Martin Couzins reports from the recent Thirst Thursday networking
event in London
Remembering the sauna-like conditions of last August's Thirst
Thursday, for this year's event Computer Weekly booked a bar with a
sun terrace and scenic river views of London. The only problem was
the weather - it rained cats and dogs for the whole evening.
Thirst Thursday is Computer Weekly's monthly networking event for
IT professionals. It allows people in the industry to meet in an
informal environment, have a free drink or two, tell us what they
would like to see in the paper, and perhaps even find a new job.
On 2 August, 75 IT professionals met at The Doggetts Coat and Badge
pub on Blackfriars bridge - it takes more than a downpour to keep
ITers away from a free bar.
As people turned up and let their hair down, the serious business
of networking began. Some were happy just to get a drink after a
day of network crashes and end-user stress. While many regulars
brought colleagues new to the event, some even attempted to bring
their entire department.
As well as chat on the burning issues of the day, such as why
Minidiscs are not used for data storage and the problems caused by
a casual dress code in the office, conversation ranged from dotcom
failures resulting from foot and mouth to the theory that the world
has been populated by just five families.
Attention turned to the technical side of IT with the ever popular
Thirst Thursday quiz. The questions were a bit easier than usual,
and elicited some reasonable scores. Teams were very competitive,
reflecting the sometimes hidden desire by ITers to flex their IT
knowledge - and walk off with a magnum of Moet.
Many thanks go to the ITer who helped the quizmaster hush the
rather rowdy crowd until the bar staff provided a microphone.
Anyone who says the voice of IT cannot be heard within the business
should come along to Thirst Thursday - these are voices that can be
heard at volume.
The quiz has come to represent a watershed at Thirst Thursday. Up
to this point the proceedings tend to be fairly chatty and not too
noisy. However, after the quiz the atmosphere becomes a touch more
lively. Whether this has anything to do with the booze consumed is
anybody's guess. Needless to say, ITers carried on until the final
bell, networking and having a good time.
The strategic decision to stop serving spirits early on had a
knock-on effect for the evening's alcohol consumption, as can be
seen in the booze graph. It was no surprise that Smirnoff Ice
topped the chart, with Becks a close second. Many thanks go IT
recruitment specialist Next Generation, which sponsored the event
and ensured that all in attendance got free drinks until the final
bell.
Computer Weekly reader Mike Ridley summed up the evening in an
e-mail which read, "Enjoyed the evening. By the end everyone was my
best mate and I ate a kebab on the way home -
so it must have
been good."
The next Thirst Thursday will be in Birmingham in September. To
register for an invite go towww.thirstthursday.com/