4WARD: The local-to-global community for climate DOERs moving the world forward!’s Post

Had an absolute blast last night at our Rebel Meetups in Bath – so much so that I forgot to take a picture (here's one is from our Bristol events instead). But wanted to note some key takeaways from the event to share with y'all anyway... Firstly it's fascinating seeing the differences between each city. The levels of ambition/aggression towards goals. The sector diversity. The community diversity. The attendance levels relative to population too. London's event on Monday had a packed out room with 130 people signed up and 200+ including the waitlist. Bath had around 10 folks. My secret? I love the quiet events just as much as the busy ones (arguably even more) – the chance to have deep, meaningful, impactful conversations is never a chore. We also had a family turn up. A 17 and 18 year old brother, sister team and their dad too. Super wholesome, incredibly lovely, and huge potential in their future in the UI + UX space as they find their feet building an agency. I'm certain they got lots of pointers last night and hope to see them at our Bristol event on Monday. We had someone in sell-side tech M&A, an ex-military-turned-founder challenging the ecosystem with new platforms and a few regular friendly faces besides (including Tom Rickhuss who I don't actually think I'd met yet?!). The bottom line? Events are back. Aside from a 2 year "blip" they never really went away. Virtual is great but you can't substitute the experience of connecting IRL. Community is key. If you're looking for one, come check ours out. If you're building one, give me a shout if you need a hand - we help brands & organisations do this better, with over a decade of experience under our belts. Register for Bristol's meetup next Monday in the comments below! And if you want to host in your city, head to the Rebel Meetups website for more info 😃

I attended too many NY Tech Week events last November, which left me disappointed overall with the caliber and also the consistency of what I witnessed and walked away with. I took notes at that time so that I could prepare better for the next one, to ensure that I would get it right. This week, three completed days into NY Tech Week, I've been much more pleased with what I've seen. Here are the five adjustments I have made in my approach that have paid off this week: -I signed up for and showed up for only vetted events. In some cases, they're ones where I knew the organizer personally, in touch with them ahead of time or not. I know them to be people who'd arrange good events and curate the guest list, too, to reflect the professional vibes and attract the kindred spirits I seek. In other cases, I recognized the name of the sponsor companies as ones that would surely come through on my behalf based on previous activities on other occasions. I have chosen to take the professors, not the courses. -Through going to fewer, more targeted events, I get more out of my days. Rather than double-book myself and have to travel far distances, only to wait in lines outside, I have curated the list to half as many events as I attended in the Fall, which has meant I am fully present at the ones I go to. It also guarantees that if I run into any adversity upon my arrival, I'm not stranded miles from where I ought to be. I am planning my schedule around those events and inside of the neighborhoods I will be in anyway to maximize all of it. The highlight is all of it, not merely a singular evening event. -In addition to the formal events I've shown up for at the top and at the close of workdays, I have also prearranged coffee sessions with visitors from other cities for the middle hours of the day. These are people I wouldn't have met otherwise, despite their visits, those I've captured ahead of time via social post announcements that they're in town and looking to first slot in and then to sit down with others. My priority at all NY Tech Weeks has been with people not based in NYC, but I struggled to identify them last year. This time around, I got it right. -I don't stick around for panels. On most weeks of the year, I want to hear from the experts. But this is the one week when I prefer events to gather people together, have a short welcome midway through, and allow them to meet and mingle. When panels are assembled, I head for the door. -I am introducing myself to the organizers and to the panelists. Often, not always, the people I want to know best and have most in common with are not my fellow guests, instead the ones who've prepared ahead of time as the hosts and the experts on the subject matter at hand. If my goal is to remain in contact with some of those I've met for a short stint, these are vastly more likely to be likeminded peers who show up other places both publicly and privately over the course of the ensuing weeks and months. Keep going.

I read a great post from Danny Groner that hit home for me. He shared how he transformed his approach to NY TECH WEEK by a16z this year and got so much more out of it. Here are my favorite takeaways: 1. Attend Vetted Events: Choose quality events organized by trusted individuals or sponsors. 2. Focus on Fewer, Targeted Events: Be fully present and avoid overbooking. 4. Skip Panels, Prefer Mingling: Network and build genuine connections instead. If you are an event planner in the VC/PE space, you will want to read his whole post and consider modeling your strategy around these values. #EventPlanning #NYTechWeek #Networking #VentureCapital #PrivateEquity #EventStrategy #EventTips

Digital Nomad FOMO Explosion? Another digital nomad event is happening next week – I kindly declined. It seems like every single week a new event, retreat, or gathering is popping up for digital nomads and remote professionals. This year feels like an explosion of events for our community. So, of course, FOMO could be creeping in... AND of course, it's getting harder to decide which one you want to join... Not for me anymore 😜 Don't get me wrong, I love in-person community gatherings, but after Running Remote, I needed 10 days to recharge my battery 🔋 10 days is a lot, and what I need right now is to slow down this summer and settle in my new hub in Vienna. So, I made an aligned decision to attend only a few gatherings that don't disrupt my desired flow but instead amplify my magic. These are the events I'll be joining in 2024 ⤵️ The Nomad World because this is more B2B focused and organized by the epic Goncalo Hall - from October 7th to 13th, 2024 in Albufeira MINOMA - mindful nomads Festival to slow down and experience a distraction-free weekend of self-love in the magical Agafay desert at Selina - from November 07-10 in Nearby Marrakesh by Maris Kohv You're human if you're not vibing with an event, location, people, etc. It's okay to say no and choose not to go. So before committing to joining events, just make sure it aligns with your energy and goals so when you go - you will experience a positive ROI 🥰 #digitalnomads #remote #community • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 🔋 Share it with someone who needs it ❤️ like if you agree 📸 Cheers from Vienna

By January 2022, I started to see the diverging paths of event tech for virtual and live events. I find that we cannot afford to risk catering to both increasingly distinctive segments thinking that we will succeed in both spheres. It will be a greedy and unfulfilling endeavour. We (Jublia) chose to continue our path of digitally transforming live events as we had for years, before the pandemic. Apparently a lot of our event tech peers thought otherwise, thinking they could manage both sides successfully. Many spinning up concepts of hybrid events in the name of community platforms, 365 year round O2O2O2O2O... Hopin and some of its well funded peers mainly chose the virtual path (although they dabbled in live event tech too, to no traction at their scale), which means going up not only against the post pandemic trend, but also titans like Zoom, Teams and more. It was imo a valiant fight with lots of money thrown into the ring. Retrospectively, I am reminded of a quote from Jack Ma: “When the wind is blowing even a pig can fly but when the wind is gone, it falls to die. The pig hasn’t changed itself at all…you change yourself, and then you change the world.” We continue our grind here at Jublia; even if the wind doesn't blow anyone's way in event tech right now, I believe building on trust in DigitaLIVE performance - elevating live event experiences through digital empowerment - will drive the innovation edge in us. https://lnkd.in/dR6kwur7

tl:dr: Tech for Good Organisers Network May Retreat - sign up here - https://lnkd.in/eyPmE6yn i don't know if you know the Tech for Good Organisers network? if not - they're a fine and varied group of humans, who support those who help run the networks that share good practise and build connections amongst those digital folk who want to do good with tech. They really helped in developing https://lnkd.in/eMbSK65J particularly the attitude we take towards DEI - more here: https://lnkd.in/eYrbRgcY And they have the following question and offer... Are you a passionate organiser building or dreaming of building a thriving Tech for Good community in the UK? Join us for the Tech for Good Organisers Network May Retreat - a one-of-a-kind unconference designed by and for you! Date: Saturday 18 May Time: 10am - 5:30pm - and a community dinner afterwards! Location: London What is it? This unconference is your chance to connect, collaborate, and share your experiences with fellow Tech for Good community organisers and leaders from across the UK, with a focus on building Just and Regenerative Futures. What's an unconference? Unlike traditional conferences, you set the agenda! This is your opportunity to propose sessions, spark discussions, and dive deep into the topics that matter most to you and your community in relation to creating a just and regenerative future. Here are some things you might want to discuss: Leveraging tech to tackle social and environmental challenges Building inclusive and equitable Tech for Good communities Exploring the tech ethics and tech justice considerations of using tech to promote sustainability and regeneration. Measuring impact for a just and regenerative future Collaboration between communities to achieve a common goal The agenda is entirely up to you! Why attend? Connect with fellow Tech for Good community organisers and leaders who share your passion for a just and regenerative future Learn from each other's successes and challenges in building a better future Share best practices and develop new ideas for using tech for good Collaborate on future initiatives and projects that create positive change Be part of a growing movement of Tech for Good in the UK Lunch and dinner refreshments will be provided. If you are travelling from afar, we also cover travel and accommodation costs. Sign up here - https://lnkd.in/eyPmE6yn We can't wait to see you there!

Tired of the endless search for that perfect, cosy meetup venue in London? Exciting news – I've just refreshed my handpicked list of the top-vibe meetup spots in London for 2024! 🎉 As we're gearing up for several tech meetups for our clients this year, I got to dive back into one of my favourite tasks – location scouting. And guess what? I've stumbled upon some amazing new finds: 🌆 A rooftop terrace offering breathtaking views of the city, 🎥 A creative hub of Shoreditch that's kind on your budget, ⛪ A unique coworking space within a church building (the atmosphere is very uplifting as you can imagine) Anyone who's organized events knows the venue can make or break your gathering. It's not just a place; it's the team who can support you if smth goes wrong and a key ingredient for successful networking. Wanna peek at the list? Drop a comment, hit like, and don't forget to share the love 💚 #londonevents #londonvenues #communitybuilding #meetups

My big project this year has been rebooting the Explore DDD Conference. It's coming back to Denver in March. That's less than three months away. It's exciting. And it's terrifying. Now is not a good time to be bootstrapping an in-person event like this. Budgets are tight. Layoffs seem to be an everyday occurrence. Good friends of mine are still looking for work. Companies are reluctant to sponsor in-person community events. Hotel venue costs are more expensive than ever. Meetups are still mostly virtual, and wonderful in-person tech conferences like Strangeloop are no more. Even the big commercial tech conferences seem to have lower attendance and sponsorship numbers. Conference ticket sales tend to delay until the very last minute, making conference planning often a multi-year, self-funded, white-knuckle game of chicken. So, given all that, I have nothing but massive respect for those faithful community leaders who have kept running community meetups, conferences, and other events in the last few years. Or who are working hard now to rebuild tech communities and events ravaged by the pandemic. It takes tremendous passion and grit to put in the work month-after-month to provide a well-organized and welcoming space for learning and connection. And that was before the pandemic, now it's even more difficult as we all navigate this new unknown. So, if you have benefited from a meetup or tech event in the last year, virtual or in-person, why not reach out and thank the organizers? What they do is hard work. It's often volunteer work they do after-hours. And they do it because they care. I'm not sure what the future of in-person events is, but I'm convinced they're hugely valuable and provide something important, something even the best virtual events simply cannot. So, in the spirit of this, I want to give well-deserved shout-outs to some leaders I admire. I want to start somewhere. Firstly, to Travis Nelson for his efforts with the Denver Microservices meetup. And then to the new board of Agile Denver: Tricia Broderick, Dan Wyks, Candy Durfee, Teddy Carroll, Manny G Segarra, Allison Cooper, and Brad Swanson. They are all doing great work in the agile community in Colorado and deserve our support. Dan especially has been an encouragement to me recently. And to Dave Thomas and the entire YOW! conference team, who have set the gold standard for years. Finally, in the DDD space, special kudos to Josh Maletz, Indu Alagarsamy, John Connolly for their unflagging efforts in nurturing local DDD meetups in the USA (Denver, SoCal, Portland OR). And each has gone above and beyond with their support and efforts for Explore DDD 2024. Indu especially has been instrumental in making Explore DDD 2024 into what will be an amazing conference, putting in significant time towards conference design, inviting speakers, contacting sponsors, reviewing CFP responses, and much more, all while bringing energy, expertise, and enthusiasm in the process.

WeAreLATech has close to a zero percent flake rate at our Los Angeles tech events. Here’s how… 1) a strict “no LA flake policy” What this means… understand the culture of the city events are being organized in. For example in San Francisco people usually bring a plus 1, in New York an RSVP is typically respected, at SXSW in Austin people sign up for literally everything and then attend whatever pops up last minute. 2) plus 1s need to RSVP individually When a guest signs up a plus 1, they probably haven’t asked yet if the person is available. They’ve only claimed an extra spot in hopes someone can join them. So have guests send their plus 1 the invite link and have everyone sign up individually. 3) send a personal message to each guest There’s no better growth hack than being human. Everyone wants to feel seen so showing that their existence matters makes a huge difference. When we as attendees feel we’re just arbitrary numbers on a spreadsheet, we act accordingly. So by personally acknowledging each guest they’re more likely to respect the invite. 4) make the event start time clear Is it a casual happy hour to show up to whenever, or does the event have a prompt start time… most people think showing up any time between start to end time is fine, so it’s important to clearly state when people need to arrive. 5) curate community culture In WeAreLATech respecting one another’s time is part of our core values. It’s mentioned on calls, it’s publicly posted and in event notifications. Curating a culture that fosters powerful relationships is something that participants are proud to be part of. Years ago, one time, in another city outside LA - I didn’t do any of these things thinking there’s no city worse than Los Angeles for flaking. The flake rate for that event was so high I couldn’t believe it. Just about everyone (most who begged for an invite) cancelled morning of. It was after that let down I understood just how vital these steps were. And for it to work all points needed to be done, not just step 1 or step 5. All steps work together in creating a vibrantly well attended event. — What suggestions come to mind for you that would encourage having a flake free event?

Rare is it that a tech conference has the power to wow. No new approaches to “conferencing” have emerged since before COVID. Until last week when SF Deep Tech Week gleefully took over the the Bay Area. It was REFRESHING for many reasons, primarily due the fact that this was purposefully designed NOT to solely focus on AI, but other industries like Robotics, Biotech, Aerospace, Neurotech, etc. The energy was palpable; it felt like SF was actually back. Candace had the chance to meet Andrew Cote, the brain behind it, at one of the 41+ events that happened. He was ecstatic and distracted, busily answering constant text and Discord messages, and clearly onto something. This guy claimed to have organized it in about two months. He kept telling me “I’m just going with it- making it happen as we go” - that’s the spirit we need. With over 5K people registered, much of the event was crowdsourced, along with a handful of key anchor events.You could fill out a Google Form to get your event listed on the Luma app and on the website.  It opened with a huge kick off event on the USS Hornet, and the main gimmick was airlifting Cybertrucks, a DeLorean and a kebab truck onto the ship as spectacle. It ended with more DJs and lasers at The Loom, a place where many Burning Man Project art installations are currently being built. You could buy tickets a la carte via Eventbrite, vs. paying $2,500 for conference pass. Worth mentioning, Andrew took a lot of his inspiration for the format of the event from Burning Man, and sought art cars for his events, playa DJ talent, and even had a fashion show akin to what happens in Center Camp. It made sense. Mighty jumped in by co-hosting an AI Salon billed as a “Warm Pool Party + BBQ” at a private home in Mill Valley. 300 people registered, but we only had capacity for 100. This is the second event Mighty has co-sponsored with connector extraordinaire Nicole Patrice, and her business partner Mick Eddy of Ethos VC joined in along with our main host, John Kuch, whose decks and gardens offered spaces for conversations we curated over the course of the evening. People are craving community, and still figuring out how to network again. We made it easy and relaxed in a beautiful outdoor environment, and had to usher folks out when the clock struck 11pm. Ping us for an invite to the next one. And make sure to attend SF Deep Tech Week next time it comes around!