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BOEING CENTER AT TECH PORT: A BANNER FIRST YEAR

A Fantastic First Year Building Our Community

05-19-2023

We recently marked the first anniversary since the Boeing Center at Tech Port opened its doors to people across our community and beyond.

The scrapbook below highlights just a few of the events, activities and interactions made possible thanks to this growing community asset. Boeing Center at Tech Port is a very special place that hosts a growing array of entertainment and cultural events and connects people with life-changing opportunities in their careers, their education and their entrepreneurial endeavors.

Here's looking forward to more big milestones ahead as we work hand-in-hand with our partners to grow a thriving venue — and a community — where people are Building Futures.  

2022

April 28

Mayor Ron Nirenberg's United State of the City launches Tech Port Center.

mayor

mayor

Photo credits: ASM Global

May 2

The Smashing Pumpkins headline the first concert at the venue — a sold out show that kicked off the band's much anticipated tour. Port Provisions food hall also opens on the same night, providing concert-goers an array of great local food options before the show.

pumpkins

pumpkins

Photo credits: San Antonio Current.

May 6

The Battle for Texas — pitting Houston vs. Dallas — is the first major esports tournament at the venue. In addition to a packed house of loyal fans who watched the daylong tournament in person, hundreds of thousands more tuned in to watch online streams of the hard-fought competition.

arena

Photo credit: KSAT-12.

MAY 24-29

FORCECON, a partnership by the Port, ASM Global and the U.S. Air Force, is a multi-day showcase that underscores the flexibility and adaptability of the new facility as it hosts a weeklong event of industry demonstrations, a rock concert and the inaugural Armed Forces Esports Championship that features teams representing each U.S. military branch.

forcecon

forcecon

forcecon

forcecon

Photo credits: Rally Cry, ASM Global, Port San Antonio.

JUNE 14

The annual State of the Port, hosted in partnership with the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, highlights recent milestones and big plans ahead. Before an audience of hundreds of business leaders and public officials, the Port announced three major new development projects: an office tower, a vertiport and a space research complex that will be built adjacent to Tech Port Center.

Jim

Photo credit: Port San Antonio.

JUNE 25

Our first boxing event, in which San Antonio hometown hero Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez defends his world super-flyweight title.

bam

bam

bam

Photo credits: KSAT-TV.

JUNE 29

Tech Bloc hosts regional economic impact study at the Arena. The report shows concentration of technology enterprises and employment in the region, with the Port being the largest and fastest-growing part of the community.

tech bloc

tech bloc

Photo credit: Port San Antonio. Graphic: Tech Bloc.

JULY 21

Capital Factory hosts over 100 guests at one of the most successful meetups by SATX ROBOTIX, an industry group organized by professionals and open to all members of the community who share a passion for all things robotics and technology. 

capital factory

capital factory

capital factory

Photo credits: San Antonio Express-News.

AUGUST 11

The San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology's (SAMSAT) AREA 21 exhibit hall opens — allowing the museum to significantly scale its innovative STEM/STEAM programs in support of school districts and students from throughout the community. The museum is open seven days a week and with free admission (Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m.).

Area 21

Area 21

Area 21

Photo credits: Mark Sobhani/Port San Antonio.

AUGUST 19-20

Arena hosts the Air Force's Innovation Rodeo — a "Shark Tank"-type competition where numerous tech innovators vie for the opportunity to pitch their technologies to the U.S. Department of Defense. The event is also broadcast live across online platforms.

innovation rodeo

Photo credit: U.S. Air Force.

SEPTEMBER 13

For the first time, the arena serves as an essential logistics site for Operation Gratitude volunteers. The nonprofit organization assembles and delivers care packages to men and women in uniform and their families.

operation gratitude

operation gratitude

Photo credits: Operation Gratitude. 

SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 2

A nationally-ranked esports tournament featuring some of the top players in the world included a special bracket for the youngest players from our community.

esports

esports

esports

esports

Photo credits: Mark Sobhani/Port San Antonio.

OCTOBER 26-28

The Cyber Future Foundation hosts a global summit at Tech Port Center — convening experts from throughout the world for an annual conference on best practices, new developments and collaboration among an array of stakeholders to combat the growing threats in civilian and defense cyberspace. 

CFF

Photo credit: Port San Antonio.

NOVEMBER 1

Organizers and several veterans turn to the facility to stage the beginning of a motorcade for "The Wall That Heals" — a replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. which began its journey at the Port and traveled through San Antonio before being exhibited at the Toyota facility.

wall

wall

Photo credits: Port San Antonio.

NOVEMBER 7-8

Over 2,000 area students engage with tech demonstrations and hear from industry leaders as part of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's CORE 4 STEM program.

core4stem

core4stem

Photo credits: San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

NOVEMBER 22-23

Judas Priest marked the venue's first back-to-back rock extravaganza, as the iconic band, along with openers Queensryche, held two sold-out concerts.

judas

judas

Photo credits: San Antonio Current.

NOVEMBER 26

Arena hosts the much awaited Tejano Music Awards — back to an in-person format following a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

tejano

tejano

Image credits: KENS-5.

2023

JANUARY 3

AREA 21's cybersecurity simulator exhibit is completed.

soc

JANUARY 24

State and local leaders joined the Port, Boeing executives and ASM Global to celebrate two major partnerships with the aerospace giant. First, Boeing announced a $2.3 million donation to the Port-affiliated Kelly Heritage Foundation and will develop a state-of-the-art exhibit at SAMSAT's AREA 21 that will showcase aerospace and space exploration innovations. In a separate agreement with ASM Global, the former Tech Port Center was rebranded the Boeing Center at Tech Port.

boeing center

boeing center

Photos: Port San Antonio/Mark Sobhani.

FEBRUARY 11

The R20 Premiere Esports League — comprised of hundreds of students from school districts across the region — hosts one of its well-attended tournaments. Players access state-of-the-art systems at Tech Port Gaming LAN Center and a converted cybersecurity simulator exhibit at SAMSAT's AREA 21.

r20

r20

r20

Photo credits: R20 League.

FEBRUARY 21

Capital Factory hosts the Defense Academy — a workshop supporting local tech startups and innovators who want to sell their technologies to the nation's armed forces.

defense academy

defense academy

MARCH 1

The CyberTexas Foundation hosts 500 students for the Mayor's Cyber Cup and College/Tech Fair — a morning full of activities which closed with an awards ceremony luncheon featuring a keynote address from San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and 16th Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Kevin B. Kennedy.

cybertexas

Photo credit: Port San Antonio.

MARCH 23

The Dee Howard Foundation hosts its major fundraiser and tech demonstration showcase at Boeing Center. The nonprofit is a leading provider of aerospace- and aviation-focused programming and resources for curriculum enrichment for schools throughout the region. Also, in late 2022, the foundation located offices for its new Executive Director Christina Martinez at Capital Factory.

dhf

dhf

Photo credits: Port San Antonio.

MARCH 27

Exhibits by WEX Foundation and Astroport Space Technologies are finalized at AREA 21, highlighting space-focused research and education, including San Antonio's pioneering work to develop technologies and systems to build infrastructure in orbit, on the Moon and on Mars.

astroport

Photo credit: Mark Sobhani.

APRIL 4

Both the arena and AREA 21 host several hundred educators and industry partners as part of the San Antonio Report's daylong Regional Education Forum.

educators

educators

Photo credits: Port San Antonio.

APRIL 18

Rebrand complete!

boeing center

boeing center

Photo credits: Port San Antonio.

APRIL 23

The Port's iconic Fiesta de los Niños is held for the first time at Boeing Center. Despite rough weather, nearly 10,000 people gathered for the daylong event that included free admission, free parking, free access to the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology, free local music acts in the arena, free LAN gaming and free carnival rides outdoors. Importantly, in addition to the exhibits at the museum, an array of local industry and educational partners — including several schools — demonstrated various technologies and student-led projects.

fiesta

fiesta

fiesta

Photo credits: Mark Sobhani/Port San Antonio.

APRIL 24

The U.S. Army North Golden Knights drop in.

goldenknights

goldenknights

APRIL 29

Arena hosts "Build  Your Future" program, where 100 area high school students build their own high-end PCs, which they then get to keep. The program was led by SAMSAT educators and partners (including student mentors from the 16th Air Force) and funded through the Port-affiliated educational 501(c)(3) Kelly Heritage Foundation, which held its first major fundraiser at Boeing Center in August 2022.

computers

computer

computer

Photo credits: Mark Sobhani/Port San Antonio.


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