigio Group Inc.; Jeff Sharritts, Operations Director, Mountain States Operations at Cisco Systems Inc.; Michael C. Vaughn, Director of Customer Relations at TEKsystems; and Becki Dilworth, Vice President of Client Services from Indigio Group Inc. The group will discuss the benefits of bringing technology together for philanthropic applications, how the Gardens formed the Technology Task Force Committee and what they have accomplished in a very short timeframe, and how other companies can become involved in contributing to their communities. The lunch panel discussion is limited to 300 attendees. Go to http://www.botanicgardens.org/ to register.

Admission to the Gardens also is free on Technology Day for all CSIA members and any visitor employed at a technology-based firm in Colorado - just present a business card for admission.

Visit http://www.botanicgardens.org/ for more information.

Sponsors of the day’s events include: Denver Botanic Gardens, CSIA, TEKsystems Inc., Indigio Group Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., NEC Unified Solutions, XO Communications, ViaWest, Palmaris Solutions, Marquee, COMtuity, Connection One Inc., Flexant Solutions Group, Newsgator Technologies Inc., Sentegra, Business Cellutions and R.J. Macklin Associates.

About Denver Botanic Gardens:

Rooted a mile high, Denver Botanic Gardens has been a favorite Denver destination for more than 55 years, and is considered to be one of the top ten botanic gardens in the nation. Art and science unite in the Gardens’ spectacular urban oasis, offering an unforgettable artistic garden experience for the whole family, as well as a living laboratory for education and plant conservation programs. Additional sites at Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, a 750-acre wildlife and native plant refuge in Littleton; Mount Goliath, a high altitude trail and interpretive site on the Mount Evans Scenic Byway; and Centennial Gardens, a five-acre formal garden with a Colorado native plant palette in downtown Denver, extend this experience throughout the Front Range.  

Denver Botanic Gardens is located at 1005 York Street in Denver, Colorado. Denver Botanic Gardens thanks the citizens who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District.  

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Media Contact:

Robin Doerr, 720-865-3581

Director of Marketing and Public Relations

Doerr@botanicgardens.org