Anatomy of a Nigerian Tech Event | Part 1
This is the first in a three-part article about tech events in Nigeria. In order not to overwhelm you with too much information, this article aims to show us:
- What is a Tech event?
- Types of Tech events.
- Why are they being held?
- What to expect and look out for?
- A typical day in a Tech event.
I love attending seminars, conferences, and workshops relating to Tech. But, each time I go on google to search for articles on what they are about; do’s and don'ts, and other little things, my search ends up null and void. I would end up seeing results pointing to past events or upcoming ones which isn't what I was looking for.
So, this article is the resource I have always wanted to see and I am elated to share it with you (the greater community) throwing more light on the subject matter. Let’s get started!
What is a Tech Event?
This is a gathering of like-minded people who share a common interest for various reasons such as; learning (mostly something new), meeting and forming genuine connections with people, hunting for new “swags”, searching for a job, e.t.c. No, seriously, we will talk about “swag” hunting later.
These events happen across the country in cities such as Lagos, Uyo, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Benin, Enugu, Gwagalada, Eket, Ajah, Ikot-Ekpene, and many more.
Types of Tech Events.
Let us start by understanding that such events can be attended in various forms which are physically, virtually, and/or hybrid. Now that we have cleared that up, there are numerous types/kinds of Tech events. We have seminars, workshops, code-labs, hangouts, code and chill, festivals, job fairs, summits, field days, community calls, and so much more.
These events can vary in terms of the number of days, some can be for a day, others for 2–3 days but you would know because the information is shared on their posters and/or social media accounts.
Why are they being held?
These events are being held for a number of reasons, and to name a few;
- Creating awareness of the use of technologies for the greater good of society.
- To bring together like-minds to brainstorm, share and develop innovative ideas.
- To form genuine relationships, and network with other persons in various respective fields.
- To create and share job opportunities.
- To attract multinationals and foreign investments into the economy.
What to expect and look out for?
You should expect to meet lots of people who are as hungry as you for knowledge and opportunities. You should look out for key people in your industry who will be in attendance, walk up to them prepared and say hello!
More on this is in part 2 of this article.
A typical day in a Tech event.
Today is Saturday, you follow ABCD Org on Twitter where they shared a flyer of an event happening today by 9:00 AM at XYZ Center. You head out to the event, greeted by the volunteers who check you in and they hand you your tag and swag(subjective). Now you are comfortably seated and glance at your phone to take in the schedule of the day.
The schedule usually follows this format, starting by 10:00 AM (African time) with four sessions lasting 20 minutes more or less each, followed by a short break that can be for networking or a Kahoot game session to reinforce learning.
Now the time is 1:00 PM, and you start to feel hungry and tired of learning, but not to worry as Tech events always have your back when it comes to food. Soon you are reenergized once more, and another round of informative sessions follow. A few words from the sponsors of the program come next which will drag on for 20 mins or more. Then the day is slowly coming to an end, the hosts thank you for coming. You are given more swag(subjective), having exchanged contacts with a number of people and promising to follow up to advance your career, you take pictures and call it a day then head home.
You go on social media and notice #ABCDevent is trending and you are greeted with images, videos, and memories of the event. So you decide to share your experience as well then finally call it a day.
Thank you for reading this article. You can read more as well as connect with me on Twitter or LinkedIn, let’s talk about anything like product design or even anime :)
