Championed by London mayor Boris Johnson, the inaugural London Technology Week will feature upwards of 200 independently-run events.
Held between 16 and 20 June, the week will bring together an expected 30,000 technology entrepreneurs, investors and developers from around the world alongside global corporations such as Google, Microsoft and Intel.
Commenting on the week, mayor Boris Johnson says, ‘London’s first ever Technology Week will showcase London’s role as the digital capital of Europe, with a range of innovative businesses now calling the city their home, attracting both significant investment and some of the best and brightest talent on the planet.
‘Throughout the week tens of thousands of the industry’s top tech professionals will flock here to share brilliant new ideas, build business relationships and help cement London’s position as a top global tech hub.’
More on London Technology Week:
Well-known entrepreneurs and investors featured during the week include Bebo co-founder Michael Birch, Risk Capital Partners chairman Luke Johnson and Funding Circle CEO Samir Desai.
To help you with sifting through the vast array of events on show, GrowthBusiness has provided a quick snap shot of what we think are five of the most exciting – one for each day of the week.
GrowthBusiness will also be providing a range of content from the week, so watch this space.
Tech Startups: How To Give Persuasive Pitches and Presentations
Theme: Pitching, Presentation, Investment
When: 16 June 2014
Where: General Assembly, London Campus, 9 Back Hill, 4/F, London EC1R 5EN
Times: 6.15pm – 7.45pm
Event Format: Workshop
The pitch:
Knowing how to deliver great pitches and presentations is an essential skill to have for everyone, in particular for technology start-up founders. Few people are naturals, but pitching and presenting – communicating what is important and compelling about your business – is an art and science that can be learned and practiced.
This immersive session will provide a step-by-step overview of the four key ingredients for making that perfect pitch. Learn the essentials of capturing and conveying your business value, building rapport with investors, and engaging them to join in on the conversation. This is also a great opportunity to gain insights and feedback to help shape and deliver persuasive presentations.
How to Fund Your Digital Startup – London Technology Week special
Theme: How to raise funding for digital startups
When: 17 June – 19 June 2014
Where: Google Campus
Times: 6.00pm – 9.00pm
Event Format: Conference
The pitch:
Entrepreneurs Marc Cameron (2210 Fashion and Seven Magazine), Nick Holzherr (Whisk.co.uk and The Apprentice), Tim Jackson (founder of QXL and Lean Investments) and Stefan Siegel (Not Just A Label) will be discussing how to raise funding for digital start-ups.
The event will also contain a 30-second elevator pitch segment, where members of the audience can pitch their businesses to the panel.
An Evening with UKTI Silicon Valley
Theme: Trends and opportunities in Silicon Valley; coming to the US
When: 18 June 2014
Where: Fried Frank, 99 City Road, London EC1Y 1AX
Times: 18:00 – 20:30
Event Format: Networking event
The pitch:
Discussion with UK Trade & Investment’s Helen Moore and Alex West of UKTI San Francisco, and Keith Moses of UKTI London, providing an overview and discussion of:
- Trends and opportunities in Silicon Valley for ICT companies
- Expectations and tackling the market
- Overcoming easy-to-miss barriers for entry
Helen, Alex and Keith will also discuss how UKTI can support your company as you internationalise. There will be opportunities for discussion and Q&A throughout, moderated by Fried Frank’s Daniel Glazer.
FinTech London: Is London leading the global FinTech race?
When: 19 June 2014
Times: 08:30 – 11:30
Theme: Fintech
Format: Conference
Venue: London & Partners, 2 More London Riverside, London SE1 2RR
The pitch:
London & Partners – the mayor’s promotional organisation for London – and Streets Consulting – the business development, marketing and communications consultancy focused on supporting the growth of UK and international financial services and technology firms – will host.
Kit Malthouse, deputy mayor of London for business and enterprise and chairman of London & Partners, will open the conference offering his perspectives on the current and future state of London’s FinTech sector.
The event will then comprise two panels with pre-eminent speakers from London’s accelerator/incubator schemes and the investment community exploring how London’s fintech industry competes and compares globally, how London’s entrepreneurs can build international businesses, and offering views and perspectives from an investor’s standpoint.
Workshop: How to retain staff in high growth startups
When: 20 June 2014
Times: 10:00 – 13:00
Theme: Talent retention
Format: Workshop
Venue: Eight Members Club, 1 Change Alley, London EC3V 3ND
The pitch:
When cash resources are tight and the success of the business depends on the ability to attract and retain the right people, what tactics can you adopt to develop a remuneration package that will attract them to work for you and perform their best?
Themes examined in the workshop include:
- What typically motivates staff to join and stay with entrepreneurial businesses?
- What do we see in practice?
- What tax incentives are available for employee incentivisation?
- What pitfalls do you need to be aware of?
- How can you efficiently link performance to reward?
- What other non-monetary benefits should you be considering in developing a reward package?
- When do you need an HR manager or director?
