LAS VEGAS, July 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — A slate of events to inform information technology (IT) industry executives about critical public policy issues affecting the industry is planned for this week at Breakaway 2012, CompTIA, the leading non-profit association for the IT industry, announced today.

Breakaway is the IT channel’s premier annual education event. This year’s conference is scheduled for July 30 through Aug. 2 at the ARIA Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

“Beyond the industry workshops and education that takes place at Breakaway, the conference will show the IT channel how policies made in Washington, D.C. affect the growth of innovation,” said Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief executive officer, CompTIA. “Our industry’s voice on Capitol Hill is vitally important to ensure that public policies help, not hinder, the growth of the IT industry and IT workforce.”

CompTIA’s Public Policy Committee will host a discussion with Becky Wanta, senior vice president, and global chief technology and innovation officer for MGM Resorts International. Wanta will provide an overview of trends in technology, cybersecurity and mobility and discuss the impact of “big data” on the customer experience. She’ll also speak on technology’s impact on the gaming and entertainment industry.

In a question-and-answer session featuring Wanta and Thibodeaux, attendees will hear how current and proposed public policies may affect tech industry growth.

Presidential Politics and the IT Industry

To highlight the upcoming U.S. presidential election and key issues impacting the IT sector, CompTIA has invited renowned national pollster and author John Zogby to deliver a keynote address at Breakaway 2012. Zogby will reveal the results of a specially commissioned opinion survey of U.S. IT business executives regarding their views on innovation and its broader meaning in the context of the November election.

“With such a competitive election this fall, it will be extremely interesting to see how the candidates stack up within the IT sector,” Thibodeaux said. “We fully expect John Zogby‘s presentation will serve as a jumping off point for additional conversations on government policies that impact growth and innovation.”

After the conference, attendees can stay active in technology-focused advocacy activities year-round through:

• CompTIA’s Public Policy Committee;
• TechVoice.org, a grassroots website focused on legislation affecting the technology industry;
• Regional TechVoice chapters; and
• The TechVoice Fly-In, where members of CompTIA and TechVoice can meet with members of Congress. The next Fly-In is scheduled for Feb. 12-14, 2013.

More than 1,000 IT industry executives are attending Breakaway 2012 to gain fresh insights and new education into the markets, solutions and technologies impacting the IT channel today. The conference continues through Thursday, Aug. 2

About CompTIA

CompTIA is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, visit www.comptia.org or follow CompTIA at www.facebook.com/CompTIA and twitter.com/comptia.

CompTIA’s public advocacy group focuses on a broad array of issues affecting the IT industry, with particular emphasis on representing the interests of small and mid-sized IT companies and entrepreneurs, supporting an innovation and competitiveness agenda and addressing secure technology issues such as cyber security, data breach, privacy and more. For more information, visit http://www.comptia.org/publicpolicy.aspx.

SOURCE CompTIA