Taking place on 2nd-3rd October at the ExCeL in east London, the Women in Business & Tech Expo was attended by South West Londoner on its opening day – here’s a rundown of the event.
The beauty of this event is there’s a range of exhibitors – from the Bank of England to Sainsbury’s – a complete network of brands to approach.
The event was well signposted, with constant signs from Custom House station to the ExCeL.
There were no queues, and the lanyard accreditation process was painless.
The main theatre where the keynote talks take place is at the back, and with the number of people interested in these events, arriving 20 minutes before the talk ensures you get a seat instead of standing.
There are keynote speakers like Katie Piper on the second day to enjoy.
They give you free bags at the entrance which include a lot of business-related goodies.
Food spots are within the exhibition and the ExCeL itself, so you can come and go as you wish.
The event gets paid for through companies paying for their plots.
Another event is planned in Manchester in June with the same motivation to get women into the business and technology industries.
There are three stages in all, and the keynotes cover topics across the umbrella of women in business and tech.
However, if you are just interested in one of those areas, there are stages specialising in each industry.
This worked well for people who knew what they wanted to get out of the event and those still exploring their ideas.
They have the opportunity for you to get a professional headshot, so come camera-ready to get a new business profile for your LinkedIn.
This event is not just inclusive for women – a BSL interpreter was signing at one of the presentations – contact the organisation beforehand if you require this type of assistance.
If you need help refining your CV or presenting your brand, there is Hydrogen Group, an organisation that provides tips and tricks on improving your CV and LinkedIn profile from experts who are on hand to help.
Companies are not just encouraging women into the industry, but also seek to promote their equality and diversity agendas.
Some businesses actively employing women will interview attendees and learn about them face-to-face, looking for things that cannot come across on a CV.
Some may even ask prospective candidates to perform practical tasks, such as coding.
Whilst an on-the-spot hire is unlikely, companies have in the past given visitors jobs a few months later.
There are not just companies but also organisations like Startups Magazine, which gives newly developing companies in tech an online publication to promote their business.
That is not all when it comes to organisations building women up.
Elevate Women in Tech partners with the event – a podcast run by the CEO of Halzak – which helps promote a supportive community advocating and connecting women with similar interests.
Their model will be impactful in giving women inspiration and advice to grow their businesses by hearing from like-minded individuals.
Elevate also offers a leadership mentor programme in which they connect women with a mentor in the industry with similar interests.
This mentoring event brings speakers to help and advise people on many matters, such as branding yourself.
They also have a newsletter where tech companies can advertise job roles.
They have an employee resource group, which includes members from companies like Microsoft and HSBC, in a WhatsApp group to connect with and bring people together, offering talks with industry experts.
There are different zones for various needs, such as a work zone where attendees can send some emails and catch up on professional bits and pieces.
The networking area allowed women to chat organically with colleagues and make new contacts in the industry.
The tailor-made area seemed to create extra confidence that people were there to make those connections.
There is also a dedicated female health and wellbeing area.
When speaking to exhibitors like Penguin Random House, they stressed the importance of accessibility at this kind of event – removing the stigma surrounding companies that there are critical areas of tech and business involved in their running, while also removing the barrier women face.
It also helps put diverse people becoming aware of the tech and business fields at the forefront of brands’ minds.
Image credits: Beth Payne
