Queens Tech Night, a free networking and community-building event for the tech sector in western Queens, returns next month at Culture Lab in Long Island City.
Unlike the two previous events that were held indoors before the COVID-19 pandemic, the June 9 event will be held outdoors from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Plaxall parking lot, located at 5-25 46th Ave.
“I could not be more excited to be returning to in-person events than with this summer’s Queens Tech Night,” event co-organizer Ben Guttman said. “Before COVID, we had over two hundred technologists, creatives, students, entrepreneurs and other community members join us for each of our first two meetups, and I think this is the type of community building celebration we can all use right about now.”
Guttman’s Digital Natives, Plaxall, Kaufman Astoria Studios and the Long Island City Partnership (LIC Partnership) are the official organizers of Queen Tech Night.
“Queens is the most diverse county on the planet, and our tech scene has a flavor that reflects that uniquely rich mix. So there is no better place to be a part of the future of tech than at the Queens Tech Night,” Long Island City Partnership President Elizabeth Lusskin said. “We are so excited to be able to finally come together safely and find inspiration from innovative and entrepreneurial Queens techies who have remained hard at work solving global and local problems, whether from their kitchens, closets or offices.”
Lusskin added that “adding to the perfect mix” is Digital Natives Group, Kaufman Astoria Studios, Plaxall, Culture Lab LIC, the speakers Julie Samuels of Tech NYC, Cornell Tech, Pursuit and Dennis Walcott of Queens Public Library, among others.
Plaxall, the family-owned plastic manufacturing company that has called Long Island City home for more than 70 years, is making its parking lot available. The location served as a staging area for food distribution efforts at the height of the pandemic and it was transformed into an outdoor space for free comedy and musical performances last summer.
Plaxall Managing Director Paula Kirby said they’re excited to restart the Queens Tech Night meetups that began in 2019.
“Attendees can look forward to hearing from two powerful keynote speakers — Julie Samuels of NYC Tech and Dennis Walcott of Queens Public Library — for what promises to be an interesting and timely discussion around how tech has helped people and companies navigate the COVID-19 crisis and supported the NYC and Queens communities,” Kirby said. “There will also be representatives from a number of institutions such as Cornell Tech, Pursuit, NY Hall of Science, Queens College Tech Incubator, the office of the Queens borough president and more. We are looking forward to finally seeing so many of our friends and community members on June 9 at the Plaxall Gallery parking lot.”
Tickets are free, but attendance will likely be capped pending current COVID protocols. For more information and tickets, visit the Eventbrite page here.
