Techweek23 in Palmerston North to support the growing demand for tech workers

Duncan Ashenhurst outside the venue for the Tech Solutions Expo and Mega Meetup on May 19, part of Techweek23. Photo / Sonya Holm

A meeting of minds to talk all things tech is planned for Palmerston North as part of the nationwide Techweek23.

Tech entrepreneurs, innovators and businesses will gather at a mix of in-person and virtual events across the country to showcase and celebrate innovation in New Zealand.

Four in-person events are offered in Manawatū, including a Tech Solutions Expo on May 19 - the first of its kind in the region.

“We’re wanting to show that in the region there’s a lot of possible answers to some very difficult questions that people have with technology,” says expo organiser Duncan Ashenhurst, director of ifTHEN.

“There’s often this perception, not even just in the region but in New Zealand, that you have to go outside the country to get the solutions that you might need.”

But with 120 tech organisations in the region, covering hardware, software, web developers and cyber security, Ashenhurst believes the help to innovate can be found locally.

The expo will feature 14 tech companies showcasing their products and demonstrating what they do.

“You can’t beat being in a room with people and chatting and networking,” Ashenhurst says.

The expo is for all businesses, because “everybody has tech requirements” whether it is “day-to-day business software, or really niche AI stuff”.

And bringing your own ideas is encouraged.

“If somebody thinks ‘I’ve got this cool idea for an app’, there will be people there to chat to, to say ‘how do I go about getting that developed’.”

Advice will also be available for people wanting to study or work in the tech industry.

“Getting somewhere between 200-300 attendees on the day would be an exceptional outcome for us, however, this will inevitably be a template for future events, so we’re keen to do it right and deliver something special in the process,” Ashenhurst says.

After the Tech Solutions Expo at Victory Venue from 12pm-4pm there will be the Mega Meetup, a social gathering of anyone interested in tech.

Techweek23 runs from May 13–20 and the Palmerston North events are free.

The other events are the Power of LinkedIn, Women in Tech Panel and CodeBreakers Exhibition, and Leveraging NZ Deeptech to Build a Sustainable Future.

The Power of LinkedIn is already sold out.

The Women in Tech Panel on May 17 at Te Manawa at 5.30pm will be followed by a visit to the Codebreakers: Women in Games exhibition.

The main sponsor of the Manawatū events is Yorb, support is provided by Cyber Consulting, and the events are organised by ifTHEN, ManawaTech and Central Economic Development Agency.

For more information, visit techweek.co.nz/regions/manawatu.

Sonya Holm is a freelance journalist based in Palmerston North.