Tech á la Carte
About this good practice
Tech à la Carte is an offer from Foreningen Business Kolding (membership organization of Kolding Municipality’s business development agency).
In our established practice Marketing à la Carte, we experienced that tech topics, for instance AI, are becoming increasingly relevant. Our existing tech-related offers were primarily aimed at IT companies and those already tech-savvy, so the aim was to create a new concept that could provide introductions to tech topics for beginners.
Tech à la Carte presents a semi-annual menu card of 6-9 tech talks. For each talk we have invited an expert, a case study or a local company to introduce a new tech topic. Each talk lasts about 1.5 hours. Examples of topics are Virtual & Augmented Reality, Tech terminology, Cybersecurity, AI News, Power BI, Digital Work Environment and Automation.
Foreningen Business Kolding funds this offer and Business Development Consultants of Business Kolding host each event.
The speakers are representatives of the business community or the research community. Case studys can be both from the public or private sector.
The participants represent a wide selection of the local business community.
Participants selects the talks relevant to their business and they gain knowledge, inspiration and hands on tools. The participants also use these talks as an opportunity to network.
Participants are encouraged to suggest topics for the next half year.
Resources needed
Each half-year menu has a DKK 35,000 speaker budget funded by Foreningen Business Kolding. Participation is free for members; others pay DKK 250 per talk. We spend approx. 3 hours/week on coordination, marketing, and hosting.
Evidence of success
In its trial half-year, Tech à la Carte held 8 talks with 196 signups (138 unique participants from 96 companies). The concept appeals broadly—students, entrepreneurs, micro-business owners, and employees in large firms. CCSI is a major user. Locally, the format is now a known and easy way to boost tech skills.
Potential for learning or transfer
This practice is easy to transfer to other regions, and we have already seen similar formats being adopted by other municipalities and regions in Denmark. A key success factor is the simplicity of the concept: short, focused talks that are easy for companies to join without requiring major time or resource commitments. This lowers the threshold for participation, especially for small companies or busy professionals.
The flexible “à la Carte” format allows each region to tailor topics to local needs, while keeping the overall structure intact. A moderate speaker budget is needed, but in some cases, speakers are willing to contribute for free due to the professional exposure and networking opportunities. Collaboration with local business networks is also important for outreach and legitimacy.
Further information
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