It’s always easy to find a friendly and enjoyable place to have a chat in Shoreditch. Alex’s advice to go to the Grocery, a cafe just in Kingsland road, was definitely the right one. Alex Jones is the organizer of The Scareathon, an event taking place on the 27th of October, dedicated to all those people into graphic design, coding and hacking. The Scareatohn is one of the steps before Digital Shoreditch 2013.
What’s the Scareathon about?
“We wanted to do a technological event that wasn’t just the copy of Hackathon. An event where people can create their own scary projects, design and create digital tricks and treats. It’s the first year that we are trying to organize something like this and we think it will be a funny day.”
Which ideas do you expect from this event?
“We hope that the event will be attended by many people. There will be a lot of technology- related ideas, with students and startups that will have the opportunity to show and promote their projects. It will be a day dedicated to innovation.”
Which are the opportunities for the participants?
“We are talking right now with a very big and popular company that should be involved in the event. Hopefully it will be one of the sponsors that will help us organizing the Scareathon. The day will be an opportunity for the winning to have is creation and project promoted by companies like this one coming to the event.”
Talking about sponsors, the Digital Shoreditch as well is reaching the confidence of many companies both International and English. “Digital Shoreditch is definitely growing. In just two years we doubled the participants coming to visit us at the festival. From 2013, when there will be the third edition, we hope to double it again. The Scareathon is one of the events we are doing before Digital Shoreditch 2013. We are actually attending monthly meetings and planning other events before May 2013, when Digital Shoreditch will take place.”
What did you enjoy more in the first two years of Digital Shoreditch?
“There were amazing speakers and a great atmosphere. I have particularly appreciated the welcoming of people to the event. There’s a space where everyone can take a picture writing which idea they are interested in and which speaker they want to know. I think it’s brilliant because it’s an important starting point for introductions and a great opportunity to meet people that you would never have met.”
What about the development of Shoreditch? Do you think it will help the festival?
“Definitely. We want to show people what Shoreditch means for the community. It’s a very friendly and facilitator place, where people can meet, exchange skills and knowledge. We are both in touch with the small shops of the area and the big investors and companies. In this sense it’s really rewarding to put these two sides together and make an action trying to help each other out.”
