SECURE horizons
CELEBRATING CYBERSECURITY INNOVATION AT THE INTELLIGENT ICT AWARDS – HOW WE ’ RE DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY
O ne of the things that ‘ puts a fire in my belly ’ more than anything else is travel . Since getting the travel bug after a trip to Thailand in 2014 , I ’ ve been fortunate enough to have spent several months exploring parts of the globe , each time discovering something new about the people I get to share this incredible planet with .
Last month , I was part of the Lynchpin Media team that journeyed to Johannesburg in South Africa for our inaugural Intelligent ICT Awards Africa . It was our first awards event on the continent and my first visit to South Africa .
You ’ ll have seen already in this magazine the coverage of the event – from our enigmatic host Arthur Goldstuck to our diligent jury panel , along with the winners of our security category – but it ’ s hard to truly convey the atmosphere within Katy ’ s Palace Bar that evening .
I wanted to use my column this month to reflect on the Africa event , explain how – and why – we ’ re doing things differently with our awards and what to expect from the next instalment which will take place in Dubai this October .
Informal , inclusive and fun
When we set out to launch an awards event , we knew we had to bring something different to the table . The industry is , let ’ s be honest , saturated with similar such events all promising recognition , awareness and networking .
But all too often , you ’ re assigned a designated table with people you often already know and , once the presentation is over , it ’ s time to leave without many truly meaningful conversations with peers having taken place .
So , what are we doing differently ?
First , we ’ re not about formality . A stuffy awards ceremony we are not . Our goal is to create a welcoming , relaxed environment that enables easy and quality interactions away from the pressure of a corporate setting .
Second , with more than 40 awards across six categories , we aim to celebrate achievements from across the entire ICT sector – from SMEs to established enterprises . This , we believe , helps to create a diverse experience .
I already mentioned our more informal approach to ICT awards , but it ’ s about more than that – we want our guests to have fun . Tech isn ’ t best known for being a ‘ fun ’ industry but we all need to unwind and enjoy ourselves – while celebrating success – which is what we aim to foster through our event .
It ’ s safe to say , this vision was realised in South Africa . Many of our testimonials from the event commented on the welcoming atmosphere and those in attendance were so supportive of each other ’ s achievements , with audible congratulations ringing out throughout the evening .
It was a special event that we ’ re still on a high from and we can ’ t wait for next year .
Africa security winners
Intelligent Software Security Partner – Palo Alto Networks
This vendor is consistently named as a leader across its solution portfolio . It provides a suite of innovative technology solutions , including for public cloud providers and enterprises .
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