Digital Hub - April 2024

WHO & WHAT IS DIGITAL HUB? 

The tech event for non-techies

Digital Hub is one of many ‘sectors-specific hubs’ created by Yeovil Chamber, to help support, educate, and grow the sector. You don’t need to be a tech or digital business to attend, nor do you need to be a Yeovil Chamber member.

Yeovil Chambers Digital Hub has joined forces with the county-wide Digital Somerset CIC, in an attempt to share knowledge, education, and network between businesses, helping join the digital dots across the county. Yeovil Chamber’s reach is actually much wider than just Somerset boundaries, so like with all other hubs our members and area of focus covers South Somerset, West Dorset, and beyond. But there are no geographical restrictions to be a part of the Digital Hub. We don’t mind if you are from Bristol, Bath, Taunton, or a neighbour from Sherborne. Everyone is welcome.

Short video of attendees being interviewed at one of the Digital Hub events

Being interested in digital means being a part of the wider ‘Tech’ sector. Therefore, both Digital Hub and Digital Somerset are connected to the tech cluster for the South West of England, known as: https://www.techsouthwest.co.uk/

"useful technology made simple"

IS DIGITAL HUB JUST FOR GEEKS?

Definitely not. Digital Hub is a tech event for non-techies.

'Digital' spans multiple sectors. We welcome IT & Web Agencies as much as Construction & Aerospace.

If you are in tech and digital and want to network with peers – great, you are welcome. If you are a law firm that wants to upskill the business or improve your digital presence and simply want to learn more – great, you are also very welcome.

NOTE: Students can attend for free - please use voucher code "student" at check-out

WHERE & WHEN IS DIGITAL HUB?

Located at - iAero Centre Yeovil, Bunford Lane, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 2EJ

• Thursday 29th Feb 2024

• Wednesday 24th April 2024

• Thursday 27th June 2024

• Thursday5th September 2024

• Thursday 31st October2024

• Thursday 5th December 2024

*In partnership with the Digital Somerset group

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM THIS DIGITAL HUB EVENT?

Pizza!  Probably the most important consideration is that there will be pizza available.

The format may change a little on each event depending on the subject matter.

A rough agenda for this event is as follows: 

• 18:00 – Arrival and networking whilst eating pizza
• 18:30 – Welcome & intro
• 18:45 – Key Presentation with Q&A session  
• 19:20 - Spotlight Focus - Local tech business
• 19:30 - Coffee & Pizza break
• 19:40 - 2nd Key Presentation with Q&A
• 20:15 - Industry update - Uk & Global Tech news + local community tech news 
• 20:45 - Networking and eating leftover pizza - the perfect end to your evening

WHAT WILL YOU BE COVERING?

Dive into the heart of social media with our next event, crafted in response to your feedback! Social media for small businesses emerged as the top interest in our last gathering, and we've taken this to heart. We're thrilled to announce that we've partnered with Taunton's very own social media mavens, Introtweet, to bring this topic to life. Join us for an enlightening session with Peter from Introtweet, who will navigate us through the evolving landscape of social media, spotlighting the latest trends that impact businesses today.

Prepare for an engaging workshop where we'll delve into the diverse social media platforms used within our community. Peter, with his wealth of knowledge, will share invaluable tips and tricks to elevate your social media game. Whether you're looking to enhance your business's online presence or keen to understand the power of social media, this event promises to be an enriching experience. Plus, seize the opportunity to ask Peter any burning questions during a dedicated 10-minute Q&A session.

Meet Peter: The Social Media Maestro Peter, our chief social media trainer and analytics guru, excels in transforming complex data into actionable insights. With a background in teaching, he brings a unique blend of educational rigour and enthusiasm to his workshops, making learning both effective and enjoyable. Beyond the digital realm, Peter's passion extends to the cricket field, where he's known for his impressive sixes. Join us to tap into Peter's expertise and take your social media presence to new heights.

For our special speaker slot, we welcome the local charity School in a Bag.  

Join Luke Simon, the Founder and CEO of School in a Bag, at our upcoming event where he will delve into the remarkable journey of this local charity dedicated to making a difference. School in a Bag is an initiative that extends its support worldwide by providing educational resources through SchoolBags to children who are disadvantaged, displaced, or affected by disasters.

In his talk, Luke will unveil the transformative evolution of the charity through innovative technology. From humble beginnings with a single-user Excel system to the development of a sophisticated bespoke database and the integration of digital solutions like Office 365, discover the steps School in a Bag has taken to ensure transparency and efficiency. Learn how these advancements have enabled the charity to provide tangible insights into the impact of your donations and the lives of the children they support.

This engaging session will not only shed light on the technological strides made by the charity but also highlight the community spirit embodied by the annual Home Farm Fest. Find out how technology and community come together to support a noble cause, and how you can be a part of this impactful journey.

What else will be discussed?

AI will be a continuous feature of all the events. Who, how, and what is AI being used for, along with interactive sessions where you will have live demonstrations. The application of AI is missing from most nontech businesses, so we hope to bring you a basic understanding allowing you to learn how it may apply to your business & industry sector.  

We will have live demonstrations of Chat GPT, how to use it, and what prompts work best. By the end of this session, you will know where to go and how to use chat GPT for your business. There also be updates, tips, advice, and live demos on Microsoft CoPilot and its various features.

You will leave this event smarter than you arrived...that's our promise 

Here is a video example of a tech update looking at Microsoft and AI

There will be a section on Tech Tips, with a quick-fire round of useful tips within common systems such as Office 365, iPhone, Mac's, Chat GPT etc. 

Here is an example of some of the tips and advice you will receive - this one is new app's to explore

We will also round up all the relevant UK and global tech news over the last couple of months. Ending with a quickfire 60-second update from any local Tech businesses that wants to share their industry-related updates.   

If you are a local tech business and would like to present in the 'Spotlight' feature please contact the team: hubs@yeovilchamber.org