Computer & Technology Fair on April 12 expected to save USU big money
Editor’s note: This article was written by Steve Eaton, the IT communications guy, to let students know more about this year’s Computer & Technology Fair being held on campus next week.
People will come looking for bargains on electronics, free food and prizes but those who have been planning this year’s Computer & Technology Fair on April 12 see a bigger purpose for the annual USU event.
The free fair, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Taggart Student Center Ballroom, saves the university about $300,000 each year, according to Eric Hawley, who leads USU’s Office of Information Technology.
“Our event draws exhibitors from some major companies like Dell and HP Inc.,” said Hawley, who is also USU’s chief information officer. “This leads to USU getting some great bulk discounts on computers and laptops. As these companies compete for business, we are offered prices below their normal educational discounts.”
For the last 15 years, Gary Egbert has served as the planning committee chair for the annual event that usually draws more than 800 people.
“The fair is a great opportunity for our exhibitors to talk directly with the hundreds of potential customers who attend each year,” he said, “and it gives the USU community the chance to see up close some of the most innovative electronic products on the market.”
More than 20 companies and organizations that serve USU students and employees have confirmed they plan to attend as exhibitors, Egbert said. The event, sponsored by Information Technology, will include complimentary refreshments prepared by USU’s Dining Services.
This year, HP Inc. will set up a walk-in truck trailer on the south side of the TSC near the fountain. The trailer is a traveling exhibit designed to showcase a new computer called Sprout, that can scan objects and prepare digital files to be printed out on a 3D printer, Egbert said.
Egbert said that there will be drawings every 30 minutes for door prizes and that there will also be a drawing at 1:15 p.m. on April 12 for several grand prizes, including an Amazon Echo.
“The Echo has been outpacing speaker sales for companies like Bose, Sonos and Logitech,” Egbert said. “It comes with a virtual assistant named Alexa. She responds to voice commands and can even control things like the lights in your house. Trust me, this would be an awesome prize to take home.”
To win a grand prize people have to be present for the 1:15 p.m. drawing on April 12, unless they are tuning in to the fair from another USU site in Utah. The fair will be broadcast to those sites via a roving camera that will be in play at the event. Those who win door prizes need not be present when they are announced, Egbert said.
Utah State University students, faculty and staff may submit their names for a chance to win an Echo at ctf.usu.edu/prizes. All who attend the fair and swipe their USU ID card will also be automatically entered into the drawings for the door prizes and grand prizes, he said. For more information about the fair, visit ctf.usu.edu.
Utah State University’s Information Security Office (ISO) has a number of challenges and prizes it is offering before and during the fair that are aimed at reinforcing security practices to protect USU’s sensitive data. For more information about the ISO Security Challenge, follow this link.
Egbert said the fair, which has the theme “interact, create, innovate,” will offer people fun ways to engage with exhibitors and their products.
“We have a game planned for the fair that is aimed at educating the USU community about new IT developments that will make it much easier to create good and memorable passwords at USU,” Egbert said. “If you can crumple up a piece of paper and toss it into a wastebasket across the room, you should come and test your skills in our game. You might be rewarded for your workplace jump-shot with a prize.”