Regular meet-ups and get-togethers are at the core of tech communities worldwide, but they can be a challenge to maintain and sustain over the long term. Often, they lose their momentum and their vibrant participation, and may just limp along to an inevitable end. In this podcast episode, we speak with Ingrid Riley, the Founder of Kingston BETA, a tech start-up community event that has been around since 2007, and Jermaine Henry, the current Curator of Kingston BETA, on among other things:  Kingston BETA and its impact on Jamaica’s tech start-up community; why Kingston BETA events are being held in person; and the essential ingredients for a meet-up’s longevity.

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple iTunes, Google Play Music, Spotify, Amazon Music and Stitcher!

Over the past several months we have been having conversations on the value and importance of community in the region’s tech space. However, although its value is almost unquestioned, it seems to be quite difficult to sustain.

We have all participated in events and in groups and communities that over time have petered away for a broad range of reasons. However, the need or the problem they were trying to solve still exists.

In our latest podcast episode, we wanted to take a closer look at tech events, particularly the meet-ups. Often, they are unassuming activities that do not have the flash or visibility of a full-fledged conference, forum, workshop, etc., but to a considerable degree, they tend to be the heartbeat of tech communities.

To that end, and in this podcast episode, we decided to ask the Founder and current Curator of Kingston BETA, one of the longest-running tech meet-ups in the Caribbean region about that event, what it takes to organise meet-ups, and what has been contributed to its longevity.

For those who had not heard about it before, Kingston BETA is a tech start-up community event that was launched in 2007 and has had over 300 events and 100,000 attendees. Kingston BETA was paused in 2018 but resumed earlier this year. And the Jamaican tech community has enthusiastically welcomed its return.

 

Introducing our guests

Jermaine Henry
Ingrid Riley

 

An entrepreneur, investor, and ecosystem builder, Jermaine Henry is the Chief Executive Officer of Norus Technologies. He has over eight years of experience in technology and entrepreneurship. Prior to founding Norus Technologies, he launched and ran various start-ups in Jamaica and the United States. He was also previously an Entrepreneur In Residence at a California-based venture capital firm, providing teams with business development and strategic consulting. Jermaine is currently the Curator of Kingston BETA, and he truly believes that developing communities is the key to unlocking the potential of an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Ingrid Riley is a Caribbean Tech Maven, award-winning Digital Media Entrepreneur,  Syndicated Podcaster, Tech and Business Event Producer, and Investor. She is the Founder of SiliconCaribe and Co-Founder of Rebel Ventures

 

Insights into our conversation

The very first podcast episode in which Ingrid was a guest, was just after she had decided to pause Kingston BETA and was planning to go on a sabbatical. At the time, it was unclear whether Kingston BETA would return, as Ingrid was burnt-out and would need a compelling reason as to why she would return to the grind of producing this event six times a year. Luckily, Jermaine, who had benefitted from the community and activities of Kingston BETA, recognised there was a vacuum in the Jamaica tech space, and so Kingston BETA was reactivated.

In the conversation with Ingrid and Jermaine, if there was any one essential ingredient that has contributed to Kingston BETA’s longevity, and that of other long-established tech/start-up events across the region, it is consistency. Hence, event organisers must be clear about, and keep top-of-mind, the value of the event to them and to the community, which should underpin their commitment over the long term.

Jermaine and Ingrid share a number of other gems and insights that you are likely to find useful. Below are some of the questions posed to them during our conversation.

  1. For our listeners who had not heard about Kingston BETA or experienced it before, Ingrid, tell us why and how you started Kingston BETA (2007), and what it was about.
  2. Jermaine, what was your experience with Kingston BETA?
  3. Ingrid, what do you think Kingston BETA’s impact was before you shut it down in 2018, and why did you think it was time to revive Kingston BETA?
  4. Jermaine, why did you were you keen to become involved in Kingston BETA, especially when I would think you’d have your hands full with your start-up, Norus Technologies?
  5. In now managing the Kingston BETA brand, Jermaine, what are your plans in that regard?
  6. In relaunching Kingston BETA earlier this year, what has been the feedback so far?
  7.  Over the past two years, we have seen the value and benefit of online meetings, and the number of online events limited just to the Caribbean region has exploded. However, I gather that so far, Kingston BETA is being held in person. Why that choice?
  8. Speaking more broadly, what is the value of having tech-related meet-ups generally, and having such events in the Caribbean region?
  9. As much as meet-ups might be welcomed, what are some of the challenges you have observed or experienced in organising or managing meet-ups?
  10. and are any other events imminent for the rest of 2022?

 

We would love to hear from you!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

 

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Images credit:  I Riley;  J Henry;  Wikimedia Commons; Wonderlane (Unsplash)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support:  Mayra Bonilla Lopez