My First Unconventional Unconference #UKGC21
Between the 21st and 23rd of January, I was given the privilege of joining my first ever unconference delivered by UK GovCamp. A great kickstart to my 22nd birthday, it was refreshing to see Version 1 constantly finding new ways to engage us.
The unconventional unconference allowed even more participation from the crowd, and really utilize the potential of technology to have more personal conversations in smaller rooms or using technology to bridge the gap of my drawing skills and interact artistically to convey ideas. The democratic benefits of conferences were highlighted over the few days, with the lines of ‘host’ and ‘audience’ being blurred to something unequivocally collaborative.
Each day, we had at least 25 sessions on various topics, from creating inclusive workspaces, combating distance, the experience of risk in leadership, the future of digitization, the value of strategising, well-being, and everything in between. The accessibility of data was one that resonated with me and my data-centric background. There were interesting observations around how data migration into the cloud is the current hot topic that clients of IT consultancy firms require now, but within the next five years, machine learning engineers, security specialists and automation technicians are on the horizon for an immense boom. Having been told a taster of each session in advance and such a large variety meant that I could pick whichever forum resonated most with me. And hopping between sessions was literally as simple as the click of a button.
Personally for me, hearing my more experienced peers talk about their perspectives on modern technology was the highlight. A close second was all the cheese, drinks, hot tubs and social gatherings that occurred after the day’s events. I think the virtual nature of this symposium managed to combat the large distances between us, where this many people wouldn’t have been able to join in one area. The mix of the people in the room? Never felt more included in terms of diversity, technical fields, and perspectives. My next goal? Perhaps pitching a session and harnessing the quarter-life wisdom that I’ve amassed.
The energy was high, the laughter was ringing and the air felt enlightened with ideas. A special thank you to the note-takers who jotted down the brilliant ideas discussed and the organizers for orchestrating something so special amidst these mundane routines. The risk of this celebration being described as an ‘un’ conference eludes to a satire negative connotation, but this was far from anything uncanny. Being allowed to partake in my sweats, I might just be convinced to sway towards unconferences over the physical ones.
About the Author
Shreya Surana is a Business Analyst currently working in Version 1’s UK Digital, Data & Cloud practice. For more from Shreya, be sure to follow Version 1’s Medium account.
