Holly Brockwell on why the Women in Tech Festival is a must-attend event
There are less than two weeks to go until the Women in Tech Festival on 17 September, and tickets are disappearing faster than free sweets on a convention stand. If you haven't got yours yet, here's a reminder of why you really don't want to miss out this year.
1. Free advice from some of the greatest women in the field
Want to learn how to own the room from the author of How To Own The Room, Viv Groskop? Need some pointers on creating a career path that suits you from Stemettes co-founder Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE? Fancy hearing about the future of digital, culture and media from secretary of state Nicky Morgan MP?
We've got some incredible speakers, panellists and advisers lined up, to the point that you'll need to plan carefully to make sure you don't miss a session that could change your life. Take a look at the line-up here, including three stages with content themed around the next generation, inspirational leaders and industry innovation.
2. Practical tips from women who've been there
When you're one of the only women in your workplace, it can be easy to forget how many other women in tech are facing and overcoming the same challenges as you. Just being at a conference for women in tech can be reinvigorating; a powerful visual reminder of just how many of us there are out there changing the world. But there's more than just camaraderie at the Women in Tech Festival 2019.
You'll learn about tipping the scales on your work-life balance, making flexible working work for you, and how to take care of your body as well as your brain with yoga and nutrition sessions. You'll hear from women who've been where you are, who've got where you want to get to, and gather up all their best tips without the legwork.
3. Be a mentor, find a mentor
Whether you're just starting out in tech or you're an industry veteran, our afternoon mentoring session will focus on the challenges faced at both ends of the spectrum. Mentoring is hugely important for women in tech for all the reasons we discuss here, and our session is an easy way to give it a try without committing to anything major.
4. It's a golden opportunity to build your network
One of the upsides to women being something of a minority in many areas of tech is that it means we galvanise into a rock-solid network. Whether it's an intro to someone at that start-up you've been eyeing with interest, a heads-up about an upcoming job vacancy or just some like-minded women to vent to, the Women in Tech Festival is the ideal place to forge new professional connections, find potential co-founders or employees, and just make some new contacts.
And if you've been in the game for a while, you're pretty likely to see a lot of your friends there, too. Which is always nice.
5. It's the kind of conference you've always wanted to go to
From asking women want they want to see at an event to reducing the industry focus on alcohol, we're working hard to make sure the Women in Tech Festival is everything you've always wanted from a tech conference but never actually got. The one thing we can't promise is the non-existent queue for the ladies' loos found at other tech meetups, but we reckon you'll let us off on that front.
And of course, we're making it as sustainable as humanly possible (although no one's invented usable non-plastic cable ties yet, sadly). After all, we believe you should be the change you want to see in tech.
Grab your ticket now
With less than two weeks to go, it's time to cross "buy ticket for Women in Tech Festival" off your to-do list before all the last-minute types snap them up. Get yours here, and we'll see you there.
