Defense in Depth: A Look at Defense Industry Events

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While the defense community is well acquainted with meeting and defeating big challenges, the dynamic nature of the cyber world is proving to be a daunting adversary for our military. From arming soldiers at the tip of the spear not only with weapons but also with data to fending off threats to cyber networks, defense professionals are in a constant learning mode while being on constant alert.[Tweet "The defense community is well acquainted with meeting and defeating big challenges. #GovEventsBlog"]

At GovEvents we are proud to be the defense community's one-stop-shop for finding training and networking events. We hope that our site takes some of the strain of this new tech frontier off their shoulders.

In this post we want to highlight some of the key events coming up for defense professionals through the end of the year.[Tweet "In this post we highlight some of the key events for defense professionals. #GovEventsBlog"] Continue reading →

The Complexities of Government Acquisition

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Acquisition-it's a complex topic for the government market. Private sector companies must navigate a complex system to make their solutions and services available to government customers. Federal acquisition professionals are working to ease this process and adapt decades old policies to meet the needs of modern technology buys such as cloud and as-a-service offerings. There are also new mandates and government-wide policies like FITARA that IT and procurement personnel have to understand and comply with.  Add to this the fact that the acquisition workforce is in an incredible state of turnover with older professionals retiring and new ones coming in without the guidance of procurement veterans.[Tweet "Acquisition - it's a complex topic for the government market. #GovEventsBlog"]

The ACQUIRE Conference and Expo that took place in June in Washington, DC was designed to help government agencies create, manage, and run successful programs. The conference program offered federal agency-led training sessions, and government & industry thought leadership panels and keynotes. At the event, the Professional Services Council (PSC) issued their biennial Acquisition Policy Survey that more definitively outlined the challenges detailed above. Some of the findings included: Continue reading →

Giving ‘Baby You Can Drive My Car’ a Whole New Meaning

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With summer road trips in full swing, many of us may be wishing that driverless cars were available today. The reality is the availability and use of driverless cars is not too far away.  The move to driverless cars may be more of an evolution versus a revolution say some industry experts.[Tweet "The move to driverless cars may be more of an evolution versus a revolution. #GovEventsBlog"] Each model year, cars are introduced with more and more "autonomous" features from self parking, to lane floating warnings, to automatic braking. Some industry experts say this slow inclusion of features is how we'll get to an autonomous fleet of vehicles on the road.

At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this past January, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced that the fiscal 2017 budget proposal seeks nearly $4 billion over 10 years in an effort to accelerate the development and adoption of self-driving cars. While Detroit factories may be busy building the cars, cities around the country have to get prepared to host these cars on their roads. Continue reading →

When Retirement Means Getting a New Job

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When people retire from the military it does not always mean their days will be filled with golfing and beach-side living. Many veterans retire in their 30s or 40s leaving a whole second half of their professional lives to figure out. And, many who retire from their military career are not ready to retire from professional service. Our veterans bring a deep level of experience and commitment to the private sector but many struggle to translate what they did in the military to an equally fulfilling and challenging job.[Tweet "Many who retire from their military career are not ready to retire from professional service. #GovEventsBlog"]

Each year, between 240,000 and 360,000 people separate from the military (whether through retirement or completion of duty). To meet this need for guided transition, the DoD has set up a number of organizations to assist veterans in making the transition to civilian careers including Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and the Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS). The private sector also has a number of  non-profit organizations such as the NVTC Veterans Employment Initiative and Serving Together. On the for-profit front, there are a host of employment agencies catered to helping vets translate military experience into new careers.[Tweet "Each year, between 240K and 360K people separate from the military. #GovEventsBlog"] Continue reading →

Three New DC Metro Meeting Options

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With springtime upon us and the rebirth it brings (even as wet as it has been in DC), we've been inspired to look at some new options for meeting spaces in the DC metro area. We looked at the latest openings and decided to highlight the following three locations as they all provided a bit of a break from the norm.[Tweet "3 DC meeting locations that provide a break from the norm. #GovEventsBlog"]

  1. Pennsylvania 6 - this new restaurant opened in the fall and features multiple private dining rooms. Its location near the convention center makes it a great option for break-out sessions and post-event gatherings timed with events and activities at the convention complex. The thoughtfully decorated private rooms provide a change of pace from the austere surroundings of large meeting venues.
  2. Spartan Training and Development Center - this facility specifically designed for meetings and collaboration provides another option for large groups in the popular National Harbor complex. The center has five spacious training rooms, a full range of training and audiovisual equipment, the latest computer equipment and software, wireless technology, and a full kitchen and break area. It is a great set-up for training classes, meetings, workshops, seminars, small conferences, and presentations. The facility was designed with floor to ceiling windows to take advantage of the Potomac River views.
  3. Refraction - this space in Reston is just one example of how co-working spaces are catering to event planners. Refraction and other co-working spaces throughout the metro area are designed to enable collaboration and inspire innovation. Why not harness that spirit for events? Refraction offers dedicated event space and 25 private meeting rooms with the amenities of Reston Town Center right outside the front door.[Tweet "These locations only scratch the surface of what's new to DC-area meeting planners. #GovEventsBlog"]

These locations only scratch the surface of what's new and available to DC-area meeting planners. We'd love to hear your thoughts on newer spots that have captured your interest. Let us know in the comments.