Research shows that for employees—especially millennials and younger generations—having a positive impact on the community and society is just as important as their ambition to buy a home or achieve a high salary. Recognizing this trend among its employees, known as levi niners, Levi9 launched the 9Inspiration Conference to facilitate knowledge-sharing and experience exchange while also making a positive impact on society.
Held in 2022 and 2023, the conference’s registration fees were fully donated to NURDOR, a Serbian association that supports families of children battling cancer. These funds contributed to building a new Parent House in Belgrade, providing accommodation for families staying in the capital for their child’s treatment. The first conference raised 1,162,314 RSD, while the second one gathered 1,278,472.99 RSD.
Bringing Back In-Person Events
After the pandemic and a long period of remote work, Levi9 decided in early 2022 to bring back live events in a big way. The company first carefully analyzed the needs of its talent and the tech community, ensuring that the conference’s goals aligned with those needs before proceeding with the initiative.
One defining aspect of the IT industry is continuous learning—knowledge and skill development are fundamental for working on technical projects. Access to real-world experiences and networking with industry professionals play a crucial role in career growth, making them one of the main drivers behind the 9Inspiration Conference.
Levi9 aimed to provide valuable insights to the tech community while simultaneously integrating a socially responsible component—supporting children battling cancer. This initiative became a core part of the campaign’s identity and a true motivator for both levi niners and the broader IT community.
The conference’s program was curated by a dedicated committee, initially composed of three Delivery Directors. By the second edition, the committee had expanded to include direct input from employees, ensuring the selection of engaging topics and speakers.
The Employer Branding team, in collaboration with the creative agency Storyline, developed the conference’s identity. This included:
✔ The name, a combination of “9” and “inspiration,” reflecting the event’s purpose.
✔ A logo and slogan: “Share. Learn. Connect.”
✔ The 9Inspiration app, built by Levi9 teams for iOS and Android, offering attendees a platform for asking questions, networking, and staying updated—used by more than two-thirds of participants.
✔ A dedicated website for the conference.
The registration process was handled in partnership with NURDOR, ensuring that all donations went directly to their account. Communication about the event was carried out through various channels, including social media, media outlets, mailing lists, and direct outreach.
The Employer Branding team, alongside a production team, oversaw event execution. Attendee gift packages were thoughtfully put together, primarily featuring products from social enterprises. The second edition even included books authored by Levi9 employees as part of the package.
The Impact of levi niners and the Tech Community
While the conference was open to the broader IT community, Levi9 ensured that levi niners had priority access to registration.
Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. On a scale from 1 to 5, overall satisfaction was rated 4.7 for the first conference and 4.6 for the second.
The 2023 conference featured speakers from Serbia, the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands, including two levi niners and one Levi9 alumna. Employees were proud that their company was initiating social change, which was reflected in social media engagement.
Across both editions, Levi9 provided the IT community with over 10 hours of lectures from seven experts in 2022 and nine experts in 2023. All sessions were recorded and shared with attendees, Levi9 alumni, and employees, with some talks made publicly available. Additionally, NURDOR representatives introduced their organization to attendees, further familiarizing the tech community with their projects.
The event garnered nearly half a million impressions on social media, primarily from tech professionals and Levi9 employees. With media partner HelloWorld, the conference generated 1,500 direct clicks, and it was covered in around 30 media articles.
Most online discussions about the conference centered on highly relevant IT topics, such as:
- The role of ethical hacking in identifying and fixing security vulnerabilities to improve the safety of public services.
- Machine learning applications and advancements.
- Augmented Reality (AR)—interactive experiences blending real-world and computer-generated content.
Both the knowledge-sharing and social responsibility aspects of 9Inspiration significantly contributed to Levi9’s employer brand. As a result, the company secured 3rd place in the TalentX 2023 study, which ranks employer attractiveness in the IT industry.
