Hinterland of Things 2020 – a responsible conference!
Last Thursday droxIT manager Markus Baumgärtner attend the start-up conference Hinterland ot Things 2020 among 1300 others. Read his personal review!
Exceptional Organisation
As soon as I arrived, I noticed the exceptional organisation of the Hinterland of Things. The brick hall was well structured, and areas were defined clearly. While the program took place on three main stages, numerous seating groups offered space for discussions and exchange. The many contact persons on the premises and an information centre guaranteed quick help concerning all questions. The tasty catering should be emphasized. The conference’s main theme 'responsibility' was clearly reflected here. All dishes were sourced from regional companies and instead of plastic dishes, recyclable alternatives were used.
I used the Talque app to make the most of my time at the conference. An individual schedule helped to stay organized and not miss a preferred event. Due to the message function other visitors could be contacted easily. Therefore, personal meetings could be arranged quickly. Too bad that only a part of the visitors used the app. In any case, I used the app intensively and found it to be of great help.
Problem detected – Problem solved!
I particularly enjoyed the exhibiting and pitching start-ups. There were many very specific solutions for the B2B area, with a clear positioning on a specific customer segment. However, this did not restrict the innovative strength of the solutions. It is nice to see that this path is also followed by others and I liked the enthusiasm of the founders. With Bao Solutions and Evermood, only two are named here. The pitch contest was very exciting. Selected start-ups had the opportunity to present their innovative approaches. Ultimately, Peregrine Technologies secured first place ahead of outsmart.ai and JonnyGit. With its intelligent software solution, the company wants to minimize the risk of accidents on the road.
Pioneer East Westphalia
Compared to other start-up events, the Hinterland of Things offers significantly more space for intensive exchange with other founders. Of course, the theoretical foundations, which are often in the foreground at other conferences, are very relevant. However, my experience shows that personal discussions with other founders provide more new impulses. As a founder, I have often benefited from the experience of others and was able to pass on some tricks to new founders.
The conference primarily addresses regional companies but is nevertheless of national relevance. The combination of local companies and international speakers can help to strengthen the regional economy. Therefore, the conference occupies a special position in Germany, because there are hardly any comparable events. The concept would be an enrichment for every region. I've been looking for an event like the Hinterland of Things in the Rhein-Main area for years - unfortunately without success.
Interesting Talks
The Hinterland of Things offered exciting talks, master classes and panel discussions. The “Deep Tech Startups on the Rise” talk with representatives of Celonis, MerantixLabs and Next Big Thing AG was particularly inspiring. The founders agree, data is the "new oil." But the potential can only be exploited if you find a problem worth solving. Furthermore, easy access to capital and qualified employees are crucial. We were able to experience this ourselves when we founded droxIT.
Lead Solutions Engineer Chris Clark presented a survey conducted by Slack and GlobalWebIndex in the Slack Masterclass. Not surprisingly, employees waste about 130 hours a year switching between different communication apps. In addition, only around 27% of the weekly working hours is spent on actual work, while around 60% is spent on “work around work”. Overall, the trend is clear: apps are becoming increasingly important in everyday work. 81% of the respondents said they use more apps than five years ago and 73% assume that the number of uses will continue to increase. We have also found that fast communication relieves the strain on employees and, above all, helps to keep an overview.
Overall, I highly recommend the conference. The offers were varied, and the topics were broad. The exceptionally good organization and the whole concept sets the Hinterland ot Things apart from other events. I was able to take a lot of new food for thought and innovative approaches and I am motivated to implement them with my team! I would be happy to attend the Hinterland of Things in 2021!
