Work in Norwich (WiN) is delighted to be a sponsor of the 10th anniversary Sync the City event

From Thursday 28 November to Saturday 30 November 2024 at the King’s Centre in Norwich.

With tickets for the event now on sale through Eventbrite (and expected to sell out soon!), we asked Julie Schofield, Associate Director Business Partnerships, Research and Innovation Services for University of East Anglia (UEA) – and co-founder of Sync the City – to write a guest blog about what makes Sync the City so special.

First, what is Sync the City?

Taking place over a few days and based on the concept of a “hackathon” the event is for people with a business idea, aspiring developers, designers and marketing experts – as well as those who are just looking to get new skills and have fun. Participants will gain hands-on experience of developing a startup company and receive expert mentoring and guidance from leaders within Norwich’s business community.

What is the structure of the event?

At the very start, everyone will be given the opportunity to pitch a business idea they’ve had – although doing so is not compulsory. Following a vote, teams will be formed to work on the most popular ideas. Mentoring will be provided to each team by business experts over the next couple of days. Each team will then make a final pitch for the idea they’ve developed at the prizegiving ceremony on Saturday. Our judges will choose winners and cash prizes will be awarded to the winning teams.

What has been the impact of previous events?

Since Sync the City was co-founded by John Fagan (from technology company Scribe) and the University of East Anglia (UEA) 10 years ago, it has transformed lives and led to innovative spin-out companies and innovations – such as the Safepoint app for lone workers, developed by UEA graduate Callum Coombes after winning a prize at Sync the City in 2017 for pitching this idea.

Of course, it’s not all about winning. We always receive great feedback from everyone taking part in the event, with participants telling us that they learn new skills and make connections – all while having a great time. Over 100 people took part in Sync the City last year and we’re expecting it to be sold out again this year.

How important is sponsorship for the event?

With many affected by the cost-of-living crisis, we’re committed to keeping the tickets affordable. This is only possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, including WiN. We are also delighted to have WiN onboard as Sync the City is a perfect fit with the organisation’s objective to drive innovation within the city.

There are still a few remaining sponsorship opportunities available. To find out more, visit the sponsorship section of the Sync the City website and/or get in touch via business@uea.ac.uk for a chat.

Finally, what makes Norwich the perfect place to hold an event like Sync the City?

There is a huge amount of talent and innovation in Norwich, and the city has a thriving and collaborative tech and digital creative community. This means that people taking part in Sync the City can receive mentoring from the very best and make invaluable connections with other talented people.

Ongoing support for Norwich’s tech and startup community is provided through Sync Norwich, with the aim of making Norwich a world-class digital startup cluster and ecosystem. We also have a thriving spinout culture at UEA and our Student Enterprise service provides expert mentorship and funding to support ambitious businesses from determined students and graduates.

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