Philly Tech Week – 8th Nation

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ThoughtWorks Philly Tech Week: Pecha Kucha

About

8th Nation worked with Thoughtworks during Philly Tech Week to increase ThoughtWorks visibility in the Philidelphia and surrounding area’s market. A Comcast sponsored event, Philly Tech Week brings together the entire spectrum of companies and technologists from the greater Philly. The aim is to explore emerging technology through a weeklong series of talks, presentations, and events all while getting to know fellow technologists.

The Ask

8th Nation was asked to produce a series of events during Philly Tech week that were out the box creative. Seizing on a DIY ethos to try and capture creative technologists, 8th Nation decided to hold a series of events to capture the attention of most diverse and creative technologist attending Philly tech week. The goal was to recruit for emerging technology projects in the works for ThoughtWorks in the region. This included a book launch for multidisciplinary talent DJ Spooky aka Paul Miller for his book The Imaginary App, a Pecha Kucha, and a brunch featuring established and emerging women technologists to cap off the week.

What 8th Nation Did

  • Developed and executed integrated and multi-channel marketing plans to ensure the event was covered by appropriate media channels
  • Ensured proper security was arranged for high-profile clients
  • Worked to create Peacha Kucha panel
  • Collaborated with leadership and cross-functional team members to brainstorm, plan, and develop new ideas and strategies
  • Defined comprehensive marketing performance framework, including creative reviews, tracking, and optimization of results
  • Work with commercial, events, and editorial teams on marketing programs and tactics to increase the visibility of the panel and associated opportunities
  • Crafted marketing collateral working closely with the art and brand teams on creative vision, strategy, and creation
  • Coordination of volunteer teams for seamless event execution
  • Troubleshooting AV needs before and during the event to ensure technical efficiency
  • Implemented and managed comprehensive social media campaigns to ensure the event was correctly promoted, well attended and captured in the digital world
  • Supported client by maintaining the integrity of workflow against agreed-upon Scope of Work and budget parameters which includes communication of overages, issues, and alterations
  • Worked as a liaison between key stakeholder and PR; crafting press releases and managing any media needs such as interviews and invites for members of the press

Pecha Kucha

With the intent of hiring for various projects in the Philadelphia and Wilmington Deleware markets, ThoughtWorks sought a creative solution to tap into the rich pool of talented potential future ThoughtWorkers in the are. 8th Nation decided to host a Saturday evening after party with a Pecha Kucha (Japanese presentation style in which 20 slides are shown for 20 seconds each) featuring an incredibly diverse and cross-disciplinary panel of technologist featuring Bina 48, a socially conscious robot. The event included a mix of ThoughtWorkers and other creative technologists that appealed to the recruits field of expertise and interests.

Speakers:

Bruce Duncan, Managing Director of Terasem Movement Foundation, which is well-known for developing humanoid robot Bina48.

Carla Gannis, Multidisciplinary Artist well known for her political emoji works.

Andrew McWilliams, London-born Hacker, Developer, and Artist currently living in Brooklyn.

Rajat Bhageria, Author, and Entrepreneur best known for developing ThirdEye, an app for blind people that verbally says what is in front of them.

Tess Michaels, Founder of Soceana, which seeks to generate social good by creating a vibrant community of volunteers, nonprofits, philanthropists, and corporations.

Jacob Hernandez, a creative communicator and cityscape explorer designing visual facilitation tools & experiences for Thicket Labs.

Kent Rahman, Product and UX Designer who is uncomfortable without a beard, and self-described as if Einstein and George Clooney had a baby boy.

Evan Rutledge Borden, a functional programming enthusiast, bassist, standards advocate, beer geek, fermentation fanatic, flip-flop cyclist and beard connoisseur.

Jon Gosier, At only 33 he has been named one of “The New Faces of Black Leadership” according to TIME Magazine. A hometown Philly tech whiz,  He is especially passionate about working at the intersection of technology and human rights and development.

Liz Maxwell, Activist, Artist and Creative Consultant currently working as the Chief Dot Connector for The United States Department of Arts and Culture.

Book Launch

ThoughtWorks had taken on client DJ Spooky aka Paul Miller whose many interests include the intersection of technology and creativity. The book explored The mobile app as a technique and an imaginary tool, offering a shortcut to instantaneous connection and entertainment. The book launch sought to appeal to a different type of technologist, the type of technologist who liked to look at tech from a multidisciplinary angle and find the best solution looking at technology issues with a humanistic lens, exactly the type of technologist ThoughtWorks was seeking. The event pulled in an incredibly diverse audience including members of the Philly Hip-hop scene, writers, journalists, app builders, students, and many other types of creatives.

The Results

ThoughtWorks hired 6 out of a total of 10 technologists across a range of roles ensuring ThoughtWorks place in the Philadelphia and Wilmington Delaware market could continue to be a success.