In the professional world, events and conferences are a dime-a-dozen, making it difficult to figure out which events you should be attending and what value they can bring to your business. If you run, or work for, a non-technical business, it can be easy to write tech events off as irrelevant to your interests or your goals – but you shouldn’t.

Here are five reasons why attending a tech event could be exactly the thing your non-tech business needs.

Tech is Everywhere

Technology is everywhere, and it’s becoming more and more integrated into both our personal and professional lives. Even if your business isn’t producing a tech product, using the right tech effectively can help you become more versatile, sustainable, and most importantly, profitable. Attending tech events – especially large tech conferences – is the best way to get a peek at the latest innovations in development for every market sector, and to get an idea of which technologies you might want to implement in your business.

Attract New Customers

Did you know that BC’s tech sector employed over 106,000 people in 2016? That’s more than the mining, oil and gas and forestry sectors combined, and the sector has only been expanding since then.

If your business offers a service, or if you want to gain new clients and access new markets, events are a great place to find potential customers, even if you’re not in tech. The people you meet might be in the tech industry, but they’re still people who need lawyers and accountants and other services. Attending events is a chance for you to practice your pitch and expose your business to one of BC’s fastest-growing communities.

Bonus tip: Tech events tend to generate a lot of social media buzz. Increase your brand awareness by using the official hashtags and social media handles when you post about your experience!

Networking, Networking, Networking

You never know who you could meet! From government representatives and researchers to entrepreneurs and investors, conferences bring together people from every corner of the tech world – and lots of people from outside it, too. You could gain your next customer, business partner or employee just by showing up. Tech events tend to lean towards a more fun, casual atmosphere, so it’s easy to connect with people over a drink, a game of ping pong or even a workout session.

Bonus tip: Many tech conferences will have sessions specifically for non-tech attendees – great places for you to connect with people who might have the same interests, questions and goals as you.

Meet New Talent

No matter what your business is, it still relies on tech. You have a website or an app to keep customers engaged, you use programs to track your online sales, and you rely on security systems to protect your clients’ personal information. Tech events are the perfect places to meet job seekers who want to help take your business to the next level in ways you might never have thought of. Whatever industry you’re in, there’s a local tech professional who would love to work for you – all you have to do is find them.

Feed your curiosity

Even if you’re not in the tech industry, you might be curious about tech on a personal level. How is automation going to change the future of work? Should we be worried about a robot revolution? What is bitcoin, anyway? Attending a tech event gives you the opportunity to ask your burning questions and learn more about the evolving world of technology. Who knows – you might even learn something that helps jumpstart your next business venture.

Whether you’re interested in how tech is shaping our future, looking to build your brand or just want to connect with a community of creative, driven, passionate people, tech events are definitely worth your while.

Upcoming Event

Want to attend a tech event but not sure where to start? There’s no better place than the #BCTECH Summit, the largest tech event in Western Canada. Taking place May 14-16 in Vancouver, you’ll learn how you can leverage tech to grow your business and network with 5,500+ attendees, speakers and exhibitors.

As a special added value for the Small Business BC community, use the promo code SBBC and save $400 off the full conference price!