Support women, make contacts - and have some empathy
On the face of it, a man buying a ticket to the Women in Tech Festival seems a bit odd. As the title of the show suggests, it's for women.
But a safe space for women doesn't have to be a man-free zone, and in fact we'd like to strongly encourage men to attend this year's Women in Tech Festival.
Why? Because it benefits everyone. Here's how.
1. It shows you (and your company) support women
Lots of brands, companies and men in the public eye talk a good game about women in tech, but when it comes to action, they fall short.
Buying a ticket and attending the Women in Tech Festival shows you're a true ally, willing to put time and effort into listening and helping women in the industry. Of course, we'd like you to take your learnings back to work and implement them, too - but buying a ticket and announcing you'll be there is a great statement of intent.
2. It puts you in our shoes
Most men aren't used to going to a tech event and finding themselves in the gender minority, whereas women very much are. Coming along to the Women in Tech Festival gives you an idea of what that's like.
It's not the same as actually being a marginalised group, of course, but still gives you a much better picture of what it might be like to be the only one of your tribe in the room.
3. It puts you at the forefront of change
The industry is changing, and rapidly. Rather than listening to the same old "But women don't apply for our 'Rockstar Needed' job postings, how are we supposed to hire them?" rants from the old guard, come to the conference and hear from actual women about what's changing, and what still needs work.
The women in our industry are full of brilliant ideas and tested strategies for improving the gender balance - and they have excellent points about issues unrelated to being female, too. If you're willing to listen, this is the place to do it.
4. You'll make some amazing contacts
Whether you're looking for brilliant new employees, a cofounder, or just amazing contacts from all areas of the industry, the Women in Tech Festival will have them in spades. You'll meet and hear from experts, newbies and everyone in between, as well as having lots of chances to network and share your ideas (although mansplaining is of course banned).
Then, next time someone complains that there aren't any women in the industry and therefore it's not his fault the board is 100 per cent male, you can reel off a list of talented techistas you know personally.
5. You'll get a completely different perspective
We all know tech is too homogeneous. Humans naturally gravitate towards hiring people like themselves, which means the white male elite keeps swelling its ranks if left unchecked.
Coming to the Women in Tech Festival gives you a refreshingly different viewpoint on the industry. You'll hear from a diverse selection of women from all kinds of professions and companies, from different minority groups and intersections of society. It's guaranteed to be a very different day to your usual tech event, and you'll come away reinvigorated and full of ingenious ideas.
In short, we'd love to see men at the conference. Buy your ticket now.
Computing and CRN have united to present the Women in Tech Festival UK 2019, on 17th September in London.
The event will celebrate successful women in the IT industry, enabling attendes to hear about, and to share, personal experiences of professional journeys and challenges.
Whether you're the ‘Next Generation', an ‘Inspirational Leader', or an ‘Innovator of Tech' this event will offer inspiration on not only how to improve yourself, but how to help others too. Discover more here.
