Business is not always about profit. As businesses impact their employees and clients or their countries’ economy, they can have a positive impact on social wellbeing as well.
Undertaking socially responsible initiatives for mobile and web application development companies can be a win-win situation.
At MindK we aim to make a meaningful contribution to the local IT-community.
We have organized over 7 tech battles engaging IT enthusiasts into discussions and competing approaches conversations. But one of the most notable events we’ve organized is the UP2IT conference.
Together with Sumy State University, we hosted more than 350 participants and invited speakers from 7 Ukrainian cities.
We invested a lot of resources, spent several sleepless nights and here are a few reasons why we will do it again.
#1 Boost knowledge and experience of IT-community
To keep pace with a fast-changing IT-industry one should constantly update his/her knowledge and foster an inquisitive mindset. That’s why the focus of the UP2IT conference is on the modern IT-trends.
The participants had a chance to exchange experience, listen to the colleagues and gain new knowledge within 4 simultaneous sessions – Product, Dev&QA, Design, and Up2Date.
Participants had a chance to hear speeches on hot topics, which concern today’s IT-world. To name a few:
- Design Thinking in product development (Product stream);
- React. Learn once, use everywhere (Dev&QA);
- Autonomous Artificial Intelligence (Up2Date);
- How to design in the era of Digital Transformation (Design).
In total, we have got 34 speeches, followed by Q&A sessions.
Any IT-specialist could apply beforehand as a speaker to get a chance to express his/her thoughts and share experience with colleagues.
Talk less, but practice more is what participants could do in the Design section. 7 speeches were followed by 1,5 hours workshop, conducted by UP2IT’s partner – Crisp Design Studio. Both professionals and entry-level designers could create a concept for Sumy State University alumni website and get a prize for the best idea.
#2 Open up opportunities for students
A quarter of all the UP2IT participants were students — young and eager IT-minds. Aside from tremendous chunks of technical information, the students got an insight from CEO of a local IT-company on how to ace their first interview and get a job.
Apart from those who came to expand their knowledge, some students acted as volunteers. Their help went a long way towards the common goal.
Thanks to their efforts, the event ran like clockwork.
To everybody who committed their energy and time to the conference: our gratitude knows no bounds. You’re awesome!
#3 Scale up awareness of informational technologies
Those who use a laptop and smartphone or get in touch with friends via messengers must know that all these things exist due to the efforts of software engineers. About 100 people who came to the conference are neither studying IT nor working in the field, but they understand that software is running their lives.
The influence of information technologies has dramatically expanded over the last decade and continues to do so.
With events like UP2IT, anyone can deepen his/her knowledge on the field and stay up to date with the changes IT brings to the world.
#4 Create a space for networking & having fun
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Communication and fun are the two things that make any event special and memorable.
Our purpose was to unite professionals and provide them with the opportunity to exchange their ideas, impressions, and plans.
One of the most exciting things about the conference was a Mindflex Duel game, provided by one of the conference’s partners. Competitors had to move a ping-pong ball using only the power of their minds. The one who manages to focus more is a winner (and that what happens in the real life as well).
As we received an overwhelmingly positive feedback from the participants and community we intend to host a similar event in 2018. We will try to turn it into a good tradition.
Every day businesses touch the lives of thousands of people. By creating the touches with meaning, we all can make the world a better place to work and live.
