Highlights and 5 Key Takeaways: DS Live 2024

May 30, 2024 Douglas Stewart

CELEBRATING THE SUCCESS!!

Our very first event has been nothing short of a triumph - there’s been a buzz around the office since we returned, and the feedback received has been phenomenal!

DS Live 2024 provided the optimal platform to successfully link the thriving edtech vendor and reseller community, building connections to ultimately get tech into classrooms that make a valuable difference to teachers and students.

There were many highlights at DS Live 2024,  here’s a recap on the most memorable!

Strong speakers

The amazing Jodie Lopez, Charlotte Pearson and Dr Helen Ross delivered some insightful topics that prompted discussion around the power of assistive technology, the importance of showcasing technology that resonates with teachers, and how assistive technology supports the workforce.

A nod to our 20^th anniversary

Although we’ve kept this a little quiet, this year, Douglas Stewart celebrates our 20^th anniversary.  To coincide with this major milestone, we welcomed our CEO, Peter Collins, who travelled over from the USA to join us.

Exceptional roundtables

Ideas, viewpoints and experiences were free flowing during our roundtable discussions. Resellers were able to get their hands on top tips, advice and insight to propel their sales to schools.

The Tour!

A tour of Villa Park, plus time on the terrace, marked the end of our event, which was a great experience to share with everyone.

5 Key Event Takeaways!

Whether you attended, and want to recap, or couldn’t be there on the day, and want to know what you missed, here’s our top five DS Live 2024 takeaways.

Resellers learnt how to …..

1. Identify unrealised income streams

Music technology and assistive technologies bring a host of benefits to all learning environments and learners, which many resellers are not aware of.  Resellers learnt how to tap into these new opportunities effectively and responsibly to increase revenue.

2. Discover game changing technology

Our vendors showcased some state-of-the-art technology, demonstrating how they can be used in today’s modern classroom to support teaching and learning.

   3. Understand what tech schools really need

 Education sector specialists guided resellers through how they can achieve greater success by selling solutions that schools really need.  They touched on topics such as technology that can help schools reduce costs, and the transformative impact of assistive technology.

4. Build strong connections

It was a hub of activity as meaningful connections were formed between vendors, resellers and speakers – the ability to share valuable insight and understanding across the board laid the foundations to encourage constructive contributions from everyone. 

5. Stand out in the ed tech market

With such a hotbed of professional expertise in the room, resellers were able to gain a unique perspective on how to get ahead in the busy education market, helping to shape their future positioning.

Thank you

Finally, a shout-out to our amazing sponsors, vendors, speakers,  attendees, and of course the entire DS team who worked relentlessly to arrange and host such a well-received event.

A special mention to our main event sponsor, ScreenBeam, and our roundtable sponsors, Digit Music, i-Dox.ai, KLIK, and Nuance Hearing.

Equally, we’re grateful to our fantastic speakers Jodie Lopez, Charlotte Pearson and Dr Helen Ross, who delivered such highly engaging sessions.

And last but not least, we appreciate our vendors showcasing their innovative solutions and being on-hand to demonstrate their technology!

Connecting resellers with vendors

Remember, the Douglas Stewart team can  put you in touch with any of our vendors.  Drop us a message at [email protected] and we’ll  make the introduction!

 

 

• Andrea Communications
• AVID
• Corel
• Corptel
• Digit
• Ghotit
• ai
• IPEVO
• J5create
• KLIK
• Lili
• Lindy
• MindManager
• Newline
• Nuance Hearing
• Parallels
• Quark
• ScreenBeam
• Vape Detectors UK

 

The Buzz of DS Live 2024

Thanks to everyone for the amazing feedback! Here’s what people are saying about DS Live 2024.

“Being invited to be a Keynote speaker at the Douglas Stewart Live event in May 2024 was a privilege. It was an innovative event that brought a wide variety of stakeholders together to discuss educational technology and its myriad of uses. We shared views, learnt from each other and saw different perspectives from the people there. Well done to the team – it was a great day!”

Dr Helen Ross

"DS Live was a really special event which was an honour to speak at and to attend. There was a fantastic atmosphere as vendors, resellers, speakers and the Douglas Stewart team were all clearly passionate about doing their best for the education sector. From discussions about collaboration with and within schools, to hearing more about how assistive technology can make transformational differences for children and adults alike, there was a real meeting of minds across the room all day and my mind was buzzing with ideas as I headed back home! Thank you so much for including me in a very special industry day."

Jodie Lopez

“I am beyond impressed with the quality of interactions at DSLive, with the people we need to speak with most; thought-leaders driving edtech adoption in the UK today. We learned a lot about their needs and received invaluable feedback on our products, making this a must-attend event going forward.”

Costa Lakoumentas, KLIK

 “I attended the DS Live on the 16^th May with a colleague, we found the whole event to be brilliantly organised, all the DS staff were so friendly and helpful.  Each of the speakers gave very informative and useful talks, the round table discussions proved extremely interesting with lots of ideas and information being shared.

I enjoyed talking with each of the companies present, learning more about their products and the usefulness for us as a reseller.  Great day, great company and much enjoyed!”

Honor Page, The Dyslexia Shop

"The DS Live event was really well-organised and struck a great balance between insightful presentations (from people with lived-experience) and interactive roundtable discussions. The presentations set the stage, while the roundtables provided a great platform for open discussion and making useful connections with others in the Education supply sector."

Jay Cochran, iDiversity Counselling

“DS Live was an inspiring experience for me. The event offered a blend of expert speakers, discussions, and networking opportunities with immense value.

The opportunity to gain insights from leading experts and immerse myself in the latest educational technology will help me better serve my educational customers.”

Tom Johnston, Tailor Made Technologies

 “DS Live presented an interesting collection of speakers with different backgrounds, stories and presentations and the material was relevant to the audience of resellers.  Interspersed with the speakers were some helpful round table discussions.  These, by virtue of being small groups, enabled those at each to ask questions and try equipment that was being demonstrated.  Listening to other people’s queries and background to the questions I always find thought provoking and sparks ideas.  It wouldn’t have been anywhere near as effective if it had been on  Zoom or Teams.”

Ian Brown, Entec

”Collaborating with the Douglas Stewart team was a standout experience for me. Their genuinely warm and welcoming approach not only made me feel comfortable but also truly enhanced our collaboration. It’s refreshing to work with a team that is sincerely dedicated to supporting the SEND community. Seeing the high level of respect and admiration from everyone in attendance, including vendors and resellers, reinforced my positive impression of their commitment and integrity. I'm really thankful for the opportunity to work with such an authentic and dedicated group.”

Charlotte Pearson, speaker