SkySong, The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center will host one of the largest events in its history on Tuesday night as more than 900 people dine under the project’s iconic shade structure as part of ASU’s Education Innovation Summit.

The dinner at SkySong will feature two prominent speakers:

• “Above the Crowd with Bill Gurley,” a venture capital investor who was responsible for the launch of companies such as Amazon, OpenTable and Uber

• “Play It Smart, A Conversation About Making a Difference” with Former 49er & Super Bowl champ Ronnie Lott

More than 6,000 people visit SkySong every month for special events and to experience the project’s vibrancy and focus on innovation and technology. However, this dinner will be one of the largest events ever hosted at SkySong and the first time a large dinner has been hosted under the shade structure.

The dinner starts at 6 p.m., and is preceded by a reception and several other activities at SkySong related to the conference.

Sharon Harper, President & CEO of Plaza Companies, said the event is truly a showcase of how SkySong is having an extraordinary influence in the Valley’s business environment.

“This is an example of how SkySong can showcase the synergy of technology and innovation it provides through a major event celebrating those principles,” Harper said. “SkySong is a true destination for entrepreneurship and advanced thinking when it comes to business, and we are proud to be able to host this exceptional event for the ASU Education Innovation Summit attendees.”

Plaza Companies is the master developer of the project in partnership with the Arizona State University Foundation and the City of Scottsdale.

Along with the vibrant activity by the more than 1,000 employees and 50 companies on the SkySong property, work continues on pre-leasing SkySong III and SkySong IV, the next two office towers to be built at the project. The two buildings would include approximately 300,000 square feet of new development, and combined with SkySong I and II and the apartments, would bring the total square footage of development at SkySong to more than 900,000 square feet.

SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center is a home to a global business community that links technology, entrepreneurship, innovation, and education to position ASU and Greater Phoenix as global leaders of the knowledge economy.

SkySong is a 42-acre mixed use development designed to:

•    Create an ecology of collaboration and innovation among high-profile technology enterprises and related researchers;
•    Advance global business objectives of on-site enterprises;
•    Raise Arizona’s profile as a global center of innovation through co-location of ASU’s strategic global partners; and
•    Create a unique regional economic and social asset.

Companies located at SkySong enjoy a special relationship with Arizona State University, which has more than 70,000 students at four metropolitan Phoenix campuses. Its campus in Tempe is the single largest campus in the U.S., and is located less than three miles from SkySong. More than 16,000 students are pursuing degrees in engineering, science and mathematics fields, and ASU made $343 million in research expenditures in FY10, placing it among the top 20 research universities that do not have a medical school.

In addition to locating its own innovative research units at the center, ASU provides tenants with direct access to relevant research, educational opportunities and cultural events on its campuses. Through ASU’s on-site operations, tenant companies have a single point of contract for introductions to researchers, faculty and programs to address their specific needs.

For more information on SkySong, visit www.skysongcenter.com or www.facebook.com/skysongcenter.