5 Conferences Women in Tech Cant Miss In 2018

5 Conferences Women in Tech Cant Miss In 2018 To anyone who considers themself a lifelong student, a career in the ever-evolving world of tech is a fitting choice. And nowhere is the dynamic energy of this field mora keenly felt than at industry conferences. With hundreds of ansicht events to choose from, though, how do you separate the noise from the opportunities that offer the most career-boosting value?The folks atCDWhave some expertise in this area. The Illinois-based, multi-brand technology solutions provider is a major proponent of conferences, viewing them as an investment in employees professional growth.Women who work here consistently report binnenseeing their professional development supported, something Tara Barbieri, director of CDWs Capture team, called a core company focus.The continued learning and development of coworkers isthetop priority for me as a leader at CDW because its critical to achieving success in all other priorities,Barbieri said. Our industry consiste ntly evolves and presents new opportunities, so ur growth depends on our ability to match the market evolution with an informed strategy and an openness to change.CDW is hiring See opportunities.What better way to keep an open, change-oriented mindset than through connection and collaboration at conferences? To that end, we spoke to a few high-performing women in tech at CDW about the events they consider to be the most worthwhile career investments in 2018. If youre looking to take your career to the next level, here are five CDW-recommended conferences all tech-centric women should consider attending this year1.Simmons Leadership ConferenceBoston, Massachusetts April 5, 2018Now in its 39th year, the Simmons Leadership Conference is less about tech, specifically, and more about professional development across industries. Its 2018 theme should resonate particularly well with women technologists, though Disrupt the Ordinary is expected to draw a crowd of more than 3,000 women. Back- to-back speakers make up the bulk of this day-long event, with 2018s names including journalist and activist Gretchen Carlson and Tan Le, CEO and co-founder of neuroengineering company EMOTIV.Barbieri called the Simmons conference both informative and inspiring, drawing from a range of topics that reflect the diversity of CDWs ownleadershipmodel.The keynote speakers messages frequently address topical issues for women in a way that is relevant to both women and men, she explained. Ive attended this conference for more than a decade and brought many CDW leaders with me, including men, to reinforce our value of diversity of thought and to spark passion among leaders to return to work and encourage innovation and creativity within our teams.2. SIM Connect LiveDallas, Texas April 11-13, 2018Billed as not your typical IT experience, the SIM Connect Live conference prioritizes interactive roundtable sessions over podium speeches. Vetted tech and IT experts facilitate collaborative dialog ue between attendees during these sessions, with popular tracks including disruption and innovation security, privacy and risk management and enterprise technologies. On Thursday (April 12), the day kicks off with a SIM Women breakfast, and a breakout session later that day by AI thought leader Christina CK Kerley promises to be a highlight.Customer Insights Manager Lisa Wood spoke to the thematic similarities between SIM and CDW, saying that both center around strategic and tactical direction. She also called the conference an especially smart one for women to attend, given the growing numbers of opportunities for women in the IT space.In a legacy, male-dominant industry, IT technology is looking to attract many new entrants women being one of them, Wood said. Its imperative for women seeking to expand on their potenzial and skills to attend this conference and tap into its resources and network.3. Women of the Channel Leadership SummitsWestandEastWest Palm Springs, California Ma y 15-16, 2018East New York, New York December 3-4, 2018With conferences based on both the east and west coasts, the Channel Leadership Summit features multiple learning opportunities for the next generation of female IT leaders. From interactive workshops to peer panels and networking time, all activities center around the same theme the challenges, trends, and opportunities in todays technology sector. Undergraduates will be especially gratified by the Career Pursuits Workshop, which helps young women explore and discover tech careers that extend beyond the traditional IT space, including ones that intersect with sales, marketing, HR, and finance.Considering the summits emphasis on early development, its no surprise that CDW makes a point of sending up-and-coming female leaders each year, explained Security Solutions Category Manager Jamie Burke.The summit provides women an opportunity to learn how others with similar experiences position themselves as leaders in a male-dominated i ndustry, Burke said. As an attendee for the past three years, I have taken back inspiring stories that moved me and ways to challenge my coworkers to get out of their comfort zone and take risks (its) made me better as a leader and allows me to influence other women across CDW.4.Cisco LiveOrlando, Florida June 10-14, 2018In the three decades that have passed since Cisco Lives inaugural event, this annual, week-long conference has garnered a reputation as being a destination for all things digital business. Through a series of immersive labs, hands-on seminars, think tanks, and 11 networking opportunities, conference attendees walk away with worlds of new information. (The fact its based in sunny Orlando doesnt exactly lessen its appeal either)Christine Holloway, vice president of healthcare sales at CDW, described the conference as a prime forum for attendees to learn how to leverage technology to deliver business results. Additionally, a pre-conference event hosted by the Cisco Em powered Womens Network is seen as a must for women in tech.Cisco and their mann an ihrer seites provide thought-provoking content and networking its inspiring to see so many of these women in one place learning from one another, she explained.Similarly, Holloway described CDWs own Womens Opportunity Network (WON) as a place where women can access these development resources year-round. Activities like speed networking with CDW executives, dinners with senior leadership, and the annual WON Summit are a few examples of the networks mission to, as Holloway put it, foster an inclusive culture where women are actively engaged and can realize their fullest career potential.5.Grace Hopper CelebrationHouston, Texas Sept. 26-28, 2018Known as the worlds largest gathering of women in tech, Grace Hopper is produced annually by the nonprofit AnitaB.org, a digital community founded in 1987 by Anita Borg for fellow female computer scientists. Today, Grace Hopper carries a similar social mission o f supporting women technologists and highlighting their achievements, with a special emphasis on students, emerging leaders, and changemakers. Everyone from Sheryl Sandberg to Melinda Gates to Mary Lou Jepsen has keynoted, and the conference tends to sell out in record time so those who are interested should be sure to save their spot early.For Amy Rizzo, a talent acquisition manager at CDW, the decision to attend Grace Hopper is a no-brainer. She calls the conference empowering and a place where women can be their authentic selves.With CDWs long-standing commitment to women in the technology industry, Grace Hopper serves as a key forum for celebrating the women who contribute immeasurably to our organization, Rizzo said. CDW recognizes that its female talent is changing the game. And to beat a conference filled with so many confident and talented women who are full of initiative, curiosity and drive is amazing.If being surrounded by other talented, game-changing women is appealing to you, consider attending one of the above conferences this year. But if counting yourself among game-changing women on a more regular basis sounds even better, be sure tocheck out CDWs openingsfor full-time roles and internships there are tons of them--Fairygodboss is proud to partner with CDW Corporation. Find a job there today