Once upon a time in Washington, D.C., there was not a swamp — or at least not much of one. Contrary to what you may have heard, and despite the persistent view of the nation’s capital as being at least a metaphorical quagmire, only about 1 percent of the land was where the city was laid out and constructed was originally swampland.

If you’ve always wanted a chance to get acquainted with the District of Columbia on a more intimate level than is typically conveyed by news reports and TV and movies — and let’s face it, if Washington, D.C., is in a movie, then it’s usually because the president and cabinet are about to be attacked by aliens or terrorists — then make your travel plans now.

Tech industry association CompTIA has thrown open registration for its annual Channelcon commerce and technology conference, to be held this year in the spot where America’s Founding Fathers grandly envisioned a city to rival the great urban centers of Europe. ChannelCon 2018 will be held July 31 through Aug. 2 at the Marriott Wardman Park on Woodley Road.

ChannelCon 2018 offers keynote addresses, workshops, forums, and IT education, among other key features, but you can probably also find time to visit some of the monuments, historic sites, museums, and other attractions that draw tourists to Washington, D.C., from around the world. All sitting in breakout sessions and no strolling the National Mall, right?

As noted by CompTIA, ChannelCon both celebrates and facilitates the intersection and intermingling of business and technology. Promotional materials tout the business value of attending:

“If your business builds, sells, influences or drives the adoption of technology, ChannelCon is the one event you don’t want to miss this year. You’ll not only walk away with new ideas and tools you can immediately put into action, but you’ll find yourself at the epicenter of something big!”

There’s also value, of course, to the average IT pro. There are specific IT education seminars that help working professionals keep track of new trends and interface with emerging technologies. The opportunities for professional networking will be everywhere, and any tech worker’s career could benefit from learning more about the business side of the world he or she inhabits.

Much of ChannelCon 2018 is still in the planning stages, so those planning to attend will want to watch the ChannelCon site for further details. One item that’s already been nailed down is a keynote appearance by General Stan McChrystal, former commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, whose exploits inspired the Brad Pitt-starring film War Machine.

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