On Tuesday 26th of November we’ve had an opportunity to join Lincolnshire’s biggest digital conference- GoDigital20, this year via a virtual online venue- Hopin. It was still a unique experience, filled with insightful talks from industry experts, special guests and local businesses. The virtual venue- Hopin is definitely a versatile one, giving the attendees opportunities to partake in workshops, and to virtually network which is must when it comes to conferences as such. The purpose of the conference was to identify the ways in which digital transformation can help businesses survive and thrive during the uncertain period of Covid-19.
The Paradox of Digital vs Traditional
The event kicked off with a brief welcome and introduction from the Executive Councillor of Economy and Place at Lincolnshire County Council- Colin Davie, followed by a presentation from Sean Sankley, the Director of Much Clearer LTD. Sean’s thought-provoking presentation focused on embracing the paradox of tradition and digitalisation. He has expressed that both tradition and technology are not in competition, but both could be rather advantageous when unified. This was highlighted in one of his brilliant examples of Vacheron Constantin, one of the oldest Swiss watch manufacturers in the world, who chooses to embrace digital technology in the art of watch-making.
Helping Businesses Work Smarter & Exploring Video Tools
There was an exciting opportunity to engage with two workshops led by digital experts from across Lincolnshire. The first workshop, led by Daniel Westlake, Managing Director of Cursor (Design and Technology agency) was about helping businesses utilise digital tools to help businesses to work smarter, which is so important in a current business environment. Some of the inexpensive and accessible tools that Daniel has touched on, included online collaboration platforms such as Trello and Airtable, as well as planning techniques utilising the ‘Digital version’ of a Bullet Journal shown below.
In the second workshop, we’ve learned of the ways in which video could be utilised in securing prospects in B2B marketing, hosted by David James, the director of the Brighthorn Group, (Media Production Company from Castle Donnington). Here, David has highlighted the importance of Attract, Engage and Convert strategy whilst utilising the video in communications as such, loosely visualising this method to his attendees.
Making a Good First Digital Impression
In the final stages of the event, keynote speaker and Technology advisor Andrew Grill has outlined the importance of making a good first Digital Impression, especially due to the prevalence of digitalisation during the Covid-19 pandemic. Andrew has encouraged businesses to do a self-audit and ‘Google’ themselves, in order to understand how their potential consumers, perceive them and decide if this is the digital impression that they want to be making. Further to this, Andrew added some tips on expanding connections via LinkedIn, particularly stating the importance of sending a personal message when connecting to make a good first Digital Impression. Perhaps one of the most important takeaways that SMEs took away from his presentation was the slide with key digital terms that are currently relevant in the digital world. The list is included below:
Overall, it was a pleasure to be invited and attend this event. Conferences as such is a really good opportunity for SMEs to expand and grow by learning from the technology experts and similarly other SMEs, making some great connections along the way.
If you are an SME within Lincolnshire and interested in learning how the UoL Challenge 4.0 project can assist you, click here.
