6 ideas from Help Plan Philly Tech Week 2016 that are actually happening

Back in December, we asked you to come out to the Biddle Building (home of “the most beautiful startup office in Philly“) to help plan Philly Tech Week 2016 presented by Comcast.
It was awesome. You came through and were your lovely, thoughtful selves.
The evening’s 100+ attendees broke into groups based on the week’s six tracks (Creative, Dev, Civic, Access, Business and Media) to discuss new ideas for advertising, programming, accessibility and more.
Here are a few ideas from the brainstorming session that have become full-blown events. (For a full list of ideas that came out of the December event check out our recap article.)

• Idea: Revamp of the hitchBOT. (RIP, little fella.)
  • Reality: On Tuesday, May 3, The Hacktory is hosting a DIY Philly Love Bot Workshop. Go make your own robot in tribute of the traveling one that Philly is now remembered for destroying. Coding experience is a plus, but not at all necessary to partake in the fun.
• Idea: More drones. Period.
  • Reality: The people asked and the community answered. International Drone Day is Saturday, May 7. There will be drone racing, search and rescue demonstrations, talks about legal issues, insurance and privacy — along with tons of fun flying all day long in a safe environment.
• Idea: Showcase more underground music and art.
  • Reality: On Monday, May 2, the Boyer Electroacoustic Ensemble Project (BEEP) and the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts at Temple University will present an afternoon of innovative music, dance and music technology in the lobby of the Temple Performing Arts Center (TPAC).
• Idea: Better perks for out-of-towners.
  • Reality: Check out our special hotel rates and Amtrak discount for those commuting for the week. We didn’t forget about you!
• Ideas: Access. Access. Access.
  • Reality: There are a ton of events focused on inclusion and access. The Accessible World Conference, The Intersection of Poverty and Data (which will be streamed online since it’s sold out) and Coded by Kids’ Community Tech Week Events are just a few.
• Idea: Matchmaking event for small and large companies to collaborate. 
  • Reality: “Technical.ly Introduced: A curated B2B event” is a chance to hook you up with big-deal purchasing reps. 

Thanks to the amazing Philadelphia tech community for bringing more than 150 events to the calendar for our sixth annual Philly Tech Week. We’re only a few days away, and we’re so hype about the best PTW yet. Check out the 150+ events on this year’s community calendar.