"Technology-minded individuals will meet at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11 for Amarillo Make-a-Thon, an all-night, problem-solving event conceived by Amarillo Tech Meetup, says co-organizer and Amarillo College CIS instructor Dewayne Higgs.
Make a Thon Homepage ImageTheir goal is to emerge Saturday morning from the 12-hour collaborative session having successfully developed a new online event hub to serve Amarillo and the Panhandle – a centralized community events calendar that works for everyone.
Amarillo Tech Meetup’s inaugural Amarillo Make-a-Thon is being sponsored by and hosted at the WT Enterprise Center, 2300 N. Western St. The event is actively supported by co-sponsors Amarillo College, Bentley Auctions, ROI Online and College Solutions, LLC.
Amarillo Tech Meetup is a local network of technology-minded individuals, professionals and students who share a passion for nurturing the Panhandle’s technology community and using creativity and innovation to support the region.
AC’s Higgs said he became a co-organizer of Amarillo Tech Meetup, in part, because it affords the opportunity for social/professional events like Make-a-Thon, which pits like-minded techies against a specific community problem.
“Make-a-Thon is a gathering of creative and tech people who try to make something awesome,” Higgs said. “Right now, our region has no centralized source where you can learn about all the events that are going on. There’s a lot going on in this area all the time, but it’s difficult for people to figure out exactly what and where.
“This is our chance to do a real community service by drawing together all the pockets of calendar information into one event portal,” he said. “We want attendees not only to hammer out a system that works in theory, but one that works for real, even down to figuring out how it can be hosted – everything.”
Amarillo Tech Meetup invites anyone of any skill level to participate in its first-ever Amarillo Make-a-Thon – from interested high school and college students to working professionals, retirees and novice techies. Attendance is limited to the first 40 individuals to register here.
A $5 registration fee supports the event.
Kevin Ball, vice president of communications and marketing at Amarillo College, says the College is pleased to support Make-a-Thon because it creates opportunities while highlighting the region’s technological ingenuity.
“Events such as Make-a-Thon validate what Amarillo College has known for some time – that our city and the region it anchors are well positioned to compete and excel in a dynamic, highly technical world,” Ball said.
“In being both proactive and inclusive, Amarillo Tech Meetup, like Amarillo College, is helping raise the regional technology profile, while driving the talent-development pipeline that is critical to our students, local industry and our regional economy.”
For additional information, feel free to contact Amarillo Tech Meetup at amarillotechmeetup@gmail.com or (806) 414-8360"
-Joe Wyatt, Amarillo College
