Synapse Orlando will be held October 15, 2021 during Orlando Innovation Week, which will culminate with Creative City Project’s Immerse.
Orlando, Fla. – Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer joined regional tech and business leaders from Synapse, Stax, Creative City Project, Truist and the Orlando Economic Partnership (the Partnership) to announce the first-ever Orlando Innovation Week, which will include the return of Synapse Orlando and the Immerse arts and culture festival.
Synapse, the non-profit organization founded to accelerate innovation throughout the state, will host the second Synapse Orlando on Friday, October 15, 2021, at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The highly successful innovation conference, which attracted more than 1,000 attendees at its inaugural event in 2019, will be the concluding event of Orlando Innovation Week, running October 9-15.
“Orlando Innovation Week will be a celebration of our tech industry with a variety of opportunities to come together and learn about our unique companies and what they are doing to advance technology for the world,” said Tim Giuliani, president and CEO of the Orlando Economic Partnership.
“This is also our opportunity, as a community, to share and amplify our tech story around the world. And what better way to cap off a week of innovation than with our region’s premiere innovation and entrepreneurship symposium.”
Tim Giuliani, president and CEO of the Orlando Economic Partnership
Orlando Innovation Week will kick off with Startup Weekend and will include a special edition of “Nerd Night Orlando” as well as tech networking opportunities, presenting our region’s entrepreneurs, founders and technology enthusiast with opportunities to nurture connections and experience the innovation created in the Orlando community.
The excitement culminates on October 15 when Synapse Orlando showcases the broad array of technology that powers the region’s innovation ecosystem, including everything from AI to VR and from AR to IOT and the industries that leverage them in innovative ways. This year’s theme is “Experience Orlando,” highlighting the innovators transforming how we live, work and play. With dynamic and hands-on exhibitors, workshops and access to thought leaders from the region’s leading companies, Synapse Orlando is a curated fusion of inspiration and opportunity for the entire innovation community.
“Every day, the world learns more and more about how Florida and the Orlando region are emerging as hotbeds for innovation and entrepreneurship.”
Brian Kornfeld, CEO and co-founder of Synapse Florida
“Synapse brings this ecosystem together to celebrate wins, discover innovations, and engage with one another. The first Synapse Orlando in 2019 was a huge success and brought together more than a thousand professionals to experience the latest innovations impacting Florida’s overall business community. We look forward to this year being even more successful,” said Brian Kornfeld, CEO and co-founder of Synapse Florida.
The Orlando Tech Council, a core component of the Partnership, first teamed up with Tampa-based Synapse in 2019 to better connect the region’s entrepreneurs, investors and other stakeholders to accelerate success in Orlando’s innovation economy.
“Orlando regional leaders are reimagining how innovation and experience are shaping our everyday lives. From work to play, education to health, from where we live to how we get where we want to go – we have to rethink the future,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings. “If we want to create the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, it’s about bringing together those forces and that is going to happen firsthand at Synapse Orlando.”
“Synapse Orlando is a powerful platform for entrepreneurs and business leaders alike to learn about the innovation created in Orlando, experience what the region has to offer, and meet the talent that powers Orlando’s innovation ecosystem,” said City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.
“Orlando is home to some of the world’s leading advanced technology companies and it is the perfect place to bring the region together and showcase new innovations.”
City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer
Immerse, October 15-17, will welcome guests to experience first-hand innovative, unique and interactive experiences that display creativity and community, bringing the heart of downtown Orlando to life. Ticket bundles will be available to purchase maximizing the innovation experience from business to the arts.
“Orlando is the place where innovation and art collide, where unforgettable experiences are at the heart of our culture, economy and quality of life,” said Cole NeSmith, executive director of Creative City Project, which produces Immerse. “Part of our mission is to shape the global perception of Orlando as a city known for innovation and creativity. Together, we are making it happen, and we’d love to have you join us on the journey.”
Immerse media assets are available for download via Dropbox here.
Truist is the presenting sponsor for Synapse Orlando 2021. Other sponsors include University of Central Florida, Lockheed Martin, Florida High Tech Corridor, RB Advisory, Envy Labs, BlueWave Resource Partners, Informulate, Lowndes and Green Actioneers. Partners include Black Orlando Tech, the Partnership, Orlando Tech Council and Orlando Business Journal. Additional sponsors continue to be added and more information about available sponsorships can be found at SynapseORL.com.
You can watch the full video of the press conference here.
About the Orlando Tech Council
The Orlando Tech Council is composed of private industry, resource organizations and public partners that work to develop new programs with the core objectives: strengthen the Orlando region’s innovation resources, create new opportunities for companies to scale, and to amplify the region’s success stories, raising the global profile of Orlando as a leading community for entrepreneurship and innovation.
About Synapse Florida
Synapse Florida is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that connects entrepreneurs, talent, investors, corporations, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to accelerate success in Florida’s thriving economies. Based in Tampa, Fla., Synapse helps people find what they need and share what they have in three ways:
- Synapse Events – a series of events across Florida in celebration of innovation where visionaries, doers and success-makers connect with the latest transformational innovations across all industries.
- Synapse Connect – an online platform that allows innovators to easily and quickly connect with the resources they need to accelerate success.
- Synapse Challenges – a crowdsourcing solution for organizations to solve real-world problems and create new opportunities for forward-thinking businesses and people.
For more information about Synapse, please visit www.synapsefl.com
About Creative City Project
Creative City Project produced their annual event in Downtown Orlando since 2012. The event was renamed IMMERSE at the beginning of 2017. IMMERSE 2021, presented by Orlando Health, will platform more than 1,000 artists and performers across 10 city blocks for an audience of 100,000 guests. JOYBOX is an interactive art exhibition around all things happy, opening mid-September and running through IMMERSE. Creative City Project is committed to helping guests live a life of creativity and adventure by connecting them with meaningful arts experiences throughout the year. In December, Dazzling Nights returns to Leu Gardens. And a brand new show, Dragons and Fairies, will open at the same venue in January. Each Monday, Creative City Project releases “This Week In Art,” a video series highlighting the best in arts and culture happening across Central Florida that week.