Gearing Up For Techweek
What’s happening around Aotearoa for Techweek 2024
Did you know about Techweek in Aotearoa? For more than ten years, this annual nationwide festival has been igniting conversations about—and engaging New Zealanders with—the fast-growing and impactful tech sector.
In 2024, Techweek is taking place from the 20th-26th of May. As a tech-focused charitable organisation, we are getting amongst the various events of Techweek in Ōtautahi. Here’s a rundown of where you will be able to see our team later this month.
TechFest
Taking place in Tūranga (Christchurch Library) and powered by CanterburyTech, the fantastic week-long extravaganza TechFest celebrates technology that’s good for the world. To do this, it’s bringing together a wide range of groups influential in the sector; we’re excited to be a part of it. Digital Future Aotearoa is on the schedule to exhibit from Monday to Thursday. Please come and visit us!
Te Huarahi Kōhine Robotics Expo
This robotics showcase at Te Huarahi Linwood Avenue School Hall on the 21st of May will definitely be a highlight! We’re stoked to be involved with this exciting, tamariki-focused event. Inspiring young people to follow their tech-related dreams is kind of our thing. Register now and check it out.
Woven Cultures in Digitech
This is another one for the young lovers! It’s an honour to be involved in this event providing tech career inspiration from awesome people who are intertwining their culture with technology. Creating representation is such an important part of digital equity—so bring along tamariki aged 8-11 to Woven Cultures for a fun day of workshops, kai, and community.
NZ Hi-Tech Awards
This year, DFA is a finalist in the Best Contribution to the NZ Tech Sector category of the NZ Hi-Tech Awards; win or lose, we’re excited to attend the awards dinner at Spark Arena on Friday the 24th and have the opportunity to network with other movers and shakers in the tech sector.
Check out this highlight from the 2023 Hi-Tech Awards!
Those are the events that DFA is participating in or contributing to, one way or another. But there is plenty more happening across the city and the country during Techweek! We’ve handpicked a few highlights:
The ESports showcase event, taking place at Tūranga Library on the 25th and 26th of May, is a variety of different tech-based competitions amongst students—with opportunities for the general public to have a go at some esports.
This “WTH is Cloud Computing” session will be informative and insightful; a beginner-friendly guide to a technology that is expected to add $21B to NZ's economy by 2026.
Integrating indigenous knowledge into digital education: this virtual session hosted by Ngareta Patea is a discussion about how indigenous knowledge can inform digital education platforms.
ShadowTech Day 2024 is a virtual event all about inspiring girls into tech, a cause we’re fully onboard with!
Moving up to Tāmaki Makaurau, the Powering Up Pacific Tech event at the South Auckland Creative and Tech Hub will showcase the innovative Hub in South Auckland that’s leading the charge in getting the Maori and Pacific community into the tech sector.
The Women in Technology Panel taking place in Palmerston North is an opportunity to hear from amazing female leaders in the industry.
Wāhine Māori in Tech, a social event taking place in Whanganui, is a networking opportunity for wahine Māori in tech—and for those aspiring to it.
The Virtual Reality Driving Simulation, happening in Murihiku, Southland, is a fun and hands-on opportunity to experience the world of virtual gaming.
Want to know more about 3D printing? The Vaka 3D Printing Workshop being held in The Backhouse, Whanganui, will provide a hands-on learning experience demonstrating what this impressive technology can achieve.
The Digital Safety Panel, held both online and in person in Whanganui, will feature Aleisha Amohia, Alison Mau, Amokura Panoho [Kura Consulting, Netsafe, Te Aorerekura] and representatives from the Classification Office. The panel, discussing keeping safe online, will have a focus on women and marginalised groups.
A robotics scrimmage? Sign us up! The Canterbury Robotics VEX IQ & VRC Finals will be held at Tūranga Library in the TSB Space.
If you haven’t made plans to attend or participate in any Techweek events, head over to the take a look at the programme and find out what’s happening in your area.
We work towards digital equity because technology is a big part of all of our futures, and we want everyone to have the same access to it. Techweek presents everyone opportunities to learn, connect, and experience new things—take advantage!
