Atlantic Tech Summit Will Help Companies Pivot Because Of Covid-19
HALIFAX – Whether you’re a developer, c-suite manager, or the owner of a small shop, you’ve probably had to dramatically rethink how you engage with technology because of Covid-19. That’s especially true in Atlantic Canada, where the business community can be slow to adopt new practices and the pandemic has forced people into new technical landscapes faster than ever.
In a lot of ways, 2020 is the perfect time for a summit dedicated to better understanding technology in all its forms. That’s why the organizers of the Atlantic Technology Summit on November 18 are preparing for a big event this year – virtual, of course.
Calvino Anderson started the summit last year after 4 years of hosting the Halifax IT/Technology Meet Up Group and seeing that most other tech events were either driving an agenda or were very vendor-specific”
“There was really a lack of events that are just 100 percent there for the community,” he says. “I wanted something completely independent that’s just about bringing all aspects of our tech community together to share their experiences, ideas, challenges and insights.”
This year, he says, he’s adapted to Atlantic Canada’s new digital reality by going “even wider,” adding two new talk tracks and broadening the conference to appeal to anyone who touches the tech industry.
“If you look at our typical audience it is eclectic,” he says. “Every business today is a technology business in some way, shape, or form. So we’re trying to make an event that has something for everyone.”
One track will feature talks from a general technology perspective aimed at everyone, including the general public, students, tech workers, etc.
Another focuses on business transformation, bringing together content for business owners and decision-makers, “whether they’re technical or not, to really help them understand how businesses are being transformed by technology on a practical level,” Anderson says.
Then there’s the technical side, where the most technically minded people can dig deeper and geek out on a more granular level.
Talks will touch on topics like how digital transformations affects the employee experience, growing your career in tech, diversity in design, fintech, data security and more.
All told, the summit will host 27 different talks, featuring tech leaders from “some well known, local organizations,” as well as industry leaders from out of region global players.
“I think it will be a good mix of speakers. I think people will be surprised about some of the people that will be speaking. There’s going to be a lot of input from people who have experience in niche areas,” Anderson says.
This year’s summit has gone through its own major digital transformation and will take place entirely online. Anderson says it’s a move he’s excited for.
“The nice thing about a virtual conference is people can log in for the one or two things they’re interested in. They don’t have to drive downtown for the day and worry about parking and maybe miss a half a day or whole day out of the office — so there are advantages,” he says.
“We invested in a strong, virtual platform that’s going to make the attendee experience very fun and engaging,” Anderson adds. “Although a lot of people will probably be suffering from some sort of Zoom fatigue, we’re working to make it the best experience we can without it being in person.”
He says there will be ample opportunity to engage with speakers, live question-and-answer functions built into the platform, and plenty of chances to meet some of the big tech companies supporting the event.
The organizers have adjusted the price of tickets to reflect the new format and some tickets will be saved to give to students, free of charge.
The Atlantic Technology Summit takes place this year on November 18. For more information, or to reserve a ticket, visit the website: https://www.atlantictechsummit.com/
