Bristol and Bath get a lot of the limelight when it comes to innovation, entrepreneurship and advanced technology. Yet, quietly coding, designing and creating away in the background is the town of Swindon.
But quiet innovation will soon be no more as the Swindon’s first ever tech showcase – Swindon Tech Summit will, this September, reveal the town’s talents to the South West tech community.
“Swindon’s Tech Summit is an event to celebrate the great technological advances that are taking place under our noses”
Not only will Swindon Tech Summit attendees hear inspiring speakers on an array of technology topics, but they will also be treated to VR experiences on the HTC Vive, 3D-printing workshops, technology exhibitions and more.
Keen to find out more we caught up with the man responsible for lifting the lid on Swindon’s techie talent, Matt Greenwood (pictured right) – Founder of Swindon’s first creative co-work space, Desk Cowork.
A growing community
“Swindon hasn’t really had the same opportunities for this type of event like Bath, Bristol or London tend to dabble in,” Matt tells us.
“It was only when I opened Swindon’s first co-work space 6 months ago that I realised how many truly inspiring people live in Swindon”
“It was only when I opened Swindon’s first co-work space 6 months ago that I realised how many truly interesting, inspiring people live in Swindon and surrounding areas working in fields that I didn’t know were represented here.
“It soon became apparent to me that we have a fantastic community of techies, entrepreneurs and business people that are just waiting for events like this to take place in their hometown. With so many great contacts I have made over the last few months, I really wanted to bring them together to show off what we have to offer.”
Speak for Swindon
Swindon’s Tech Summit is an event to celebrate the great technological advances that are taking place under our noses, an opportunity for people to learn about new areas and connect with like-minded individuals.
As well as wanting people to get involved by attending the event, Matt tells us he’s inviting speakers from outside the area to experience what the town has to offer – especially if they’re keen to talk about 3D printing or drone technology.
“Swindon’s first Tech Summit is a great opportunity to network with a new crowd”
He adds: “We’re looking for anyone who is passionate about what they do in their field and who wants to share their experiences with a new audience.
“Swindon hasn’t had many events like this so speaking at Swindon’s first Tech Summit is a great opportunity to network with a new crowd and gain potential exposure through local media companies.”
Excited for ideas
When organising a tech showcase as new as this in a town buzzing with ideas, it’s easy to feel the excitement of the speakers coming together. However, Matt divulges what he’s personally most looking forward to: “What’s really exciting is the crowd-funding talk by Anthony Lovell De Souza, a crowd-funding consultant who has helped hundreds of crowd-funding campaigns get off the ground.
“This edge to our day of talks is an awesome opportunity for people to make their passion in tech or other areas a reality by learning about the pros and cons of this popular way of raising finance.”
Swindon Tech Summit is due to be held on 24 September at 10am – 6pm at Desk Cowork, 4 Devizes Road, Swindon, SN1 4BJ.
Head over to the Swindon Tech Summit website to find out more about the speakers, demos and workshops on offer. You can purchase your tickets via the Swindon Tech Summit Eventbrite page. You can also keep on top of the latest news relating to the event by following Desk Cowork on Twitter: @deskcowork.
