As his company has grown, so has the technology summit, which now draws more than 1,000 people, some from as far as California, to see and share the latest technologies.

"Every year, it gets better. The technology is fun to watch. I hope it keeps growing. It's good for Lafayette," Meche said.

"This is a banner year for TechSouth," she said.

TechSouth began Wednesday and continues today.

At the iConvergence booth in the exhibit hall at the Cajundome Convention Center, Meche displayed a variety of voice-over-Internet protocol applications, including video phones and software that lets computers seamlessly integrate voice and data.

Gone are the grainy, pixelated images of yesteryear. A person in China or London can call a Lafayette office and see the speaker almost as if he or she were standing a few feet away, Meche said.

"The technology is here; people are ready for it now," Meche said. "VoIP has really matured."

Students like Maggie Stokes, Alyse Mouton, Amber Lavergne and Justin McManus have grown up with technology. They stood in the middle of the exhibition hall trying out all their cell phone features on each other, even though they were in the same room.

The sophomores at Carencro High's Academy of Information Technology were attending TechSouth to learn and also to show what they have to offer the tech world. They worked a booth in the exhibit hall that displayed films students made to advertise the school's features.

The students must complete a summer internship after the junior year as part of their curriculum.

Some found potential internships while at TechSouth.

"It's fun because we get to do all this. Our guidance counselor says, 'Your résumés are going to be so awesome,' " Stokes said.

Many attending the conference said Lafayette is on the leading edge of many technologies, and events like TechSouth showcase what the area has to offer.

"The oil and gas industry has caused this area to be one of the highest tech areas in the country," said Les Henderson of SOLA Communications, which provides satellite communications support to companies.

But, that doesn't mean there isn't more to be done.

It's a brave new Wi-Fi world, and cities have several options to get on board, keynote speaker Janet West of Earthlink told those in attendance at the TechSouth opening breakfast.

Earthlink, one of the nation's largest Internet service providers, is a co-sponsor of the summit.

The company has formed a partnership with Anaheim, Calif., and Philadelphia to bring Wi-Fi to those cities this year. The company also is pursuing a deal to bring wireless service to storm-ravaged New Orleans.

West said a wireless network brings many benefits to a city, from advanced public safety applications to universal Internet access.

"We believe in affordable high-speed coverage. That is the first step to digital inclusion efforts," she said.