Celebrating a Leap Forward: The DIF Journey Continues

Welcome to the first edition of Inside the DIF for 2024, a leap year already brimming with potential. Check out What's on via our searchable events calendar to discover the diversity and talent of our community.

Digital Innovation Futures has been a platform to connect, learn, and grow for nearly a decade. DIF is always evolving, and as we take our final lap around the sun, we're shaking things up. 

Big news: No more waiting all year for a two-week festival. Now DIF is a full-on, year-round celebration of tech innovation. Watch out for exciting new initiatives to connect locally and grow globally.

DIF Online Hub remains your go-to destination for an ever-expanding roster of activities. Discover the new opportunities section on the homepage - maybe start your awards applications this long weekend?

DIF Amplify supports our event partners to promote everything from major conferences to grassroots meetups. Simply sign up for your DIF Online Hub account submit your events and become a 2024 DIF Event Partner. 

Theme weeks and days are a great way to discover what's new. Next up is International Women's Day and to celebrate we've declared that March is Women in Tech Month.

We invite everyone—longtime supporters and new faces alike—to join us in this exciting new chapter.

As always, connect with us on socials and thanks for making the DIF.

• Celebrating a Leap Forward: The DIF Journey Continues

• Don't Miss Out: Seven Must-Attend International Women's Day Events 

• Future Horizons Festival kicks off Victoria’s startup events for 2024

• Advice for aspiring founders and future horizons with Dickie Currer

• Harnessing Creativity in Teamwork with Meredith Lewis

• CivVic Labs Transport Access Challenge is looking for startups

• Bending art, tech and dragons in Bendigo with Ivan Sun

• RMIT Safety by Design short course trains up-and-coming tech leaders

Empowering Women in Tech: Celebrate International Women's Day with DIF

It's March and time to celebrate International Women's Day (IWD) with a month packed full of empowering activities, from afternoon teas to insightful online panels. Stay tuned to the DIF socials for daily event updates!

This year's UN Women's IWD theme, "Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress," highlights the crucial role of women's economic empowerment in achieving gender equality worldwide.

For the past 8 years, DIF has been shining a spotlight on pioneering women in the tech sector, from creative professionals and change makers to digital strategists. Our message is clear: visibility matters. We believe in showcasing those leading the way because "you cannot be what you cannot see."

Diversity fuels innovation, and inclusivity across all backgrounds is essential for a thriving ecosystem. We're dedicated to fostering a prosperous, inclusive digital economy for all Victorians.

Have a story of empowerment or innovation to share? Email us and let's inspire change together – in the meantime, check out a selection of International Women's Day events.

A selection of opportunities for Victorian innovators

🗣️ CALL FOR SPEAKERS

GCAP 2024 

Close 26 March and runs 7-9 October

🏆 AWARDS CALL FOR ENTRIES

FinTech Australia 'The Finnies'

Close 15 Mar / Presentation 6 Jun

Infoxchange Australian Not-for-Profit Technology Awards

Close 31 Mar / Presentation 1 May

AIIA iAwards

Close 2 April / Victorian presentation 17 Jul

AURIN + ARUP

 Urban Innovation Data Hack

Fri 22 Mar, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM - SAT 23 Mar, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Open Data for Advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the theme for Open Data Day (ODD) 2024. Join the hackathon to solve challenges, showcase data, and harness opportunities for the Melbourne Innovation Districts (MID) in the age of urban digital twins.

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Committee for Melbourne

The Melbourne Summit 2024

Tue 26 Mar, 12:15 PM - 5:30 PM

State Library Victoria

  Join us for the launch of the Benchmarking Melbourne 2024 comprehensive assessment that provides data-driven insights into Melbourne's strengths and opportunities, in comparison to  20 global peer cities. Help us shape our thoughts for Melbourne’s future.
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