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SALT LAKE CITY — Organizers of the second annual Silicon Slopes Tech Summit have added a speaker that will likely be as widely recognized by Utah's savvy early adopters as much as the technology-inept.
Former Massachusetts governor, rescuer of Salt Lake City's 2002 Olympic Games, two-time U.S. presidential candidate and anticipated 2018 senatorial candidate Mitt Romney has been added to the agenda of the two-day event.
Romney is scheduled to appear in a "fireside chat" discussion with Vivint Smart Home President Alex Dunn who, before moving to Vivint, was then-Gov. Romney's deputy chief of staff. He joins a slate of speakers and presenters that include some of the top tech leaders from around the country as well as authors and even BYU and NFL legend Steve Young.
Silicon Slopes Executive Director Clint Betts said over 10,000 participants have registered for the event, scheduled for Jan. 18-19 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. Being able to host Romney for a talk on Utah tech and economic issues is a coup for his organization, he added.
"We’re thrilled to have Gov. Romney come speak next week," Betts said. "The full agenda is amazing thanks to the hard work and efforts of so many wonderful people who have worked countless hours to bring such a world-class event to the great state of Utah."
Romney's potential run:
Report: President Trump, Mitt Romney talk about Utah Senate seat in phone call
Mitt Romney spoke by phone with President Donald Trump on Thursday, the White House has confirmed, a conversation that comes as Romney is believed to be readying a run to replace retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.Dunn, who was living in Boston and friends with some of Romney's sons before joining his Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign, said he was looking forward to seeing his old boss again.
"I'm really looking forward to having Gov. Romney here for the event," Dunn said. "I learned a lot of important lessons during my time in Massachusetts. And definitely, in some measure, I credit him as a mentor to me in the success that I’ve had."
Romney is scheduled to present on the second day of the event, Jan. 19, at 9 a.m.
For more details and full agenda of the Silicon Slopes Tech Summit, visit https://www.siliconslopessummit.com/home.
