Top 12 Events at NERD in 2012

| MSNE Staff

 

Local college students explore the new Microsoft Surface at the Windows 8 Launch Party on October 26th.

A super big thanks to all the entrepreneurs, MeetUps, nonprofits and tech enthusiasts that hosted and attended the 500+ events at NERD last year. We couldn’t have done it without you or our amazing event staff.  From weekend conferences, to networking events to award celebrations, our Dream Team of Kayt, Robert, Livvy, Lance, Amziah, Eddie and Chris made it happen.

 

One of the highlights of working at NERD is the community and the best thing about that community is YOU! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for making 2012 so memorable.  We’re excited for 2013 and beyond.

 

Without further ado, here are the top 12 events of 2012, as defined by YOU.

 

1. Northeast PHP Conference: August 11-12, 2012
This 2-day conference was the first of its kind. Organized entirely by volunteers, the weekend was a wild success and easily sold out the 300 tickets. The only disappointment was the attendees now have to wait a year for the next conference!

 

2. MassDiGi Game Challenge: April 13-15, 2012
28 teams of local professionals, students and devoted gamers participated in a new game creation competition. The winning team from Becker College were invited to participate in MassDiGI’s summer innovation program, which helps developers bring their games to market.

 

3. Pax East Party: April 5, 2012
The 3rd annual party to celebrate Massachusetts Gaming Industry brought together 1200+ gamers, entrepreneurs, investors, government and media professionals.  Some people might be unaware that Massachusetts has a huge gaming industry, but with an event this popular, there is no doubt about it.

 

4. Digital Dumbo Boston: December 13, 2012
What started as a monthly get-together for creative and entrepreneurial folks in Brooklyn has expanded to Boston and beyond.  The party featured 7 minutes of DUMBO, a social game that matches people based on shared interests.  Attendees also got to DJ the event via
Turntable.fm. With hundreds of digital and creative people geeking out, what’s not to love?

 

5. Windows 8 Launch Party: October 26, 2012
I’m going to assume you’ve heard of Microsoft’s newest operating system, Windows 8. At NERD we were very excited for the launch that
we invited local college and graduate students to celebrate with us. We had 888 locals here, including our Foundry Interns who shared the Windows 8 apps they developed at NERD last summer. By the way, these cool apps are available for free in the app store. Check out Trackage, Reddit, Inkarus, Never Late, Catch it, and Face Reel.

 

6. The Successful You Women’s Leadership Forum: October 4, 2012
Along with MITX and The Commonwealth Institute, NERD hosted
this 3rd annual day of leadership development.  Although geared towards women, all genders were welcome and present. Big keynotes from Boston Children’s Hospital and Microsoft’s very own Chief People officer were just some of the highlights. The day had panels, workshops and networking that attracted professionals across all industries.  We look forward to the 4th annual event next fall.

 

7. Boston New Technology MeetUp: Monthly
This monthly event showcases new technologies being developed in Boston with a 5 minute pitch. Entrepreneurs come to share ideas, seek funding and make connections.  There is always guaranteed to be a big turnout, quality conversation and a lot of exciting ideas.

 

8. AngelHack Hackathon: November 17-18, 2013
This weekend long hackathon was not your typical hackathon.  Boston was just one of 11 cities hosting the event that brought 2,500 developers and designers together to compete for $650,000 in prizes. No business plan required, just an idea with potential to solve a problem. The only rule was all code must be developed during the weekend.  Winners were sent to Silicon Valley to expand on their ideas.

 

9. Gold Pieces for Child’s Play IV: December 1, 2012
The 4
th annual event raised over $2,000 for Child’s Play an organization that improves the lives of children in hospitals around the world through the power of play.  The party goers enjoyed great food, cool prizes, a dungeon crawl, tarot card reading and 8-Bit readings, all while contributing to a worthy cause.

 

10. Greenhorn Summit: October 6-7, 2012
The weekend long conference invited entrepreneurial students from across the county to network with each other and learn from established entrepreneurs and experienced investors in our local start up community.
The first of its kind, this conference was a sold out success.  The summit inspired companies to expand outreach activities on college campuses to keep the enthusiastic momentum of the high-tech Boston startup scene going.

 

11. Kinect Boston: Monthly MeetUp
This group brings Kinect users and developers together to share experiences, cool demos and tips for developing with Microsoft’s Kinect senor and related products.  Innovative technology fosters newer and cooler ideas. We are thankful to have a Kinect user group here.

 

12. Mass Innovation Nights: February 8, 2012
This monthly event is hosted around the state and we were honored to have it at NERD in February. The event connects product developers with product managers, marketers with new technology, job seekers with employers, social media enthusiasts with buzz content and more.

Well, there we have it: The top 12 events in 2012 at NERD as voted by you, our much appreciated community. It was a close call and we wish we could include all 500+ of the events on this list. The monthly Boston PHP Group, Xconomy Forum on Mobile Madness and Monthly Founder Dialogues were just a few votes short of making the top 12.

Thank you everyone for voting. More importantly, thank you everyone for attending and hosting events at NERD. We look forward to seeing you 2013.

 

The first ever North East PHP Conference, and your choice for best event at NERD in 2012.

 

 

 

 

The winning team from Becker College at MassDigi Game Challenge April 13-15.

 

 

Greeting attendees at Digital Dumbo on December 13th.
Enjoying the NERD ambiance at Digital Dumbo on December 13.

 

 

Students arrive at the Windows 8 Launch Party on October 26th.

 

 

 

 

An entrepreneur presents to the group during a monthly Boston New Tech MeetUp.

Attendees take a stretch break with HeathWorks during the Women’s Leadership Forum on October 4th.
Girls learn about STEM career opportunities at the Women’s Leadership Forum on October 4th.