The Bristol and Bath tech cluster has more meetups per head than any technology cluster in the UK – we believe it’s that connectedness, that support and that level of knowledge-sharing that drives innovation, and makes our region the best place to work in tech. So we’ve decided to highlight the awesome groups keeping us connected.
This week we’re running our questions past Smart Cookies.
1. What’s your Meet-up?
Our Meet-up is called ‘Smart Cookies’ – it’s fitting given the attendees we have!
2. Who’s it for?
Our Smart Cookies events are for people who are involved in the creative and digital industries and who are passionate about design, development and marketing. We have a host of attendees: From startup founders and entrepreneurs to people working in larger companies.
We want to create an inclusive space in our Meet-ups, whether you’re a tech professional, an entrepreneur, freelancer or student, where you can collaborate through combined knowledge. We try to promote collaboration between disciplines so we can devise better solutions for all aspects of the creative process!
3. Is there any criteria to join?
Absolutely not – that would be the opposite of the inclusive space we are trying to create! All we ask that you have an interest and passion for the creative process.
4. What’s the format of your event?
The events can vary. Each meetup will feature either two or three speakers or a panel, and discussion will centre around a theme related to bringing a digital product to market.
5. If you could invite anyone to your meet-up who would it be?
Tough question… given the name of our agency (CookiesHQ) and the name of our Meet-up, we would love to have an entrepreneur who is looking to build the next cookie delivery service. Mary Berry would be great!
6. How many members do you generally have at an event?
We have close to 1,000 members on our Meet-up page, but generally, at an event, we will have 60 to 70 attendees.
7. What are some of the typical subjects you discuss?
We discuss how to bring digital products to market. As an example, we have done an event around blogging and social media, another on VR and another on building and launching an app!
Our next event is for the Bristol Tech Festival and will be centred around the subject of accessibility. You can find out more about this (and get your ticket!) here.
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Shona Wright
Shona covers all things editorial at TechSPARK. She publishes news articles, interviews and features about our fantastic tech and digital ecosystem, working with startups and scaleups to spread the word about the cool things they're up to.
She also oversees TechSPARK's social media, sharing the latest updates on everything from investment news to green tech meetups and inspirational stories.