HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Now that 2024 has officially begun (how is it the new year already?), we feel that it’s only fitting that we look back on 2023, and remind ourselves of our accomplishments, favourite memories, and milestone moments that made that year so memorable.
While we’re always looking ahead to the future at DPAS, it’s certainly nice to reminisce and reflect on what we achieved in the past. So with that said, here are our 7 biggest highlights from the year.
1. Engage, Educate, Empower 2023
In February last year (which only feels like weeks ago sometimes), we hosted our first Engage, Educate, Empower conference. Taking place in Bristol, this event was our first crack at a data protection conference, and we were thrilled that it was a success.
We had a wide range of presenters sharing all the latest updates and insights from many different parts of the data protection sector, which brought to the room an exceptional level of knowledge and expertise. We all learned something that day, and networking with other data professionals was an invaluable experience.
Now we look forward to this year’s conference, coming on the 31st January (very soon)! It’s going to be bigger, better, and even more exciting. If you’re not already signed up to attend, then what are you waiting for? Secure your free ticket here!
2. Our Staff Away Day
In May, we took the team to Hereford for a staff “away day” (which actually lasted two) at a beautiful, grand house – complete with a games room, a swimming pool and a hot tub!
This wasn’t just a holiday – we did partake in some team-building activities, brainstorming exercises, and meetings bringing us all up to speed on the latest updates within the business — but we’d be lying if we said we didn’t kick back at least a little. We enjoyed a delicious barbecue, had a few drinks, and challenged each other to a few friendly (if very competitive) games of darts.
It was an amazing opportunity for the team to all get to know each other a little better, especially for the newest staff members – who had only joined in the last few weeks! What an introduction to DPAS.
3. Charlotte qualified as a solicitor
Charlotte, one of our consultants, had set herself the lofty goal of qualifying as a solicitor before the end of the year. It was a mighty task, but one that we all knew she could easily pull off.
And lo and behold, she did! With a couple months left in the year, Charlotte achieved her goal, and now wears the solicitor title like a badge of honour. The entire DPAS team couldn’t be prouder of Charlotte for this massive achievement, and we can’t wait to see what her future holds.
4. Elton joined the team
The furriest new member of the DPAS clan joined us this year! In the summer, we had Elton enter the office for the first time. Elton, a Newfoundland/Old English Sheepdog puppy belonging to Nat, our Head of Consultancy, is a very noticeable presence – always bounding around looking for somebody to play with, sniffing around our desks, and barking at the dangers of the outside world (car doors shutting and people harmlessly chatting).
We all adore Elton, and can’t believe how much he’s grown. When we first met him at nine weeks old, he was no bigger than a tabby cat, but now he’s almost the size of a bear! He’s still not done growing either, so it looks like we have a “Clifford the Big Red Dog” situation on our hands. We don’t mind, though. It’s just not the same when he’s not around.
5. We Introduced New AI courses
With the modern world evolving the way it is, it was only inevitable that DPAS was going to have to dip its toes into the realm of artificial intelligence, especially considering the data privacy risks and implications associated with its usage.
In 2023, we developed our first AI-related course: AI for Data Protection Practitioners. We’re happy to say that this course went down very well with our attendees, and even got fully booked! We’ve since developed a few further AI courses to expand our ever-growing library of artificial intelligence training.
If you’re interested in learning more, you can view our AI courses here.
6. We took a Christmas trip to Bath
We recently posted about our Christmas party, which, this time around, was a festive and fun-filled jaunt to Bath! We had a fantastic time in the city. We visited the local pubs, saw a magic show, delighted ourselves with a magnificent Greek dinner, and indulged in some drinks.
This night gave us so many hilarious, embarrassing, and amazing memories that we won’t soon forget, which makes it a particular highlight of the year.
To read more about our trip, you can check out our recent blog post.
7. We welcomed many new team members
Last, but not least, our seventh highlight of the year is everybody we welcomed into the team.
2023 saw an amazing increase in the size of the DPAS crew, with several new additions brought into the subject access request team, the marketing team, the sales team, and the consultancy team. DPAS just keeps growing and growing, and we couldn’t be more excited to see this trend continue into 2024.
Looking ahead to 2024
It’s always fun to look back on what we’ve accomplished, but real success happens through forward thinking. By always considering your next steps, and challenges to overcome in the future, you’ll always make incredible progress and achieve things you never thought you could. At DPAS, that’s what we’re all about!
So as much as we enjoy flashbacks of our best parties, favourite memories, and proudest triumphs, we’ve now got our eyes set on what’s to come. Here’s to 2024!
