Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host Allie Johnston welcomes back to the show Kris Adams, Director of the Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit. The NWA Tech Summit is the Heartland’s premier technology conference, and it serves to further enhance, diversify and catalyze the economy of Bentonville and the Northwest Arkansas region. Throughout the episode, Kris breaks down what it takes to plan the NWA Tech Summit–and he shares what attendees may expect from this year’s gathering, the positive impact this important annual event has on the NWA community and why tech startups and scaleups are relocating, launching and growing in Bentonville.

Thanks for tuning in!

Show Notes

(1:00) Introduction to Kris Adams

(3:54) Kris’ Role as Director of the Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit

(5:44) Planning the NWA Tech Summit

(6:50) Importance of the NWA Tech Summit

(10:05) This Year’s NWA Tech Summit Theme

(15:51) The NWA Tech Summit’s First AI Series

(19:31) The Rise, Evolution and Implementation of GPT

(24:05) Kris’ XPONENTIAL Speaking Opportunity

(26:02) Why Bentonville Is the Ideal Home for Tech Companies

(29:44) #BecauseBentonville Story

(33:37) Closing Question

‍Links

Allie Johnston

Bentonville Economic Development 

Kris Adams

Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit

Quotes

“I think the way I contribute to making Bentonville better is that the Tech Summit, while it is the Heartland’s premier technology conference, it’s not really a conference. What we’re building is more than that. We’re building a tech community here, and that’s what I love being a part of.” - Kris Adams, (4:58)

“It’s important for us to highlight [Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas], but it’s really for the tech community because you might think you need to relocate to Silicon Valley or New York City…but in Northwest Arkansas you can enjoy the trails and the art and the local culture that you can’t find anywhere else. So it’s important to tell that story as part of the Tech Summit.” - Kris Adams, (7:21)

“There’s a great quality of life here. There are places you can go and have office space available. There’s trails and bike paths to clear your head and get a fresh perspective. There’s just a lot of great reasons to be here in Northwest Arkansas, and anyone launching their company or looking to relocate should check us out here.” - Kris Adams, (26:52)