VERONA - It can be tough to pull informationtechnology (IT) professionals away from their computers, says Bill Porter, network manager at Rapid Response Monitoring in Syracuse.

That's why an event like the New York Tech Summit is so important.

"It's one of the few times you can actually get IT people out of their offices," says Porter, who has attended the event for the past two years. "The networking is a very big part of it. Just putting a face with a name you deal with on a regular basis.

"I find that to be almost better than the actual classes."

The New York Tech Summit is presented by Salinabased CXtec, a network-equipment seller. This year's summit is the third installment and will be held June 21 and 22 at Turning Stone Resort and Casino.

The summit has been growing steadily since its inception, according to CXtec. This year, organizers expect more than 500 IT professionals, after drawing 300 in 2006, and 150 in 2005.

Much of the growth has been driven by word of mouth, says Frank Kobuszewski, vice president of the technology-solutions group at CXtec and an organizer of the conference.

"It's really a relatively small IT community," he says. "As people talk about the success they had [at the event] in previous years, that gets good attention."

CXtec started the summit based on customer feedback. The company's clients were looking for ways to connect with their peers and get training in the latest technology.

Budget cutbacks at many companies have made the professional development opportunities at the conference even more valuable, Kobuszewski says. Sessions are presented by a variety of companies, but Kobuszewski stresses that the event is not a sales fest for sponsors and exhibitors.

"We're educating people about technology," he says. "It's not meant for them to listen to a 45-minute sales pitch."

This year's summit features classes on everything from network security to Internet-based telephone systems. Bret Jacobs, the chief information officer from Loyola University New Orleans is coming to give a presentation on disaster preparedness and recovery and the school's experiences during Hurricane Katrina.

Classes will also focus on techniques to help participants stay within their IT budgets and do more with evershrinking funds, Kobuszewski says.

Another course will discuss disposal of old computing equipment. Regulations prevent simply throwing old servers and printers away, so what to do with outdated gear is an increasing problem for companies, Kobuszewski adds.

The event will also feature broad roundtable discussions on the general technology landscape and plenty of opportunities for networking.

"I hope [attendees] not only get educated, but [also] understand the options that are available for Aheir challenges," Kobuszewski says. "Everybody has challenges in IT."

In addition to CXtec, other sponsors include 3Com Corp., The Central New York Business Journal, Clear Channel Radio, Cisco Systems, and Nortel. Exhibitors include Adtran, Inc.; Avocent; Datacom Systems, Inc.; EqualLogic; Fortinet; Great Lakes Case and Cabinet Co., Inc.; HellermannTyton; Hoffinan Enclosures; Polycom, Inc.; ProCurve Networking by Hewlett-Packard; Quiktron; Smart; Sphere Communications; Syracuse University's Center for Business Information Technologies; Transition Networks, Inc.; and Tyco Electronics.