Here’s what went down at the inaugural NET/WORK DC

As the lead reporter for Technical.ly DC I attend a lot of #dctech events, and I’ve learned that when it comes to making the most out of an in-person gathering, D.C. sets the bar pretty high.

Over the past few months I’ve enjoyed my fair share of fancy appetizers, immersive demo nights and innovative networking concepts. I’ve been to intimate fireside chats and raucous holiday parties and everything in between.
But Thursday night was something a little different.
On Thursday, Impact Hub DC welcomed my Philly- and Baltimore-based colleagues, who quickly transformed the space for Technical.ly’s first-ever live event in the District — NET/WORK DC.
And how’d it go?

The room is buzzing with opportunity! #networkdc16 pic.twitter.com/jlMkUwMTpC

— Technical.ly DC (@TechnicallyDC) March 17, 2016

All in all, we welcomed 110 attendees who mixed and mingled with 20 hiring companies. There were resume reviews, professional headshots and even two mini-lectures — a dev talk presented by NotionTheory cofounder and CEO Kristian Bouw, who told Technical.ly the talk went so well he’s looking forward to giving it again, and a career talk given by General Assembly. There was swag (oh, so much swag) and, for happy hour, well-deserved pizza and cold cans of DC Brau.

#NetWorkDC is on! Thanks for hosting us @ImpactHubDC + @TechnicallyDC! #dctech 💯💯💯 pic.twitter.com/5xh81n1BcW

— Laura Lopez (@1aura1opez) March 17, 2016

https://twitter.com/WeddingWireJobs/status/710868820949393408
And last but not least, my personal favorite — there were no fewer than six “flawless” victories on our Defend Your Name alien shooter game.

Boom, our second "Flawless Victory" at our tech jobs fair #networkDC16 is Java developer @radhasunnyday pic.twitter.com/eQFA8lZK79

— Technical.ly DC (@TechnicallyDC) March 17, 2016

The best part of the evening, though, was hearing, in that buzzing, busy room, that companies were able to use the time to connect with qualified potential hires, and job seekers were enjoying face time with interesting companies.
Thanks, #dctech, for making that happen.

Had a great time at #networkDC16 tonight – so many organisations doing interesting work! https://t.co/KikXMEWZTq

— Death Grip Wench (@gembarrett) March 18, 2016

#networkDC16 was awesome last night! Thanks for having us @TechnicallyDC @ImpactHubDC! Looking forward to the next 👏 pic.twitter.com/VSORfvZDgP

— ✌Stephen Kae (@Stephenkae) March 18, 2016

Thanks for hosting a great event @TechnicallyDC and @ImpactHubDC! #networkdc16 #dctech #edtech https://t.co/sx7eX1tjK0

— Full Measure (@FullMeasureEd) March 18, 2016