Waikato business leaders and digital marketing experts have come together to launch the Digital Pop-up Shop, a week-long event offering practical advice to improve businesses’ digital performance.
Taking place from 23 to 27 November at the Auaha Design Space (formerly Smart Space) in the Hamilton CBD, attendees will be able to book into a range of workshops and seminars, with the latter being free of charge.
The event team have highlighted five key digital development areas covered by the training, including websites, marketing, business, finance and Google.
The event is a collaboration between website builder Rocketspark, the Hamilton Central Business Association and the Hamilton City Council, who are providing the Auaha Design Space.
In addition to Rocketspark’s team, the digital experts presenting during the week include Quentin Weber from Unbound, David Remmerswaal from Dimple Digital, Kendyl Haultain from Make Social Click and Hayden Walsh from Xero, alongside many others.
Rocketspark Chief Executive Grant Johnson says that the idea for the Pop-up was borne from a desire to help Waikato businesses with constructive digital knowledge.
“This year has certainly shown that times are changing, and with the business shifts caused by COVID-19 we’ve seen incredible growth from those who have harnessed simple digital tools.
“With the Digital Pop-up, we want to make it easy for businesses to equip themselves and their team with the skills and knowledge to get going in the digital world.
“The sessions are designed to cater for beginners through to those with some existing knowledge, who want to upskill in particular areas. We will also explain the technical jargon that might put some people off starting to use digital tools themselves.”
The team are hoping the collaborative aspect and central location are part of the event’s appeal, as Vanessa Williams, General Manager of the Hamilton Central Business Association explains.
“It’s great to have this week-long event in the heart of Hamilton city where every sector is represented, providing a platform for businesses to get all the tools they need to put their best foot forward online.
“The pandemic is far from over, so businesses need to be thinking about this now, and getting the right balance between bricks and mortar and the digital world.”
Hamilton City Council’s Transformation Manager Aileen Carlisle agrees, saying that for businesses to be sustainable in this challenging environment, a digital presence is essential.
“What’s important to our businesses in Hamilton is important to us at Council. We’re proud to be working together with Rocketspark to enable local businesses to develop their digital performance and delight their customers.”
“Council has recently adopted its vision for Hamilton which includes five key long-term priorities for our city’s future. One of these priorities is to be a city where our people thrive, by creating opportunities to make sure Hamilton is an attractive place for businesses to succeed. Initiatives such as the Digital Pop-up do just that.”
Businesses can book into as many sessions as they would like throughout the week, and there will also be a drop-in marketing and website help desk open each day, offering one-on-one advice. Learn more at digitalpopup.co.nz.
