Welcome to A Few Quiet Yarns Oct 22nd 2020!

Coming out of lockdown v2.0, the Tech industry can get together for the first A Few Quiet Yarns in Tauranga, at the University of Waikato Tauranga campus. Here is the August Event video to give you an idea.

Overview:

This is the No-selling Tech-Networking event where you are invited to "meet the person" by discussing your commonalities; sports, hobbies, favourite restaurant.

The aim is you don't ask "What do you do?" until it reappears naturally in conversation or until the 3rd question - as we all work in the tech industry, we know thats the fall back and that we we will "meet the suit/title/role" which naturally causes a judgement - hence "meet the person before their suit" is how we roll, and how we encourage you to roll if you attend AFQY.

A Few Quiet Yarns has run for 13 years bringing together a cross section of the tech industry from End User to Vendor, from CIO to Account Exec and everyone in between - in a relaxed networking environment, created by the 4 rules below that focus on "Meet the person, not the suit" - make sure you read them all.

This is the first time we are running with A Few Quiet Yarns in beautiful Tauranga !

Event Sponsors:

  • Jason McBride from Kordia
  • Travis Corrie from Aware Group
  • Misti Landtroop from Palo Alto Networks - Watch our Yarn

Annual Partner Sponsors:

  • Eion Hall from University of Waikato

AFQY Co-Hosts

  • Allan Lightbourne - Tauranga City Council
  • Jannat Maqbool - The University of Waikato / IoT Waikato

Event Format:

5.30

The Doors open .As you enter - find Ryan or Jannat, show your ticket get a stamp on your hand and grab a beverage, Beers, Wines, Soft drinks and food will be available.

The start a conversation, no selling, no card flicking and enjoying meeting the person, not the suit!

6pm

Official Welcome and introduction of everyone to everybody - or some variation of this - 10min

7pm

We invite guests from the audience up - to briefly introduce who they have met tonight

7.30pm

We close officially - and will head to a local bar for food and more discussions if keen.

8pm we will have moved to a local Bar/Restaurant for those who would like to continue yarns unofficially the "after party"

Rules:

  1. "No Selling" (You can talk concepts, but not pricing and product names)
  2. "No giving your card out" (You can be asked after a yarn)
  3. "You can't ask what someone does til the 3rd question" (Find out about the person first)
  4. If you work as a Provider of IT Services, and are not sponsoring, you need to bring an IT end-user such as a CIO, IT Manager or a member of an end-user team (That isn't already attending) and put their name in their ticket. This balances attendance, respects sponsors and enable AQFY to remain open to the community. There is a limit of no more than 1 non-sponsoring Provider/channel from any org.

We employ the principles of gamification - break the rule, earn the consequence of being walked out with a "Red card" and equally good behaviour can earn you Life Membership