Internationally renowned astronaut and social media celebrity, Commander Chris Hadfield will be the featured opening keynote speaker at “Pink14”, the 18th Annual IT Service Management Conference & Exhibition.

On February 17, 2014 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Hadfield is slated to speak before thousands of IT professionals on the topics of Leadership, Teamwork and Collaboration – subjects that resonate with IT professionals of every level and industry.

“Pink conferences are internationally renowned, which is why IT professionals of every corner of the globe return year after year” stated Fatima Cabral Ratcliffe, Pink Elephant CEO. “Our attendees know that they’ll experience world class keynote speakers, and this could not be truer for Pink14 with the fascinating Commander Hadfield”.

Called “the most famous astronaut since Neil Armstrong” by the BBC, receiving Twitter messages from William Shatner and Queen Elizabeth, Hadfield leveraged the power of social media to make outer space accessible to millions. Beginning each day with, “Good morning Earth”, Hadfield sent out daily Tweets and photographs from space allowing his followers to see the world differently and infusing a sense of wonder into the collective conscious not felt since man first walked on the moon.

“Commander Hadfield is a true leader and innovator, who connected with so many people even from space” commented Ratcliffe. “Over the years we’ve been lucky to have a series of such dynamic speakers – as a man of many talents, Commander Hadfield fits the bill perfectly”.

Hadfield also captivated music and science enthusiasts with his cover of David Bowie’s 1969 “Space Oddity” and performed “ISS (Is Someone Singing)” in unison Canadian group Barenaked Ladies and with young fans around the world. Whether leading a multi-national team on board the International Space Station or sharing how to perform seemingly mundane tasks such as brushing your teeth in zero gravity space, Hadfield’s social media skills have garnered him millions of fans.