London Tech Week is the most influential tech event in Europe, held annually as a celebration of the fast-moving world of technology. In 2020, for obvious reasons, London Tech Week was a virtual-only event, but this didn’t stop it from attracting 20,000 attendees to more than 700 sessions spread over 11 days. In 2019, we produced and delivered CogX during London Tech Week, the biggest AI festival outside of China and just one highlight during a week of innovation and creativity. But it’s clear that even since 2019, the tech industry is growing exponentially: deep tech investment in the UK rose by 17% in 2020, the highest growth rate in the world.
To celebrate this, we’re diving headfirst back into the action, working with client Informa on a series of tech-focused conferences and activations in King’s Cross and Blackfriars. Before the experiential team get going with these exciting events, we’re taking a look at some of the other highlights on offer next week, uniting the biggest global leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators in the industry.
Looking forward to London Tech Week
#1 AccelerateHER
When: Thursday 23rd September
What: Women founders and tech leaders championing diversity and inclusion across the spheres of tech and business. The day will involve leaders from a range of sectors engaging in curated round-table discussions, fireside chats and panel sessions, covering topics such as the investment landscape for women, a woman’s perspective on the role of the CEO and work-life balance. We’re particularly interested in this because of its empowering angle, which is similar to our previous work with Henkel dx Ventures; our female ideation hackathon brought together 90 tech talents in an empowering women-led community – so it will be great to see the next generation of entrepreneurs in this sphere.
#2 ClimateTech
When: Tuesday 21st September
What: An all-day event for the founders of climate tech companies and climate investors, coupled with a four-hour virtual session open to all. It will be an examination of how climate technology will be central to the delivery of global net-zero, something which is constantly on our minds here at Marble. From green mobility to renewable energy and innovations in food and farming, it will look at nothing more or less than how tech could help to save the world.
#3 Elevating Founders
When: Wednesday 22nd September
What: This event is particularly exciting for us as it unites some of the leaders and politicians we worked with earlier this year at Founders Forum 2021. At this year’s London Tech Week, we’ll be treated to a day-long event including a pitch competition and product showcase, allied with fireside chats and panel discussions involving top venture capital firms and key enterprise buyers. In addition to the pitches showcase, topics discussed will include lessons from first-time Founders, setting up the right tech ecosystem and the pet hates of top VCs.
#4 Future EdTech
When: Wednesday 22nd September
What: Another interesting all-day event exploring education technology in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lessons it taught us about the impact of digital and distanced learning. The event as a whole will examine questions such as whether EdTech will continue to grow at the same pace after a year of unprecedented demand, what the future holds for technology in education and how innovation can help to alleviate the educational and digital inequality starkly highlighted by the pandemic.
#5 Future of Work Summit
When: Wednesday 22nd September
What: We all learnt many lessons from a year of working at home, so this event will be particularly insightful as it shows how tech can help to forge a more effective workplace in the future. Topics covered by a range of presentations and panel discussions will include addressing the digital divide, the ways in which technology can help to bolster employee well-being and the importance of robust systems for a future of hybrid working.
#6 Global Leaders Innovation Summit
When: Monday 20th September
What: Join Marble’s experiential team at the headline event of London Tech Week: GLIS will bring together leaders, pioneers and innovative thinkers to discuss exactly how to use technology for the good of both business and society. This is a unique opportunity to tap into the expertise of industry-leading figures from across the globe exploring topics such as maintaining the pace of innovation and expediting progress, the UK as a global hub of innovation and the vexed question of what’s keeping leaders awake at night?
Some of the speakers we’re looking forward to hearing include Channel 4’s CEO, Alex Mahon; CEO of Klarna, Sebastian Siemiatkowski; CEO of Ofcom, Dame Melanie Dawes; CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Haayatun Silem; and Innovation Director at Ford, Usah Raghavachari. There are so many exciting talks and panel discussions happening at this event, so make sure you head down and share your thoughts with us!
Deciding to attend London Tech Week is one thing, but picking specific events from the dazzling range on offer is something else entirely. While there’s no such thing as too much choice, it could prove tricky to hone in on those events which most chime with your concerns or interests. We hope our highlights agenda will be useful in deciding which events to attend. See you all there!