Why Columbia, SC?

• You may ask why we’ve chosen Columbia, SC as the location of a premier open source event in the south.  If so, we ask you to consider the following:

   

  1.  Columbia is truly one of the South’s emerging cities and is hungry to host the best and brightest the open source world has to offer. The leadership of Columbia has been incredibly supportive from the beginning, as evidenced by the fact Mayors Coble and Benjamin have attended the conference every year since 2008.  If you attend we guarantee you’ll rub elbows with every level of Columbia leadership.

  2.  Columbia is within easy driving and flight distance from about any major southern city – it is truly centrally located.  Consider the following driving distances:

  Typical driving times from surrounding areas:

  • Charlotte to Columbia – 1.5 hours
  • Charleston, SC to Columbia – 1.5 hours
  • Atlanta to Columbia – 2.5 – 3.0 hours
  • Asheville to Columbia – 2.5 hours

  
  

  • Raleigh to Columbia – 3.5 hours
  • Jacksonville to Columbia – 4.5 hours
  • Knoxville, TN to Columbia – 5.0 hours
  • Birmingham, AL to Columbia – 5.5 hours

  3.  Columbia is a hub of IT activity and is a national center for the insurance industry.  Because insurance relies so heavily on IT, thousands of IT professionals call Columbia, SC and the surrounding area home.

  4.  A capital city, Columbia is the center of state government. The University of South Carolina (USC) and six other colleges and universities call Columbia home.  USC alone has nearly 30,000 students.