We had such a great first day at Bristol Technology Festival (BTF)! With such a successful lineup of stellar events, we’re even more excited about what today has to offer. If you haven’t already signed up for a selection of events, you can check out our top picks for Protect Day here.
You may know by now that this year the festival is organised into five themes, one for each day. We kicked things off with Purpose Day, today is Protect Day and tomorrow is People Day, following with Play and Pioneer.
To make sure you’ve signed up for all your favourite events for People Day, kindly sponsored by Ghyston, have a look at the full lineup here. We’ve hand-picked our top selection to help narrow things down for you here. Have a read and enjoy the festival!
8:30-10:00 - How can we retain talent in the South West?

Ghyston is hosting an interactive breakfast session to discuss ideas on how we can tackle issues surrounding talent acquisition in the South West. And since the company has been officially named one of the best places to work in tech, we’re super excited to hear their wisdom.
Finding and retaining good people is hard. Here in the South West, it is vital that we protect our talent pipeline to continue to build our reputation as a tech hub. Come along to share your stories and experiences over a croissant and coffee!
11:30-12:30 - Getting your first 10 hires right: How to build the right startup team

Are you hiring role-by-role, struggling to see past the short-term? Do you want to attract top talent but are unsure about how to make yourself stand out? Are you afraid of the consequences of a bad hire?
Then you’re not alone.
There are many challenges when it comes to hiring and retaining talent, but addressing these 3 key worries will help you on your way to startup success. Be confident that your growing team works together seamlessly. Where each person plays their part in building something magical, like an orchestra.
This session, delivered by ISL Talent, offers practical advice to help you address those 3 areas, by talking about preparation, marketing mindset, and retention.
13:00-14:00 - Tech is changing the game

Marking a transition of power from the old economy to the new, Bristol and Bath are taking part in the latest global trend of fast-growing tech startups sponsoring sports teams and events that reach millions of people.
With the growing advances in sport and technology, it was inevitable that both would come together in prevalent partnerships. Technology companies stepped-up their game when it comes to sponsorship promotion and our panel of businesses are no different.
Find out why Ambition, Growth & Culture all play a part in the latest match for the competition with Huboo, Founding Partner of BTF.
14:00 -16:00 - Recruit Differently: Temple Quarter

Come and join the Western Training Provider Network and hear about the launch of an exciting new project, Recruit Differently: Temple Quarter.
Hear from an expert panel of speakers, enjoy lunch and networking and learn how employers will be supported in how to ‘recruit differently’, address skills gaps and build a more resilient workforce.
There will be detail on how businesses can receive free expert advice and consultancy that could enable them to adopt a more strategic approach to workforce planning, and deliver more inclusive ways to attract and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce by creating and establishing inspiring new apprenticeship opportunities.
15:00-16:00 - Why accessible design is good design

When delivering a product or service at pace, Hippo Digital, BTF’s Headline Partner, has found that accessibility considerations are often one of the first things to be cut.
This talk will use practical examples to show how accessible design doesn’t just improve the experience of users with access needs – it enhances the user experience for everyone.
It also helps to make sure that the content is:
- easily found in search engines
- clear and easy to understand
- compliant with legal and governance standards
Speaker: Joshua Healey
Josh is a principal content designer with a track record of championing user needs and has worked on large-scale transformation projects across the public and private sectors.
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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.