As somebody who was has never been further north than our lovely offices in Barnsley I had no idea on what to expect from my trip to Dock 29 for Glug Leeds #5 –Revelations. It could have taken place in a lecture hall, or a converted office space with bright boring white strip lighting. Instead I was greeted by a beautiful open space that oozed style – and booze. This space quickly filled up with industry professionals, and it was clear the Glug isn’t just another lecture – it’s something a whole lot more.

After discovering the bar I grabbed myself a beer before taking my seat and chatted with a few of the people around me. Introductions from Martin Farrar-Smith (@Eighty_Ten), Hannah O’Sullivan (@consumecomms) and Emma Sibbles (@emma_sibbles) as the hosts kicked the event off.

Social Chain (@TheSocialChain)

Steven Bartlett (@_SteveBartlett), the 23-year old Co-Founder and CEO of Social Chain left me feeling both jealous and in awe. He had taken a simple application of social media and turned it into something that drove engagement on a mass scale. At only 15 months old his business already has two awards to its name including the Prolific North Large Digital Agency of the Year. His story is one that inspires a drive to succeed.

Website – http://www.socialchain.com/

ODI Leeds (@ODILeeds)

Next up was ODI Leeds, talking about the use of open data, and how it should be accessed, and how it should be restricted. Paul Connell (@paulcconnell) used examples from his own business ODI Leeds of how the use of open data can change people’s lives for the better within the information age. Overall an insightful talk on the pros and cons of accessible information.

Website – http://leeds.theodi.org/

M14 Industries (@M14Industries)

John Kershaw (@wardrox), creator of the app Bristlr, connecting those with beards with people who like to stroke beards, and founder of M14 Industries, gave us an insightful look into how you can accidentally up create a start-up but then make it work. This humorous look through the journey of his company, was also very informative and a clear link could be drawn from how he accidentally got there with the more deliberate Marketing work being done to move his business forward.

Website – http://m14.industries/

Intermarketing (@Intermarketing)

The presentation started showing black and white photos of Heroes from generations gone by. The likes of David Bowie and George Best shone through, before the presenters started questioning our millennial generation and how we have no heroes. At the age of 23 i’m not sure if I could class myself as a millennial, but still couldn’t quite shake the feeling that the guys at Intermarketing were slating my generation for being so dependent on the information that our phones can provide us. Before long it was made clear that actually we were becoming our own heroes, we had unlimited information at our fingertips and we are right to use it, this information gives us the power to create a better world and make each and every one of us our own hero. What initially felt like a dig at my generation then turned into something that they actually admire and understand.

Website – http://intermarketing.com/

Unfortunately I had to rush off at this point, I would have loved to stay for the final two talks and sink down a few more beers with my new friends, but I had to run for my train back home. Despite every sentence ending with the work ‘Click’ to signify moving onto the next slide Glug Leeds #5 was a fantastic event. I have faith that it will continue to deliver the cutting edge knowledge, and that I will be back to explore next year’s Leeds digital festival and look forward to attending Glug Leeds #6.

For more information on Leeds Digital Festival check out their website –http://www.leedsdigitalfestival.org/

To find a Glug event near you check out their website – http://www.glugevents.com/gluegevents/glug-leeds/

And check out their twitter @Glug