Space Coast Symposium Will Clue You in to AI, Sustainability for Your Business

Change is happening at an incredible pace, and for entrepreneurs and business leaders, it is difficult to keep up. 

Realizing the demands on our time, the Greater Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce initiated the Space Coast Symposium (SCS) over five years ago to bring together some of the most cutting-edge and powerful innovators of industry who find much of their success right here in Brevard County! 

It's an opportunity to hear from them directly about their advancements and vision for the future in the areas of science, technology, sustainability, transportation, communications, and more. This year's themes will focus on the impact artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality are having on both our business and personal lives. We'll also look at how sustainability is driving changes in various industries. Attendees will hear from an impressive lineup of presenters.

Chat GPT has been all over the news, and Terrance McMahon will present a keynote talk on how to launch Chat GPT in 30 minutes.  He is providing a copy of his book "The One Hour Book: How to Write Your Book in Record Time Using Chat GPT," to every attendee. The quality of the input impacts the quality of the output Chat GPT provides, so learning how to hone your questions is a must.

Panel 1: Augmented reality/artificial intelligence

• POC TSgt Brandon Priddy is bringing the Patrick Space Force Base Robotic dog CAMID.
• The Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Innovative Design at Florida Tech is bringing their portable hologram and a number of interactive technologies. 
• Jennifer Corso will discuss how the new Lake Nona Wave Hotel is embracing the metaverse and new technology to provide a great experience for their customers — including the ability to experience the hotel long before checking in. 
• Sr. Program Manager Corey Cook, Advanced Logistics Technologies and Concepts for Lockheed Martin, will discuss the space industry and the innovation being worked on as they send astronauts to the moon. 
• SunTraX is one of the country’s leaders in autonomous driving vehicle testing, with the state of Florida leading the way in testing how autonomous vehicles react in various conditions and discovering what needs to be modified on the roadways to ensure everyone’s safety. 
• Dr. Neal Finkelstein, chief operating officer at the National Center for Simulation, will discuss how simulation technology is changing the way we train and educate the next generation.

Panel 2: Sustainability

• CEO of Vaya Space, Kevin Lowdermilk, will discuss how they reuse plastics to fuel orbital launch vehicles, and have an eco-friendly and safe propulsion system called STAR-3D. 
• Stephen McCall, director of government relations & regulatory for Firefly Aerospace, will discuss the company's focus on smaller rockets leaving a smaller carbon footprint with their advanced composite structures, patented propulsion technologies, and common components across their vehicles that allow them to scale efficiencies, improve reliability, and lift heavier payloads. 
• Republic Services is one of the largest waste removal companies in the country.  Richard Coupland III, vice president of municipal sales, will discuss their sustainability initiatives, including electric garbage trucks, a polymer center, and using landfill gas.

Expected attendance is 300 and the event provides the ability to network not only with the speakers but other attendees. This is an amazing opportunity to meet CEOs and leaders in their field who are truly changing our world. The event is Aug. 25 from 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Space Coast Convention Center, 301 Tucker Lane in Cocoa. Sponsorships and tickets are available at GreaterPalmBayChamber.com or call 321-951-9998 for more details. 

Meet Our Thought Leader

Nancy Peltonen serves as President/CEO with The Greater Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce. She also serves on a committee for the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, while always finding time to volunteer with local organizations and travel the world.