GEORGE TOWN – More than 100 exhibitors from various countries – with delegates' signup exceeding 2,300 industry leaders and decision-makers – are meeting online for the first time until Friday.
Penang had decided to make a full pivot to helm TechFest Live online because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The events due to be broadcasted include global conversations about Smart City Development, 5G, Cybersecurity, enterprise growth, eSports and also a conference celebrating Asia's startups.
There are also 140 speakers scheduled to share on experiential tech, digital lifestyles, ethical tech and urban innovation. Among them are Play Big Inc Founder and Chief Executive Officer Nancy Giordano, Smart Cities Network Chairman Kok-Chin Tay and Canva Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Cameron Adams.
TechFest2020 General Manager Nurul Nasir told The Vibes that the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2020 was supposed to be held in Penang this year together with TechFest Live, however, the plan was changed because of the pandemic.
“When we planned the initial TechFest, it is to bring that technology to the people on the streets, so that they know how tech developments discussed in WCIT will impact the daily lives of consumers.
“WCIT in Penang will be postponed to 2022 but we tapped on the network we have established for WCIT2020 to bring the conversation to TechFest Live. That is why we called it Road-To-WCIT Malaysia.
“Over the three days, selected content will be broadcasted on Astro 702 that will feature innovation in the marketplace. We have selected a few companies with innovative ideas that will benefit the general public. For example, facial recognition software, solutions for health and agriculture.
“There are a few activities that we are running from Penang that will help SMEs. We are working with a solution called Dabao that uses food reviews to encourage people to order food online. If they tune in tonight and tomorrow, they will have an opportunity to order food that is featured via Dabao. It's free, if they are in Penang. So, this is one initiative by one of the tech companies to empower SMEs in the food and beverage industry.
Webbytes Sdn Bhd (which runs Dabao) chief executive officer Ooi Boon Sheng said that they created this service to help SMEs that were affected by the pandemic.
“It is good that we have a platform that aggregates tech innovations together. It allows us to leverage on each other so that we can maximise our exposure. The engagement provided by TechFest Live would be an invaluable asset to our tech products and services in the long run.
“We do hope that this event can be held annually in Penang to enable companies and start-ups to showcase innovations around Malaysia and the neighbouring regions.”
All conversations will be broadcast live from Wisma Yap Chor Ee, in George Town, Penang, via Astro as well as online streaming to a global audience in 80 countries.
TechFest Live is organised by the National Tech Association of Malaysia (Pikom) with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Penang Island City Council (MBPP) as its strategic enabler and Invest Penang as its Lead Agencies. – The Vibes, November 19, 2020
