Through a partnership with the Software Association of Oregon (SAO), Portland State's School of Extended Studies is sponsoring the 5th Annual InnoTech Oregon, the region's premier business and technology conference and expo coming to Portland in April.

The event will be highlighted by the participation of Don Tapscott, one of the world's leading authorities on business strategy and chief executive at the international think tank New Paradigm. Tapscott is the best-selling co-author of Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything. His additional titles include Paradigm Shift, Growing Up Digital, and The Naked Corporation. Portland State is supporting Tapscott's visit, which will include an InnoTech conference keynote address, a roundtable forum with Portland State students and a luncheon with business, government and education leaders.

"Portland State's involvement with the InnoTech Conference has enabled the quality of the speakers, workshops and training modules to exceed any other regional technology conference," says Harvey Matthews, president of SAO. "If you are innovative, curious, technologically savvy or career-oriented, you simply cannot afford to miss this paradigm-challenging event."

Other conference speakers and presenters will include Rohit Bhargava, senior vice president at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide; William Hurley, chief architect of Open Source Strategy, BMC Software, Inc.; Rick Pastore, a managing director at CIO Executive Council; and Tony Ulwick, CEO at Strategyn.

The InnoTech Oregon conference and expo will be held April 16-17 at the Oregon Convention Center. Related activities will include a Chief Information Officers Summit, an eMarketing Summit, the third installment of Ignite Portland and a Clean Technology Summit featuring speaker Ron Perncik, co-founder and principal of Clean Edge, co-author of The Clean Tech Revolution and an adjunct faculty member at Portland State. Attendance is expected to increase over last year's mark of 2,000. Portland State University faculty, administration, students and staff have the opportunity to attend InnoTech Oregon at the SAO member level as well as other SAO events throughout the year.

"This is an exceptional opportunity for Portland State to learn from Tapscott and others, and to associate the technology and professional development programs at Portland State with the most innovative industry leaders in the region," says Mike Burton, vice provost at the School of Extended Studies.

Additional InnoTech Oregon sponsors include EasyStreet Online Services, Software Association of Oregon, Comcast, Open Technology Business Center, City of Beaverton, Portland Development Commission, Portland Business Alliance, Time Warner Telecom, Avanade, Microsoft, CSG Professional Services, Hill & Knowlton, First Tech Credit Union, KPAM and PLUS Digital Projectors.

The School of Extended Studies at Portland State University is the premier provider of lifelong learning opportunities for local communities, the region and the state. The school provides traditional and innovative learning experiences for professionals, educators and students through independent, onsite and distance learning programs.

Portland State faculty, staff and students can contact Bill Prows (wprows@pdx.edu) for additional information. For more information on the conference and to register, visit www.innotechoregon.com.