Preview: Squared Tech Conference 2025 + Tech Week Events

“Welcome to STC Squared!"

Four years ago, I stood in the middle of the DoubleTree conference center, surrounded by sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees and loudly voiced those words. I was proud of what we had done putting together our first tech conference. We were still in the shadows of Tech-it-out and I knew it was not perfect, but it was a start.

Year two saw big changes. A new Presenting Sponsor, new session schedule, new layout, and a near doubling in attendance. The result was incredible feedback from exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees. It was a fun conference full of networking, learning, and community.

Year three we added a keynote. Our speakers did great, but our layout, which is what made our exhibitor hall so great, did not work well for a keynote. We did, however, grow by another 50%, pack out the place, and it was so much fun.

As we geared up for our fourth edition this year, I privately set a goal of having attendee registration open on Valentine's Day as a present for our community. We had everything ready and were in the final stages of setting up registration when a new opportunity arose. So, let's talk about what is new for 2025:

1. That new, last-minute opportunity is what I'm most excited about. We've partnered up with TierOne to bring you Ask an Expert 1:1 Tech Advisory Deep Dives Sessions. You will see a form at the end of registration allowing you to sign up for these 1:1 or small group sessions with subject matter experts. This level of technical knowledge and discussion has been frequently requested and we're thrilled to present it to you this year. If you haven’t indicated your interest yet in a 1:1, please do so here.

2. Our community has delivered an incredible lineup of sessions. In fact, we had so much good content we eliminated the keynote to add another session, and shortened, slightly, the breakfast and lunch periods to squeeze in another session. WE HAVE SO MUCH GOOD CONTENT!!!

3. There will be a bunch of new exhibitors for you to meet. Seriously, go to the Exhibitor page and scroll through all the logos. Take a moment and speak to each one and learn what is new and available to all of us.

4. Drones! Springfield Police Department is coming to show us how police work has been enhanced with the use of this tech.

5. Burying the lede some here but get excited for “Springfield Tech Week!” Along with many partners, we will have the full spotlight on tech for the week of March 24th. See the #sgftechweek page for a full list of events and expect more information soon.

6. While all members of STC will continue to be free, we are applying a small fee to non-members of $25 to help cover costs as the conference grows. We are making the first 200 non-members free, so the early birds get a free worm!

I cannot wait to see you all at #sgftechweek events and at STC Squared March 26th!