Flow client the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) recently hosted #GovTech2019 – the 13th time this information and communications technology (ICT) conference has been held. GovTech brings together the government, industry and business with the aim of building a digital society to improve the quality of life of all South Africans.
Not only does GovTech provide a platform for showcasing cutting-edge technology and trends, it also affords multiple stakeholders in the public and private sectors an opportunity to network and problem-solve over the course of three days.
A compact Flow team was tasked with creating and posting live social media content; compiling press releases; securing radio, television and print media coverage; doing photography at events; and providing media and PR support to the GovTech team for the duration of the event.
Hosted at the Durban ICC from 27 to 30 October, the theme for 2019 was, “Digital transformation: gearing towards 4IR and beyond”, which set the agenda for a wide range of events. These included the NDP2030 Hackathon, the Public Service ICT Awards, a gala dinner, plenary sessions, track sessions, an SMME workshop and an SMME exhibition.
Sophia the AI robot made a popular appearance at the conference, and her interaction with Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams was particularly enjoyed by delegates.
And the Flow team was everywhere – covering everything from Sophia through to the SMME workshop and the hackathon. In fact, the Flow team spent two days interacting with hackathon participants, and grew SITA’s Twitter following by 326 to reach 2 091.
The track sessions (presentations) addressed a wide range of related issues that included: national reskilling in anticipation of technological changes and their impact on the workforce of the future; development and deployment of government e-services (eGov); rapid deployment of electronic communications infrastructure; digital access to promote trust and security in the use of ICTs (big data, cloud and cybersecurity); and building capability by training one-million youth in 4IR skills such as data science, 3D printing, AI, robotics and cloud computing.
As SITA continues working towards ICT solutions to South Africa’s socioeconomic challenges, Flow is honoured to have played a role in disseminating SITA’s messages during GovTech2019.
“GovTech was a busy hub of activity for the Flow team, who were tasked with juggling media liaison, interviews, client briefs and updates, social media messaging, writing, and photography in a coordinated and sustained fashion. At the conclusion of the event, positive coverage and a growth in social media engagement made the long hours and late nights all worthwhile,” says Caroline Smith, head of PR at Flow.