So you want to be involved with Philly Tech Week 2018?

Last week, pillars from every corner of the Philly tech community came out to show off just what they’re good at — building.

The Help Plan PTW18 event was hosted at the brand-new MakeOffices 17th & Market space. Over 120 event organizers and curious citizens attended the annual info/planning session to map out the multiple ways to get involved with the eighth-annual celebration of innovation and technology.

We kicked off the evening with huge news about a new event: Introduced by Technical.ly. (More on that soon!) Then, we reviewed the updated process of submitting your event to be approved for one of the 100 slots on the community calendar. (This year will be even easier!) Finally, event organizers, both new and experienced, took the floor to share their plans and hopes of collaboration.

A handful of organizers prepared presentations for their event ideas, and we were impressed. Here are a few stand-out event plans that were presented:

Drupaldelphia 2018

• Chris Urban presented about the potential of “Drupaldelphia 2018.” The event would span two days with one dedicated to the camp and the other for code sprints, training or mentoring. A successful regional Drupal camp during PTW18 could build momentum for Philadelphia to host DrupalCon, which draws nearly 4,000 attendees!

nexus: Art + Tech In PHL

• Lorenzo Gibson took the mic to present the potential of “nexus: Art + Tech In PHL.” This two-part event would consist of a panel filled with highly accomplished artists, technologists, business leaders and government officials, as well as an exhibition to highlight Philly’s current experiments at the crossroads of art and technology. This should help draw a roadmap for the future.

Navigate Design-Thinking Panel

• Kip Wetzel from Navigate shared the idea of a panel to discuss employing empathy and design thinking to foster innovative outcomes in all workplaces. Attendees would leave embracing empathy as catalyst for change with tools to employ in their own organizations.

We totally understand that most of you are just starting to pay attention to PTW18. So we wanted to devise a list of resources to access and share.

Here are the keys to the community’s favorite question to ask, and our favorite one to answer. “How can I get involved with Philly Tech Week?”

1. Plan an event

• This is you and your organization’s chance to show what you’re made of. Brainstorm some programming, the format of the event, the date and time slots you’d be able to host, an accessible venue and submit your event idea! Technical.ly will review your programming and timing to avoid conflicts and promote collaboration. Once your event is approved, you’ll receive all of the the tools necessary to get your event live on PhillyTechWeek.com and start promoting it to the masses. *There are only 100 event slots on the calendar.*

2. Submit a session for Introduced

• Technical.ly is excited to launch a new event: Introduced by Technical.ly will be a one-day conference that will incorporate programming, demos, networking and personalized connections. We’ll introduce you to new content, ideas, companies and more. Learn the rules to get on stage.

3. Speak at an event

• If public speaking is your thing, this is your route. Share your expertise in this form and we’ll be in touch if you fit into any of our programming.

4. Host an event at your venue

• Your org may have the coolest office that you never get to show off. Tell us all the details about your space and mention #PTW18 and we’ll be in touch to add you to our list of venues to be sourced by community event organizers.

5. Sponsor PTW

• Guarantee your organization’s exposure at events that are relevant to your customers by choosing the sponsorship package that fits your marketing budget. Inquire about options here.

6. Volunteer

• Help out Team Technical.ly! Our volunteers receive well-earned complimentary passes to certain events, free PTW T-shirts and all the glory of offering their free time to help build their community. Let us know if you’re interested, we’ll be in touch a few weeks before the event.

7. Demo

• If you’re looking for the platform to show off your interactive app or locally built video game, we may have the stage for you. Show us whatcha got, we’ll reach out if your creation is a great fit.

With this list we hope you find your destined role in the coolest celebration of all time. The site is live and ready for events and speakers to be added. But I default to the real question here: Is the world ready for PTW18?

Keep in touch!

Wednesday, Jan. 10 @ 2:00–3:30 p.m. — General PTW18 Slack Chat — Ask any and all Philly Tech Week questions for the Technical.ly Philly Team to answer live!

Get on the Technically Media Slack here and join the “#philly” channel!