Last year we managed to built a well functioning and healthy community with the Digital Innovation Ruhr Meetup Series. Our membership has doubled and we are now happy to welcome some visitors who regularly attend our events. They have become an “Extended Setlog Family” so to speak and almost belong to our close relatives.
In 2019, the series of events will continue to play a major role in our daily lives. In February and March alone, we are organizing 3 events and were able to recruit top-class speakers on the most current and interesting topics.

We are frequently asked why we spend so much time and effort to organize a new event every month.
The reasons for this are as varied and colorful as our Meetups themselves.
In recent years, innovative companies, new start-ups and technological developments have made the Ruhr Valley a driving force for the industry. While a few years ago young people in particular fled from this very place to find happiness elsewhere, they are now founding the companies they would like to work for right in the heart of the “Pott”. No prospects, uninteresting employers, little significant developments? That’s almost history here in the Ruhr area.
In addition to the growing start-up scene, numerous initiatives, state-sponsored programs and well-positioned companies that did not miss the leap in the age of digitalization have also played a decisive role in making the Ruhr region an interesting and growing location – and continue to do so.
The innovation of our country is no longer only being driven in the metropolises of Germany, but also in the many larger and smaller cities in the Ruhr area.
With our Digital Innovation Ruhr event series and the community behind it, we are making our very own contribution.

The topics we deal with every month concern us all. The media is swarmed with buzzwords that will shape our future: Industry 4.0, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Growth Hacking, Elevator Pitch. The terms are wide-ranging and highly hyped.
But what is really behind these terms? How can we transfer them to our companies? How can we make trends that affect B2C in particular accessible to B2B companies? What do we have to consider in medium-sized businesses if we don’t want to be completely left behind by all the fast-paced start-ups?
These are all questions we ask ourselves at Setlog. In the last years we have changed fundamentally, have set up agile working methods, formed self-organized teams and have always kept an eye on and implemented important trends that influence our market.
As part of these developments, our sister company limbiq was founded, which is also active in the supply chain market, but with different technologies and different target groups. They view the market differently.
We also deal with digitization, Industry 4.0 and the latest technologies. Building communities around or for your own company is one of the trends that big brands such as Facebook, Netflix, Airbnb, Apple and Co. have implemented a long time ago.
We also recognized this and are therefore doing a lot to link Setlog to a fruitful and interesting community. Our Meetup series is the first of  many milestones.
What better way to get to grips with the most important and latest trends than to hear direct practical examples from experts and those who use it?

A company that became successful through Growth Hacking. An IT expert who has brought Artificial Intelligence into the company and is driving the market. The Head of Marketing, who identified the right emotional triggers with relevant analyses and means, which lead to customers buying the product extensively.

With Digital Innovation Ruhr, we have created a platform where we can bring experts together with an inquisitive audience, promote a lively exchange and at the same time learn something new for our own company.
In the meantime, we have been recognized in the Ruhr region as a welcome organizer of our series of events and have thus been able to make the symbiosis between the latest IT, marketing and start-up topics part of our day-to-day business.
We make the buzzwords of the industry more tangible and give our audience the opportunity to network with others, to learn directly from the hands-on mentality of the “makers” and to let the trends flow into their own work. And we are proud of that.

Another important factor that led to the decision to redefine us as an innovative company through Digital Innovation Ruhr is the much sought-after job market.
It is difficult to find the right employees who have the right mindset to drive a company forward.
The offer is large and companies have to offer the younger generation more than just a nice salary and promotion opportunities.

But where do employers meet the people who have exactly the right qualities?
Events are a very interesting opportunity. In addition to the idea of innovation, the recruitment of employees also plays a role in our Meetups. At every event, our guests have the opportunity to get an exclusive taste of our company. We take guided tours through the offices, our employees are there themselves and it is a great opportunity to build a relationship with the visitors. We can already look back on wonderful relationships that has developed between employer and employee through a Meetup.
The Digital Innovation Ruhr Meetups are an opportunity for existing employees to further their education, to get in touch with new topics and of course to wish for speakers who can say something about relevant aspects of their work.
Our employees also like to take to the stage to pass on their knowledge.
All in all, we gladly accept the “effort” of finding top-class speakers every month, expanding the community further and organizing Meetups.

When job and fun meet, perspectives are made possible and the passion for innovation is given free rein, something sustainable can be created.