As a digital firm, our team was thrilled to partner with Google for the Grow with Google event in OKC last Wednesday. The day full of workshops, coaching, and swag-acquisition took place at The Devon Boathouse and featured local food trucks throughout the day. Our entire team was in attendance and took full advantage of the resources offered, each member participated in several workshops and decorated virtual reality (VR) goggles.

Apart from the free merchandise, this event provided an accessible, educational, and fun experience for anyone looking to refine their tech knowledge. Attendees ranged from digital professionals to local restaurant owners, even children, and illustrated the reach of the Google platforms. Following the event, our team shared their experiences amongst each other and realized everyone had a unique takeaway. So, instead of trying to summarize our different perspectives, everyone has put Grow with Google into their own words below.

Kailey

I enjoyed the way Google utilized the uniqueness of the Devon Boathouse space: they had plenty of interactive stations with Google employees, technology to try out, and goodies like Google Cardboard to take home. I attended a talk on how data drives growth and was extremely impressed with both the turnout and the speaker’s presentation. Attending Grow with Google was a great use of my time, and I’m excited that the whole team was able to participate.

Annie

One of the coolest parts of the Grow with Google event was how it brought people from all walks of life and skill sets together to learn something they have never done before. The part I enjoyed most was the coding breakout session, Get Started with Code. As a creative person, I would have never guessed that I would have liked coding. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to branch out and try something new.

Lennon

I was super impressed with the quality of the event and the team that Google brought to Oklahoma City. Here are just a few things that impressed me at the event. I was able to learn how to improve the SEO & Map Listing for Smirk via the Google My Business team. I learned that you can use the power of the Google search bar to take your job search to the next level. And lastly, I was impressed with the partnership with local organizations like Oklahoma Women in Tech & Techlahoma. Through these partnerships, Google is supporting more diversity and inclusion for STEM jobs in Oklahoma.

Allie

The Grow With Google event was unlike anything we’ve ever seen in Oklahoma City. With billions of active users, it’s a rare opportunity for digital pros and business owners to receive one-on-one training and attend workshops taught by Googlers. While this was only the second event of its kind, it was a dynamic, seamless and fun experience. Every Google pro was friendly and excited to discuss how he or she could help us. I had a chance to join the event organizers from Google and other local partners for a tasty breakfast. We learned that through local partners, like Smirk, businesses will have access to more in-person trainings and resources than ever in 2018. This event left me with such a positive impression of the Google team and optimism about how expanding digital tools will ignite business growth in our community.

Mike

It was refreshing as a partner agency to talk to real people from Google about how we can take the baton from them as a platform and really help businesses in OKC. Google wants to help customers find companies online, but there is only so much they can stuff into a one-day event. Hearing from Google about how they value our partnership and what we can work on together regarding training and boosting business brands was incredible. They launched a new platform for us, and now we have real-life human beings we can talk to if there’s ever an issue for our clients or our strategists. Three cheers for human beings!

Emily

After using the various Google platforms for as long as I can remember, it was fascinating to be able to speak to Googlers face-to-face. Everyone on the Google team was friendly and helpful which made the experience even better. It was also interesting to learn about the different Google initiatives and outreach programs, such as Google’s Impact Challenge and Google Cardboard, that demonstrate their dedication to society. However, I think my favorite part of the event was the coding class. I took several different courses throughout the day that taught you how to optimize the Google platforms, but I was skeptical about the coding class. Now, I am not a programmer at all, and the entire course was intuitive, easy to understand, and very rewarding. It is so awesome how Google has made the tech world accessible to everyone.

Overall, our team was thrilled with the event and everything they learned throughout the day. As a Google Partner, Smirk New Media advanced its capabilities and wants to help fellow Okies do the same.