Festo Celebrates Its North American Headquarters Grand Opening with Mason Innovation Days After a very successful Mason Innovation Week, presented by Festo in 2015, the City of Mason and Festo teamed up again. This year, to celebrate its Grand Opening and showcase Mason as an optimal business location, Festo and Mason partnered to host Mason Innovation Days Oct. 8–14 in the City of Mason. Festo, a German-based leading supplier of pneumatic and electrical automation technology, and the City of Mason developed a unique partnership in 2013 when Festo chose the City of Mason for
its 47-acre North American headquarters. Impressed by the city’s strategic access to Festo’s customer base, a growing pool of professional talent, Mason’s business resources, and the strategic collaborative ecosystem of bioscience and technology companies, Festo felt that Mason was the perfect place for its future expansion. Mason Innovation Days attracted visitors from all over the globe, including corporate partners in Asia, Europe, and the U.S.; key business and regional leaders; City of Mason employees; residents; and members of
the Mason business community. Event attendees had the opportunity to enjoy exclusive rides in the Festo airship and hot air balloon, participate in a balloon glow event, and attend the Global Regional Business Center Annual Meeting and International Trade Press Conference. Following the week of activities, Festo held its Grand Opening Celebration on Friday, October 14. To learn more about Festo and the City of Mason’s ongoing partnership, please visit www.MasonInnovates.com.
Festo Community Day The City of Mason invited the community to attend a unique and exciting event in partnership with Festo! Activities included face painting, balloon artists, crafts, inflatables, and tethered hot air balloons rides. The City of Mason Golf Center offered complimentary food and drinks. The evening concluded with a movie on the green, featuring UP by Pixar Animation Studios. Thank you for coming out to celebrate innovation in Mason! Pictures provided from Jennifer Heft
On Monday, October 10, the City and Mason City Schools facilitated an educational presentation and activities that included science, technology, engineering, and math principles. Students learned about the forces of lift and gravity used for hot air ballooning. This initiative supports the City of Mason’s continuing commitment to promote the growth of advanced technology, bioscience, and talent attraction. Winter 2017
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