Digital City Festival Expo 2022 – The Candidate Round-up!

Top Talks

The first talk we attended was Wednesday’s keynote speech by Chris Philp MP, Minister for Technology and the Digital Economy. He emphasised the important for cyber security in today’s volatile global landscape and stated how technology and digital advancements were key to the UK’s future. This speech really hammered home just how impressive the UK is when it comes to tech and digital on the world stage – we are one of the top authorities in areas such as AI and are a hub for unicorn tech companies (a new one pops up every 13 days!). The main takeaway from this talk was that the Minister believed the ingredients for success in this sector were: talent, investment, and ideas.

Thursday’s opening discussion featured some of the biggest names in digital – Ash Jones (Great Influence), Dominic McGregor (Fearless Adventures), Luke Cope (Rise at Seven), Claudia Cardinali (Great Influence), and host Anna Gledson (The Manc Group). It focussed on personal branding and online reputation, something becoming increasingly important as social media becomes an increasingly important element of both our businesses and personal lives. Dominic described a personal brand as being the control you have over your reputation, and Claudia said it helps you keep at the forefront of people’s mind – which can be especially useful when it comes to job hunting! They all agreed that leading with genuine, and authentic content which draws from your passions and talents is the most important thing, and then from that content your personal brand will grow and develop. Finding what makes you unique is vital! The final takeaway from Ash notes the importance of reputation when it comes to your career: opportunity is driven by your network and your reputation.

Finally, the talk about neurodiversity in tech was brilliant! Panellists Kate Jones (NeuroClastitc), Ellie Middleton (Great Influence) and Rachel Morgan- Trimmer (Sparkle Class) gave us all a great insight into how to improve diversity in the sector, and the benefits of employing neurodiverse candidates can have for businesses. Read our full blog about this discussion here.