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Bristol Technology Festival is only a couple of weeks away, running 11–15 October. As last year’s event was virtual, I am delighted as one of the organisers to say that not only is the festival looking better than ever, but also that Engine Shed is very much looking forward to hosting people as the venue for a wide range of events throughout the week.
With such a full programme of events, eight on average per day, the schedule can be a little daunting to navigate. Here’s my ones to watch which I’ve picked because they demonstrate why our regional tech sector is not only world leading, but also something that everyone can play a part in.
The vast majority of events are free to attend…so read on and start blocking out that calendar…
Monday 11 October, 12pm @ Engine Shed: Festival Keynote with Antonia Forster
Named one of Bristol’s “Women to Watch” in STEM, Antonia has won a number of awards as a prominent LGBTQ+ speaker and activist, with a TEDx appearance now racking up 150,000 views online. Antonia’s journey from zoologist to self-taught coder, to professional Unity/C# games and software developer should offer inspiration to anyone unsure if they can make the move into a technology career.
Who should join? – Anyone looking to be inspired to build themselves a career in technology
Wednesday 13 October, 9am – 4pm @ Engine Shed: FinTech West Summit
FinTech West have gathered a fantastic line up of academics, regional business leaders and inspirational entrepreneurs to share their experience. I’ll also be making an appearance to announce some exciting news about a collaborative programme to help kick the region’s fintech sector up to an even higher gear.
Who should join? – business leaders, investors, fintech entrepreneurs and policy makers interested in shaping a key sector
Thursday 14 October, 12 – 4pm, Virtual: Inspiring Bristol Green Tech Innovators & Quantum in the City and Quantum in Europe
There’s a slight overlap on Thursday afternoon between two events from very different tech sectors but being both online means you can definitely jump from one straight on to the other.
Green Tech South West have been running excellent engagement events for a while highlighting opportunities for technology businesses to play a key role in our journey towards sustainability. These sessions are always really accessible and the line-up for the Tech Fest has three particularly good speakers.
Quantum Technology can seem intimidating for anyone who hasn’t worked in the field, but from working with the people behind this event I’ve learned that it doesn’t have to be. The University of Bristol team will share insight into what’s happening in the city right now, case studies from across Europe and will help businesses connect their organisation with the potential of Quantum Technology.
Who should join? – Anyone looking to understand green/sustainable tech / and deep tech entrepreneurs, investors and technology/strategy teams in larger businesses should tune in to the Quantum sessions.
Finally…if what you’ve really been waiting for has just been a chance to get out and enjoy seeing people again without those pesky talks, The SPARKies Digital and Tech Awards (Thurs 14) are always great fun and local scaleup Huboo Technologies are generously hosting the Closing Celebration (Fri 15) of the festival at their swish new hub.
Whether you’ll be making it out in person, or joining virtually, I really hope to catch up with many of you during festival week and welcome lots of new faces to the local tech scene. If anything in the programme makes you want to share some ideas, please just get in touch.
Find out more about Engine Shed’s involvement with Bristol Technology Festival – https://engine-shed.co.uk/projects/bristol-technology-festival/
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