Our Story
Not just another conference.
Background
You’ve got a great idea. Or maybe just landed that dream role. Now what?
How do great products get built? How do you succeed?
In digital, there is a massive misconception that success is born overnight. That all you need to succeed is an idea... Wrong. Just like any industry, it takes hard work! And a lot of time! Google, Amazon, Apple, these companies are +25 years old! That’s older than most graduates who are born with these technologies in their hands.
Working in digital as designers, developers, project managers, project owners, business owners... We don’t always need or want to hear about pioneering techniques or trailblazing technology. More often we need inspiration, motivation and validation to make us better, to help us lead and create better outcomes for our clients, teams and companies.
The NO/BS Conference is the response to the persistent commercial tone of conferences and events in the digital space, where meaningful real-world content is often lacking. A place where like-minded people can get together, listen to some amazing stories and cut through all the.... BS.
NO/BS is an event where people will be left feeling inspired and most importantly, validated by knowing that their journey or work is similar to that of their counterparts and industry heroes.
The world of design and digital is often a lonely place. Hours spent alone in front of a computer screen with just your thoughts were only amplified by a spree of bullshit lockdowns. Pretty quickly, work felt stale, uninspired and needing more.
And so a digital conference comes along. You click 'attend' and tune into some fluffy content that doesn't answer your questions. You're still feeling empty and now you’re wondering, “I just shelled out a bomb to see someone’s portfolio..." Where are the facts? Where are the failures? And more importantly — the inspiration to get better. To improve my work, start that side hustle, grow that business or become a better person?
It’s time for another “Digital Reality Check”.
What we developed
The inagural NO/BS Conference in 2020 attracted a huge amount of interest from the digital, design and tech industry. Our campaign saw more than 900 people register their interest in attending the event.
With a speaker lineup that had never before assembled in Australia, the interest from around the country was warranted. The lineup boasted leaders from global companies such as; Adobe, Pinterest, Behance, Dropbox, Spotify, Wikipedia and Atlassian.
We invited speakers whose work we loved and who had unique stories of innovation, resilience, and hard work. NO/BS was the event our founders always wanted to attend but up until then, had never found. A place where like-minded people got together to listen to some amazing and inspiring speakers and cut through all the…BS.
We wanted to deliver a ‘Digital Reality Check’... It did exactly that.
The first installment of NO/BS Conference in 2020 was such a success on many fronts. This was recognised by both the Melbourne Design Awards and Australian Event Awards.
The quality and experience of the event we delivered in 2020 won 3 awards in total. A true rarity for an inaugural conference.
What people say
"No-BS really lived up to the hype. It was an amazing event that had it all! Incredible speakers, great content and an awesome venue. I'll be back!"
“NO/BS is, by FAR, the best conference I’ve ever been to in Australia. The line-up was out of this world and every single speaker delivered insights, inspiration and education from the heart. Being in the crowd felt like being amongst creative family – it will be the highlight of your year!”
