Guest feature: Autumn Becker works with the Allegany College of Maryland. Follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

The Western Maryland IT Center of Excellence invites you to visit the picturesque autumn mountains in Allegany County for Tech at the Gap '17: Leading the Charge on October 24, 2017.

Tech at the Gap is a one-day conference for web developers, system admins, network and security specialists, managers, and others in or around the IT industry. Now an annual conference, the day will build off the momentum of last year's event, which hosted more than 50 regional technology companies with attendees coming from Baltimore, Morgantown, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Northern Virginia.

Governor Larry Hogan kicked off last year's event with opening remarks.

"Maryland is absolutely leading the way in Information Technology, and Western Maryland truly is the next frontier," said Governor Hogan. "Our state, county, and municipal leaders are working tirelessly to develop tangible incentives to encourage more IT businesses to locate in Western Maryland. We are fully committed to creating a culture here, and throughout our state, where these companies can continue to grow and thrive."

Our morning keynote speakers will motive and inspire attendees to be leaders in the IT industry. Jeff Smith (Oracle) will present on the internal and external challenges Oracle faced to not only successfully transition the company to a new business model, but to become stronger in the marketplace as a result. Jean White (Franklin Covey) will provide insight into proactive leadership and guide attendees to discover the mindset and skills needed to build a foundation for effective leadership and develop practices to positively influence the actions, as well as the results, of a team.

The afternoon will offer a variety of breakout sessions in three separate tracks, including Innovation, Development, and Systems Admin/Networking. Breakout presenters include Luke Cooper, founder of Fixt; Ryan Hamerski, Synergist Computing president; and Joseph Muniz, security researcher with Cisco.

Guests will also have the opportunity to network with other professionals and vendors as they learn about the latest tools and processes in the industry and how to apply them at the workplace. Find the full lineup and sponsor information on the event website.

The conference is being held at the Rocky Gap Casino Resort, which is nestled in the mountains of Western Maryland where you'll find spectacular scenery and recreational activities at Rocky Gap State Park. The resort is a AAA 4-Diamond Award and TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence-winning resort featuring a casino, hotel, spa, and conference center.

Tech at the Gap is presented by The Western Maryland IT Center of Excellence. The center, managed by Allegany College of Maryland, is funded in part by the state of Maryland's EARN Maryland Grant Program administered by the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation.

For more information on the conference and to register, visit www.techgap2017.com.