In November 2021, Full Sail University hosted its first Virtual TechFest, a weeklong event focused on emerging technologies and the wide range of career opportunities in the tech industry. The event invited participants from the United States, India, Brazil, and Mexico to engage with technology across multiple applications including game design, character design, virtual and augmented reality, mobile application development, and more.

“This event helps bring global awareness of Full Sail University's emerging technology degree programs to the next generation of techies and helps us build additional connections with tech leaders and advocates,” says Full Sail Senior Project Development Manager Jim Makowski, who hosted the event. “TechFest introduced them to professors and professionals all around the world involved in the world of technology.”

A series of webinars featured lectures from industry experts from Full Sail’s staff and faculty as well as speakers from companies including Super Evil Megacorp, id Software, and Frostbite EA. Covering topics such as cybersecurity, UI/UX design, machine learning, and simulation and visualization, the tech-focused webinar series brought valuable insights and information to over 800 students who registered for the event.

Virtual TechFest included interactive challenges that allowed students to compete against others in their region in one of three categories: 3D Character Design, Interactive Game Design, and App Design/Prototype. More than 100 submissions were received from students for the three tech challenges, with three winners from each country receiving grand prizes including a DX Racer chair, a Sennheiser gaming headset, and a $250 Amazon gift card.

“The most impressive submission was the winning 3D Character from Marc Metellus from Jenkinson High School in Pennsylvania,” says Jim. “Marc was not only able to deliver all that was required for the challenge but went beyond by impressing the judges with a meticulous level of well-crafted detail and extra features.”