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ITechLaw delivers a successful World Technology Law Conference in Chicago, United States
100% of attendees would recommend the conference to a colleague
On May 3 – 5, 2017, ITechLaw hosted 260 attendees from 34 countries at the 2017 World Technology Law Conference in Chicago, United States – our largest United States conference in recent years! The conference provided education on recent developments and offered provocative commentary about the state of technology law on a global scale. It was a premier event and 98% of attendees found the event a good use of time, and an attendee shared that this was “by far, the best conference” he’s attended.
We express our deepest thanks to our Global Sponsors: Seyfarth Shaw, and Neiderer Kraft & Frey, and all of our conference sponsors, who contributed to the success of our conference.
Read summaries of all of the conference sessions, written by Marina Aronchik, Senior Associate, Mayer Brown LLP and Enrico Miotto, 2018 J.D. Candidate, Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Keynote Opening Session with Dr. Michael Sulmeyer
Keynote Speaker Michael Sulmeyer discussed the current state of Cybersecurity in the Donald Trump administration. Cybersecurity is not a new issue, though the extent of the issue (and the associated risk) is quickly growing with expansion of connectivity. Looking forward, governments and countries need to determine who pays for cybersecurity, what the standards are, and where it falls as a priority. Most delegates references Dr. Sulmeyer’s remarks as their favorite part of the conference.
Educational Sessions, including The Global Vendor Perspective from In-House Counsel
In sessions, attendees learned about cutting-edge topics such as e-sports, clean technology, autonomous vehicles, and augmented reality. With more than 40 experts and a dual-track on Thursday, this conference expanded the knowledge of attendees, challenged their understanding, and encouraged them to implement new ideas into their practices. One session featured in-house counsel from 5 companies: SAI Global, CGI, Deloitte, Oracle, and IBM. An attendee shared that the conference was “a perfect combination of networking and substantive, international legal discourse.”
Gala Reception and Dinner
200 conference attendees enjoyed the formal gala dinner at the Art Institute of Chicago. Most attendees arrived early to walk through the museum and enjoy one of the world’s greatest art museums. The gala dinner is the most elegant event of the conference and was a spectacular event.
Interactive Workshops
This year the conference featured four workshops and, in one of them, attendees worked in small groups to complete an interactive exercise to identify and map the steps involved in creating a contract. Another workshop featured entrepreneurs and lawyers working with the startup community. The workshops are run in 40 minute time blocks and are more interactive than the normal sessions.
Networking
A hallmark of the ITechLaw conference is the networking between attendees – during breaks, the receptions, and the lunches. It’s in these information conversations that many conference attendees find great friends, business partners, and referrals. An attendee said that this conference “was extremely informative, the speakers were engaging, and the networking opportunities are worth the time.”
Closing Reception
The conference concluded with an evening at Pops for Champagne where attendees enjoyed some bubbles and networked before heading out to dinner and traveling home. The casual setting of the venue in downtown Chicago provided the perfect ending to the conference.
Conference photos are available for viewing on Flickr
Session materials are available in the mobile app
Conference Tweets are available via Storify
