ColorCode held their second annual conference in Buffalo, NY. Small Actions Studio was selected to be a sponsor and speaker for this years event.
We’ll go over some of the highlights from this event.
Breath of Fresh Air
We’ve attended a good amount of WordPress conferences over the years. When we heard that the organizers of WordCamp Buffalo started their own tech conference, we had to go check it out.
ColorCode: Buffalo was honestly a breath of fresh air. The new mix of attendees that showed up at this event definitely reflected more on the locals of Buffalo, NY, but it also opened doors to curious business owners from various sectors who wanted to catch up on the latest tech news when it comes to online publishing.
We met with local design and development agencies, educators from local universities, nonprofit board members, social media marketing specialists, videographer (drone pilot), and a food truck owner.
However, the elephant in the room when it came to talk topics was, artificial intelligence. Let’s face it, there is no way around this topic other than time. It’s on everyones mind lately. It has drastically changed the workforce landscape on multiple fronts.
This did not deter people from attending this event. If anything, it brought more people together. We all want to know what is happening to our jobs, how it can improve our business, and how it will reshapes business models over overtime.
Three Conference Tracks
The conference was split into three tracks: Flex, Marketing, and Creative. Each with their own specific topics on industry changes and personal stories. We gave our presentation after lunch in the flex track.
Since we’re an agency that specifically works with the nonprofit sector, our talk was called, “Your Mission Deserves Its Own Home: Why Nonprofit Websites Matter More Than Ever.” We did add one story about AI in the mix, but the bigger take away was that you still need a human in the loop to tell a story. Explain the impact when a nonprofit organization made a lasting change for the community.
Although the venue didn’t have an AV system to help record the talks, the ColorCode organizers had setup their GoPros to record the different tracks. We think this was a nice plus. For those who could not attend a particular track, they can still view the talks much later.
A Conference Well Worth Your Time
From our perspective, ColorCode was more then just another tech conference about the web. It brought out the best and most vocal people from Buffalo to gather and to connect. Of course, there were folks like us who traveled from Boston to attend. Someone even traveled from Atlanta, Georgia!
This conference brought together industry leaders, business leaders, and organizational heads that wouldn’t otherwise meet. Tech conferences doesn’t have to be massively expensive, nor does it need to have over a thousand attendees. What you need is a mix of good, thought provoking people from various facets of the industry. Sharing local and global ideas that we can all take back. But at the end of the day, you want to make lasting connections with people who share the same ideals as you do.
After the last talk, our event organizer held a raffle that was given out by HighLevel. We all then proceeded across the street to Pearl Street Grill and Brewery for some food and drinks.
This was generously provided by the organizers. Both speakers and attendees were welcome to join.
