The 2007 Technology Days fair took place Wednesday and Thursday in the Universty Student Commons. VCU’s Technology Services and VCU Libraries hosted the fair.
Approximately 150 people came to the event on Wednesday, according to Mary Hope Adams, the marketing and communications director for VCU Technology Services.
“The question is how to draw more people into presentations, but vendors have been pleased,” Adams said about the turnout.
“The fair is designed to show how technology impacts students and faculty on both campuses,” said Shannon Jones, an education services outreach librarian at Tompkins-McCaw Library.
The presentations and vendors at Technology Days came from a wide range of fields, focusing on helping students maximize their knowledge of information technology.
“A big part of the job is getting the word out and getting everyone with some type of interest in technology to attend,” Jones said.
Many vendors came to showcase the latest models of new computers and applications that can benefit the academic community.
Jack Burns, a senior account executive for Apple Inc. at VCU, said the most frequent question he was asked at the fair was how to run the Windows operating systems on Mac computers. Burns also said many students were interested in design programs on Apple computers.
“It’s important for students today to understand visual literacy,” Burns said. “The world is changing. Professors have to keep up with the times to adapt and capture students’ attention.”
Preparations for next year’s technology fair begin planning sessions in July. Adams said an integral part of planning is looking for vendors, and she hopes to find new and exciting vendors for 2008.
“We couldn’t get a gaming vendor this year,” Adams said. “(Gaming) would be a really big thing for the students.”
Tristan Hayes, a freshman bioinformatics major and gaming aficionado, agreed with Adams. Hayes said he was not planning to attend the fair until he saw the signs in the Commons.
“I’d be more inclined to come if there were more big-name game company vendors,” Hayes said.
Friday, Mar 27, 2026