Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp.’s Fall Signature Event will be at the new Da Vinci Science Center in downtown Allentown and focus on developing talent to grow the region’s technology economy.
The event, “Tech & Talent for Tomorrow's Lehigh Valley,” will be held Thursday, Oct. 10, at 4:30 p.m. There is no charge to attend but registration is required. Register here. It will feature a panel discussion with leaders from Lehigh Valley-based technology and life science companies along with tours of the first floor of the new science center. 
Sponsorships are available for the Fall Signature Event. Contact Stephanie Wean, LVEDC Program Manager, at swean@lehighvalley.org for sponsorship information.
“The Lehigh Valley economy is very diverse and has a good foundation of technology and life science companies,” said Don Cunningham, President and CEO of LVEDC. “Last year at this event, we featured our semiconductor sector. This year we will highlight other technology and life science companies and the role of early childhood education in developing the skills needed to drive its growth.”
LVEDC’s event will highlight the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) skills and education, the technology sector in the Lehigh Valley, and what’s needed to grow that part of the economy and to develop tech and life science jobs.
The Da Vinci Science Center, which opened in May after moving from its previous location, is an asset for building STEM skills in the Lehigh Valley’s workforce of the future. As they explore through fun, hands-on activities over the center’s two levels, curious young visitors and their families learn about science-related career opportunities available to them in the Lehigh Valley.
Among the center’s 67,000 square feet of interactive experiences are several that showcase the innovative businesses and organizations leading the region’s $50 billion manufacturing-driven economy.
A Mack Trucks electric truck cab demonstrates the fusion of innovation and environment. Olympus explains how its equipment allows health care professionals to save lives. A Victaulic pipe organ allows visitors to explore how different size pipes make different sounds.
An 8-foot tall, 11-foot-long robotic dinosaur, created by Rexroth, shows the power and precision of hydraulic systems. Lehigh Valley Health Network’s My Body exhibit allows visitors to learn about anatomy and health, along with health-related careers.
Da Vinci Science Center introduces students to jobs involving STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) skills through its STEAM Career Pathways Program and its Women in Science & Engineering Initiative.
The Fall Signature Event is one of two major free economic development events hosted each year by LVEDC. The other is the Annual Meeting held each year in March.