Weekly Meetings: Online & In Person

Know Before You Go Details A-Z:

Attendees: All members and their guests are welcome to attend. We welcome our members and guests to attend the ETEC meetings in person. It is the best way to connect, or re-connect, with friends, colleagues, and potential business opportunities.

Dress: The attire is usually business casual.

Food: Coffee and breakfast snacks are provided at no charge.

Guests: Join us this Friday to learn more about ETEC. Please click here to fill out the form to register as a guest or call us at 865.483.4577 and we will be happy to give you instructions about joining us online or in person.

History: For over 25 years ETEC members have met in Oak Ridge nearly every Friday from 7:30-8:30 a.m. in the UT Outreach Center. In March 2020, meetings were moved online to the Zoom Pro Conferencing platform. In August 2021 we transitioned the meetings to a hybrid format, with an option for attendees to participate either in person or via Zoom.

Location: University of Tennessee Outreach Center, 1201 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. The Outreach Center is in the back corner of the University of Tennessee building. The entrance faces the Quality Inn and Applebee’s. See the map below or visit our Find Us page for more details.

Members of the Media: Please note that ETEC is a private membership organization. Media professionals are welcome to attend (either online or in person) with the prior permission of the staff and speaker(s). If a representative from a media outlet is present in the room an announcement will be made at the beginning of the meeting so the speaker and audience are aware. To request an invitation, click here to fill out the guest registration form and a staff member will contact you.

Meetings Afterward: Private conference rooms are available by request after the meetings for members to use with prior notice.

Networking: ETEC is a pro-business environment. Members are encouraged to network and build strong business relationships before and after the weekly breakfast meetings.

People in the Room: The audience includes leaders from the business, federal, and contractor communities in additional to federal, state, and local government officials. Both small and large business leaders, entrepreneurs, and academic professionals attend. Industries range from information technology, nuclear-focused, construction, business services, architectural/engineering, academia, and more. Student members from local schools also attend. Attendance averages 100 people in person and 50 people online each week.

Photos and Videos: Attendees are welcome to take photos, but we kindly ask that you do not take any videos or audio recordings of our meetings out of respect for our attendees and speakers. On the occasion where a meeting is recorded an announcement the speaker must give permission. Speaker presentations and Q&A will be recorded through Zoom if the speaker approves. These recordings can be found on the Members Only Info Hub. Photos or short videos may be taken by the staff during the meetings for promotional purposes such as for use on the website or on social media. Attendee's images may appear in these photos/videos. The images will not be sold or used for other purposes.

Registration: Registration is required for the Zoom meeting, but NOT for in-person attendance. Use this link to register for the weekly Zoom meetings. Be sure to choose the correct meeting date in the dropdown menu (new link for 2025 meetings): https://tennessee.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrd-CgrDMiHNTsDsHqH0FyubCh2ys57LzH 

Speakers: Subscribe to ETEC’s newsletter for the latest information or visit our event calendar or see above for more details. ETEC always invites speakers to share interesting and pertinent information about the community, science, technology, special initiatives, and other fascinating topics. For a list of past ETEC speakers, visit our Calendar page and view the previous month’s Friday entries.

Special Interactions: Campaigning by political candidates before, during, or after the meetings is discouraged. Candidates may be invited to present to the group after winning their parties’ primary election. Fundraising by individuals, non-profit groups, or companies before, during, or after the meetings is also discouraged. However, in some cases it may be appropriate for our group to be aware of a specific event or need. Members are welcome to make announcements as long as they are relevant to the economic growth of the region or are of special interest to our membership. Please contact us before that Friday morning so time can be reserved on the meeting agenda.

The Fine Print: For more information about our policies and guidelines, click here. This page covers details about announcements, campaigning, fundraising, and more.

Timing: The meetings begin promptly at 7:30 a.m. and end right at 8:30 a.m. Those attending in person usually arrive at the UT Outreach Center around 7:15 to network.

Zoom Broadcast: The online Zoom meeting will be open for attendees to join at 7:25. All cameras stay on unless the attendee turns them off. Microphones are muted and attendees are not allowed to rename themselves for the duration of the meeting. Screen sharing is allowed for the host and speaker(s) only. Q&A is facilitated through the chat feature. Attendees on Zoom are not allowed to record the meetings. Register for one or more meetings here.