An important event in keeping Stratford at the forefront of the innovation corridor is back in person this year.
The BLEND innovation conference is hosted by the University of Waterloo Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business. It brings industry experts to the St. Patrick Street school on March 25 to speak on their experience and network with students.
Greg McIntyre, an instructor and the digital media manager at the school, told StratfordToday that the conference has been going on since 2017 and it has been an investment on behalf of the school – an investment that is paying off.
“We're starting to see some of that fruit come back,” McIntyre explained. “We have alumni coming back to lead these workshops or to attend these conferences, and they've landed jobs at Sunlife, Shopify, Google, Amazon – some high profile tech companies … I think it helps to put Stratford on the map as being part of the future of Canada's digital economy.”
This year’s theme is breaking barriers, specifically breaking barriers in different areas of our lives. Attendees will take a holistic view of how they can, as designers and business leaders, design for a better future and break some of the barriers that are stopping people from living their best life.
It will be in-person this year. It was cancelled in 2020 and held online in 2021 and 2022. McIntyre said that there’s a lot of excitement around campus for it, and rightfully so.
“There's something magical about bringing people together that really helps to foster creativity, create those meaningful connections, and bring those innovative ideas together,” he said. “As much as you can do things online, there's nothing quite like bringing all of these people together.”
Limited tickets are available. Alumni, students, and industry professionals are welcome to attend. Those interested can purchase a ticket here.
