Are Meetings Dead Now that We are Social?

TAG Social Business and TAG Professional Services present a panel discussion about running productive meetings in a ‘new world of work’


ATLANTA (May 29, 2012) – TAG Social Business and TAG Professional Services, two societies within the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), are hosting a panel of experts on June 5 to debate the merits of physical meetings in a world of social tools and telecommuting. During the discussion, which starts at 5:30 p.m. at Villa Christina, panelists will share tips for ensuring productive meetings in a ‘new world of work.’

Panelists include:

• Paul E. Miller, IT director, product Manager, End User Computing for McKesson Corporation
• Peter Stewart, SVP Collaboration Technology Services for PGi
• Vic Uzumeri, PhD, associate professor of Supply and president of interactive Point of View for Auburn University
• Meredith Martini, principal at Performance Inspired, Inc. and president of the Meeting Professionals International - Georgia Chapter

“It’s no wonder that virtual meetings have become ‘oxygen’ for McKesson,” said Miller. “Our company has offices in every state and more than 20% of our workforce works from home. People are working anywhere and everywhere and companies are becoming more globally dispersed making it critical to leverage new collaboration technologies to survive in an increasingly virtual business world.”
“Empowered by new, cloud-based technology, today’s businesses are more mobile than ever,” added Stewart. “Increased use of mobile devices, flexible work models and new methods of collaboration are shifting the way we perceive office walls. Join us as we explore this workplace transition and find out what tools are available to stay connected and productive in an ever increasing digital landscape.”

Discussion topics during the panel include:

• The evolution in the role and nature of meetings in the new world of work
• The impact of ‘Generation Y’ on traditional meetings
• The technologies available to help bring people together virtually
• The ways new virtual meeting technologies are enabling business transformation
• Tips to ensure that your meetings are productive in this new world of work

For more information and to register, please go to http://tinyurl.com/874bwrt or contact Kelsey at KBouton@tagonline.org. Follow the event on Twitter with @TAGSocialBiz or by using the hashtag #socialbiz.

About The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) 

The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 16,600 members and hosting over 200 events each year. TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 30 industry societies, each of which provides rich content for TAG constituents. TAG’s mission is to educate, promote, influence and unite Georgia’s technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy. The association provides members with access to networking and educational programs; recognizes and promotes Georgia’s technology leaders and companies; and advocates for legislative action that enhances the state’s economic climate for technology. Additionally, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG’s charitable arm) focuses on helping science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive. For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org or TAG’s community website at www.TAGthink.com. To learn about the TAG-Ed Collaborative visit http://www.tagedonline.org/.

TAG Unveils TAG Greater Augusta Advisory Board

Greater Augusta technology community rallies to support TAG expansion and bring TAG events to the region


ATLANTA (May 23, 2012) – The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), the state’s leading association dedicated to the promotion and economic advancement of Georgia’s technology industry, today unveiled the members of the newly formed TAG Greater Augusta advisory board. TAG Greater Augusta is one of the organization’s newest chapters. It was developed to support the growth of the technology industry in the region and extend TAG resources throughout the state.

The advisory board includes:

• Joy Barr, Business Account Executive, Comcast Business Services
• Joshua Bolin, CEO, VanderMorgan Group
• Susan Caldwell, Area Director, The University of Georgia SBDC>/li>
• Gloria Dunbar, Chief Executive Officer, Hybrid Health IT
• Sean Frantom, Medical Software Trainer, Spherion at University Hospital
• Eric Frickey, Commercialization Manager, Savannah River National Laboratory
• Reed Gary, Senior Recruiter, CCCi
• Gordon Jones, Founder, President & CEO, Guardian Watch, LLC
• Glenn Kennedy, Deputy County Administrator, Columbia County
• Tamara Lopata, Marketing and Partner Development Manager, UTG Solutions
• Will McGee, Chief Information Officer, EDTS, LLC
• Chris McKinney, Associate Vice President, Georgia Health Sciences University
• Scott Monnig, Development Center Manager, Rural Sourcing, Inc
• Carolyn Rahn Newsome, Account Manager, CMA Technology
• Karyn Nixon, Executive Assistant, Mayor Deke Copenhaver’s Office
• Troy Post, Executive Director, Development Authority of Columbia County
• Elliot Price, Regional Manager, Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute
• Rick Richards, President & Chief Medical Officer, Global Emergency Resources
• Kim Romaner, Chief Amplifier, Possibilities Amplified, Inc
• Brian Tucker, President & CEO, Greater North Augusta Chamber of Commerce

“The presence of technology businesses in Greater Augusta and the surrounding region is growing and we are pleased it has become such a focus for the region,” stated Tino Mantella, president and CEO of TAG. “TAG has received a very warm welcome in Greater Augusta and we are excited to have built such a strong advisory board. Extending our reach to Greater Augusta supports our efforts to become a truly statewide organization and help Georgia become one of the top states in the nation for technology. ”
TAG is the largest technology trade association in the southeast with more than 16,600 members representing more than 1,700 companies.
Beginning in July, TAG Greater Augusta will kick off its Tech Tuesdays with a panel discussion on energy within the region. For more information on any of these programs, contact Heather Miner, director for TAG Greater Augusta via email at Heather@tagonline.org or via phone at (404) 920-2022.
About The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)

The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 16,600 members and hosting over 200 events each year. TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 30 industry societies, each of which provides rich content for TAG constituents. TAG’s mission is to educate, promote, influence and unite Georgia’s technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy. The association provides members with access to networking and educational programs; recognizes and promotes Georgia’s technology leaders and companies; and advocates for legislative action that enhances the state’s economic climate for technology. Additionally, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG’s charitable arm) focuses on helping science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive. For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org or TAG’s community website at www.TAGthink.com. To learn about the TAG-Ed Collaborative visit http://www.tagedonline.org/.

The Best Way to Connecting IT Professionals

Particular clusters of professionals like Information Technology experts enjoy connecting and networking within their circles. Among their peers, they are able to gather information and review issues that plague them.

Offline business networking and group sharing are a couple of the more frequently used ways that IT professionals connect. However, most IT professionals find that the best way to connect for them is through thriving and insightful online communities that target IT groups. Here, they find other same-minded professionals within their industry with whom to connect and exchange information.

As a proponent of such groups, TAG (Technology Association of Georgia) developed an online platform and forum to connect IT professionals and it has become a welcomed community by its members. At TAG, we focus solely on the IT professional and the industry and cultivate effective ways to bring a cohesive unit within the industry.

The technology community of connecting Technology professionals is a very diverse but interesting society of experts. Many professionals and students in this field have a genuine interest in the industry and are always seeking ways to learn more about the IT field and find more ways to connect with other IT individuals.
One of the leaders in the industry, TagThink, has a way that successfully connects IT professionals. The TAG education collaborative implemented by http://www.tagthink.com has created a way to do just that. With the TagThink.com website, focused communities exist as a way in connecting IT professionals to interact with one another.

The forum allows IT individuals to have discussions and trouble-shoot through problems or issues they may be experiencing. On the site, events are also advertised there for professionals to locate more venues for continuing education and career improvement. The community technology center with TAG technology community is a beneficial forum for instant connection.

About The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG): 
The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 14,000 members and hosting over 170 events each year. TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 30 industry societies, each of which provides rich content for TAG constituents. TAG's mission is to educate, promote, and unite Georgia's technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy. The association provides members with access to networking and educational programs; recognizes and promotes Georgia's technology leaders and companies; and advocates for legislative action that enhances the state's economic climate for technology. Additionally, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG's charitable arm) focuses on helping science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive. For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org or TAG's community website at www.TAGthink.com. To learn about the TAG-Ed Collaborative visit http://www.tagedonline.org/.

How to Organize an IT Tournament

The field of Information Technology is a richly diverse one in many aspects. Numerous IT social networks exist for the sole purpose of fostering a community environment for industry leaders and thinkers.
Although there are many individuals in the field, there are always more creative ways presented on how to form more connections, networks and places where IT personnel can turn to for more insight. So as to further foster an environment for growth, learning and development, the collaborative idea of hosting an IT tournament was developed.

At the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), http://www.tagthink.com decided to host this event for numerous individuals and organizations across the state and nationwide. The TAG Collaborative initiative was developed to create a thinking environment. Their interest is in educating and connecting IT companies, IT volunteers and the nonprofit networking organization and its community.

In the TAG education collaborative, the organization provides the resources to help programs stay sustainable, thrive and grow. There are hundreds to thousands of volunteers that have access to the TAG education collaborative resource pool. Therefore, by making these resources available, it creates an environment for some camaraderie, thinking and competition.

The Excalibur awards for the TAG-hosted IT tournament is bestowed upon the individuals or entities who exhibit the most creative approach to IT thinking. The goal is to create a thinking environment, and participants are encouraged to use their creativity, education and all available resources to gain more knowledge and to be successful in the tournament games.

To date, there is an ever-increasing interest in the TAG collaborative initiative from volunteers and industry experts. Many of the students and volunteers who are a part of the tournament are also experts in their domain, which all helps to make the tournament more popular and more successful.

About The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG): The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 14,000 members and hosting over 170 events each year. TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 30 industry societies, each of which provides rich content for TAG constituents. TAG's mission is to educate, promote, and unite Georgia's technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy. The association provides members with access to networking and educational programs; recognizes and promotes Georgia's technology leaders and companies; and advocates for legislative action that enhances the state's economic climate for technology. Additionally, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG's charitable arm) focuses on helping science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive. For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org or TAG's community website at www.TAGthink.com. To learn about the TAG-Ed Collaborative visit http://www.tagedonline.org/.

Solving Business Problems Socially

Atlanta, GA - May 3, 2012 - The Tag Social Business Society presents Solving Business Problems Socially on May 3rd, with Jive and SAP . This gathering will be both practical and insightful. This is the place to be for anyone that is interested in how social media is impacting and will continue to impact their business in the future.

How are companies solving traditional problems in great new social ways? What if customers could be your best salespeople by you engaging them? Join us on May 3rd and learn from the best , SAP, Jive and others at TAG Social Business society’s event, “Solving Business Problems Socially” Thursday, May 3 at 5:30p.

Here is what we will cover


Solving Business Problems Socially:


What leading companies are doing to improve innovation, ideation, sales enablement, and customer satisfaction?

How are companies solving traditional problems in great new ways?


What if people could come together to produce extraordinary results?
What if business applications were as cool and easy to use as our personal apps?
What if customers could be your best salespeople if you properly engaged them?

Enterprises understand the need to bring social tools to their organization, but many are faced with the daunting task of where to start. What will have the most impact on my organization? How do I ensure a social platform will produce the expected benefits?

Join a panel of experts from Jive Software, SAP, and others as they share the best approaches for Solving Business Problems Socially.

Find out:

• How are these age-old business problems different in today's world?
• What are leading companies doing to improve innovation, ideation, sales enablement, and customer satisfaction?
• How do you build the business case for a new approach using social tools?

Check out what others are saying about TAG Social Business.


“Using "social" tools to solve traditional business problems is considered a competitive advantage for some companies, and an expectation in some industries,” said Hal Schlenger, who does merchandising for Allconnect. “We here and read about improved innovation, more employee engagement, faster sales enablement, and stronger customer satisfaction and engagement through of a variety of process changes and tools.”

About TAG Social Business

TAG Social Business, formerly Enterprise 2.0, is a new breed of IT infrastructure that enables organizations to become more competitive in the age of globalization and accelerating change. It has its roots in consumer social software which has led to breakthroughs in just-in-time relevant communications and collaboration that is now leading directly back into the Enterprise.

The TAG Social Business society will explore key strategic and organizational shifts that organizations need to make in order to adapt to the changing landscape of the digital world.

For more info and to register: https://s01.123signup.com/servlet/SignUpMember?PG=1521974182300&P=15219741911424582300&Info

Get engaged with your local technology community at a TAG event today. You won’t have a problem finding the society that perfectly fits your needs.