When Noble Capital Markets (Noble) released the December dates for its 19th Annual Investor Conference to be held at Florida Atlantic University, many had the question, “FAU, who?” Well, that’s all changed, big time. The unlikely trek of the FAU Owls to the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four has just about everyone talking. NBA icon Magic Johnson tweeted “When the 64 teams were announced, nobody could have picked Florida Atlantic to go to the Final Four. I think this has been the most unbelievable NCAA Tournament I’ve ever seen.” Former Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade told ESPN, “No one believed in them… they’re playing with so much toughness, so much focus, so much confidence.” Even their heartbreaking loss to San Diego State, by one point at the buzzer, has not stopped the accolades. And the team remains proud of their accomplishments on and off the court. FAU guard Nick Boyd told reporters, “I’m happy for our team. I mean, we put FAU on the map. That’s most important to me.”
While that map of awareness certainly has been broadened by the Owls Final Four run, FAU is far from unknown, at least in Florida. Since opening its doors in 1964, enrollment has steadily grown, now with more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students (and more that 184,000 alumni) across six campuses, with its main campus in the heart of Boca Raton, FL. FAU has nationally ranked programs in business, engineering, computer science, nursing, and online education. It is ranked as a top university by U.S. News and World Report. It’s number one in Florida for ethnic diversity. FAU is home to the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute on the Jupiter campus, a hub of neuroscience activity. And, it has partnered with the world renowned Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience on the FAU High School – Jupiter Campus, the FAU Max Planck Honors Program, the Integrative Biology-Neuroscience program, and the International Max Planck Research School for Synapses & Circuits to offer high school, undergraduate and graduate students transformational experiences not found anywhere else in the world.
The accomplishments of Florida Atlantic are nothing new to Noble. They have worked with the university for more than a decade and were instrumental in the development of the Equity Research Analyst program. Noble has employed several FAU graduates and sponsored enrolled students through intern programs. It was always the goal of Noble to hold its annual investor conference at FAU, but until recently it was logistically impossible. That’s where the College of Business, Executive Education, newly christened, 52,000 square foot complex comes in. It propels NobleCon to the most technically superior conference experience on the circuit. “World Class” is an understatement, particularly when compared to traditional hotel-based conferences. Each presentation room is equipped with multi-screen viewing options, complete soundproofing, full recording, and worldwide webcasting capabilities, even memory foam seating. Add to that the university’s centralized South Florida location is right next to the Boca Raton Airport and less than a mile from Interstate 95. The complex’s 800 (free) covered parking spots complete the picture.
Because of Channelchek’s affiliation with Noble, we’ll be updating guests on all developments leading up to NobleCon19, December 3-5, including keynotes, participating companies, sponsors, and entertainment. Anyone who is registered for Channelchek can attend. So, while there may be many more questions to be answered about NobleCon, we don’t think that “FAU, who?” will be one of them. The Owls have established a new definition for FAU: Fantastic, Awesome, Unbelievable. Congratulations on your remarkable run!
