7 Reasons to Attend the Digital Youth Summit 2017

by Osman Husain

It’s a familiar story. You spend months saving up for that exorbitant conference in the hope that you’ll be able to expand your professional network or get feedback on your business idea.

When you walk in, however, it’s a totally different story. There’s vague and cliched talk about ‘disruption’. References to Uber and Airbnb are strewn about like confetti. And most speakers are mainly interested in self promotion or explaining how the rise of digital in Pakistan is a mere formality.

There’s just not enough meat.

At the Digital Youth Summit, we understand your concerns, frustrations, and aspirations. Which is why the 2017 edition doesn’t revolve around a singular theme – there’s panel discussions and workshops from topics as diverse as government innovation to upcoming trends in mobile apps.

If you’re still undecided about whether to attend the event, let us make it easier for you. Here are seven compelling reasons.

1. Stimulate your mind

It doesn’t matter what your background is – you could be a student, a freelancer, or an aspiring entrepreneur – there’s something at DYS for everybody. The summit kicks off with a discussion on incubators in Pakistan and moves on to topics such as the jobs of the future, potential of ecommerce, and how to build a social enterprise.

2. Networking galore

All of the international speakers (of which there are several) and most local speakers will be present at DYS for the entirety of the conference. Which means there’s several opportunities for you to meet them face to face, ask questions, and benefit from their experience.

There’s also a startup expo where you will have the chance to see what young companies are building and how you can take the next step to starting something of your own.

3. Workshops

We understand people want to learn real skills and uncover practical steps to enhance their career. That’s why there’s three rooms at DYS dedicated to workshops where participants can glean insights on digital marketing, SEO, freelancing, mobile games, and developer tools.

See the full agenda here.

4. No dull moments

The overwhelming majority of the content in the main hall revolves around panel discussions. Expect the participants to be subjected to tough questions – all our moderators have a background in tech policy, research, and journalism – and aren’t afraid of challenging the status quo.

The discussions will be engaging and invigorating. Our aim is to grill down to the complexities of each topic and not just paint a rosy picture of success.

5. Take your business to the next level

We’ve invited a superstar roster of investors at DYS – they’re all looking for the next big idea from Pakistan and a way to get in on the action. There’s Nadeem Hussain of Planet N, VentureDive’s Atif Azim, Rabeel Warraich from Sarmayacar, and Khurram Zafar of 47 Ventures.

Make the effort to approach them, pitch your business idea, convince them of its viability, and you might just get a firm commitment of investment.

6. Walk away with cash

The concluding event at DYS 2017 is a startup pitch competition where young companies from across Pakistan will have the opportunity to compete for cash prizes of up to $5,000.

Now’s the time to start fantasizing about that new Macbook you’ve always wanted.

7. It’s cheap!

Forget about paying thousands of rupees for a day-long conference. Conference tickets start at only Rs 500 for one day and go up to Rs 1,200 if you want to attend all three days.

The best part? There’s lunch and hi-tea included.

ProPakistani is the official media partner of Digital Youth Summit 2017.



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