It’s a new year and that means planning for Philly Tech Week 2018 presented by Comcast has officially begun.

A lot has changed over the years: the community calendar has grown, more prominent speakers have been featured, we’ve expanded to the suburbs and more.

But as we’re approaching the 10th anniversary of the week, we thought it was time to really do something big and different.

Technical.ly is excited to launch a new event that will take place during the eighth annual Philly Tech Week — 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.

The event will take place on Thursday, May 3 at the Chemical Heritage Foundation (soon to be renamed the Science History Institute, fyi).

So what will the day look like and how can you get involved?

Introduced by Technical.ly will be divided into three parts: programming, introductions and an expo floor. Read on for more information and find all of the ways you and your organization can be a part of the inaugural event.

We hope to see you at #Intro18 on May 3!

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Programming

There will be three rooms of rotating content during the day. Each will be themed and incorporate the seven tracks with which Technical.ly organizes editorial content and events. Attendees will be able to hop around to the different rooms throughout the day — no pre-selection necessary!

The three room themes will be:

• MESSAGE will incorporate the Media and Creative tracks. Review the philosophy behind how companies and individuals market and talk about goals, missions and values and how they share this with consumers or other businesses. This room could include talks on digital marketing, SEO, UX/UI, how the arts and technology align, etc.
• GROW will incorporate the Business and Sciences tracks. The Business track more formally describes many of the companies Technical.ly reports on. And Sciences is one of the larger sectors in Philadelphia. This room could include talks on funding, medical innovations, artificial intelligence, hiring practices and more.
• IMPACT will incorporate the Civic and Access tracks and will be supported by our sister site, Generocity. This room could cover anything from open data to Internet of Things and machine learning. How do we make our city better and how do the companies that grow here influence the overall well-being of the community. Diversity, inclusion and equity will be paramount in these conversations.

For a full description of Technical.ly’s tracks, check out the Philly Tech Week FAQ page.

Introductions

The name Introduced came from the mission of Technical.ly. Through our reporting and events, we help convene communities and facilitate introductions. In addition to introducing attendees to companies, ideas and best practices, we’ll be facilitating curated one-on-one introductions across a variety of focuses. Attendees will be able to apply to meet with specific groups for mini meetings across the day in the hopes of forming relationships and opening a path towards future opportunities.

• Founder Mentoring — Technical.ly will invite a variety of successful founders to participate in mini mentor sessions. Attendees will be able to apply to meet with founders based on specific interests (sector, funding, exits, etc.).
• Procurement Pitch — Purchasing representatives from large companies will be there to meet with smaller companies in the hopes of finding business opportunities. Amtrak is currently committed and we’ll be adding more big names to the list as the event draws near.
• Investor Feedback — Investors will meet with companies looking for funding to either answer questions or partake in demo pitch and feedback rounds. Currently confirmed organizations include Comcast Ventures, Investors’ Circle Philadelphia, NextSpring Capital and Red & Blue Ventures.

Please note that purchasing a ticket to Introduced does not guarantee you any meetings. We’ll help match the appropriate introductions based on attendee applications (more info on that coming soon).

Expo Floor

The parking lot of the Chemical Heritage Foundation will be tented to create an area for networking and an outdoor home for our expo floor. Whether you’re between meetings or waiting for an upcoming talk, hang out on the expo floor where a mix of hiring companies and demo themes will be taking place. The floor will switch three times throughout the day and each time there will be a theme to the types of organizations exhibiting.

• Discover — We’ll feature new companies and innovative tools. This is where you can meet new and prominent startups in the area or learn more about products and tools that are changing the way we work and live.
• Get Involved — Think of this as a resource center. Either for startups/entrepreneurs or for any community members looking to volunteer with local nonprofits or organizations. This section will feature the many ways Philly helps individuals thrive.
• Play — Wrap the day with some locally designed fun. Makerspaces, video games, drones, 3D printers, robots and more can be found here.

Get tickets

How can you be involved?

• Attend — Tickets are $100 and give you access to the full day of programming plus breakfast and lunch. (Insider tip: Be sure to check out all of the ticket options. You can also get an official #PTW18 T-shirt and access to the Signature Event.) 
• Purchase a Scholarship Ticket — To make the event as accessible as possible, there’s also the opportunity to support someone else who is unable to cover the cost of the event. If you are an individual who cannot cover the ticket price, register through the “Request a Scholarship” ticket. This does not guarantee you access, but let’s us know you’re interested in being considered. (Insider Tip: If you’re unable to sponsor the event in a larger way, this may be a good opportunity for your company to show community support. All Scholarship Sponsors will be listed in the official program at the event.)
• Co-organize — If you’re interested in organizing speakers/content but would prefer to do it without added event costs, there’s an opportunity to apply to have your programming be a part of Introduced. Fill out the Event Submission Form and tell us more about your idea for a panel, workshop, keynote, etc. (Insider tip: Application deadline to be considered for this opportunity is Friday, Feb. 16.) 
• Speak — Our Speaker Interest Form is open year-round and the Technical.ly team references the submissions for any and all speaker needs. (Insider tip: Be specific on what you think you’re best suited to speak on, it’s easier for us to place you that way.)
• Demo — The expo floor will rotate three times during the day and we want to show off the best of the best. Think that’s you? Apply here. (Insider Tip: mark in the additional comments section which theme you think most fits your goals for demoing — Discover, Get Involved or Play.)
• Volunteer — We’re expecting a couple hundred attendees at this event and will need lots of extra hands for this and other Philly Tech Week events! Share your contact info here.
• Sponsor — There are a myriad of ways to be involved in the event and Philly Tech Week overall. But one of the best ways to garner visibility for your company/organization is through sponsorship.

Whoa, that was a lot of information!

Want more? Join the Technical.ly team on Wednesday, Jan. 10 from 2:00–3:30 p.m. for the #PTW18 Slack Chat. Get on the Technically Media Slack here and join the “#philly” channel. Our typing fingers will be at the ready to answer any and all questions.