PC Magazine Technology Challenge 2008 Concludes with a Resounding Success
PC Magazine Technology Challenge 2008 Concludes with a Resounding SuccessThe first of its kind Inter-school computer and technology trivia challenge sees participation of over 200 attendees and 31 school teams from across the UAE
The first edition of the region’s much-awaited computer and technology trivia – PC Magazine Technology Challenge 2008 – has been a huge success. The event, which was organised by PC Magazine, the region’s foremost technology magazine, was held successfully on April 5, 2008 at the Sheikh Rashid Auditorium of The Indian High School, Dubai. The computer science and technology trivia challenge, which was open exclusively to primary school students in the UAE, was well received by students, teachers and parents alike. Attendees at the event commented that the region hadn’t seen such a fun and interactive event as yet, which promoted the development and education of the country’s next generation of technology users. Over 200 attendees and 31 school teams formed a part of the event.
The winners of the PC Magazine Technology Challenge 2008 were team “The Dream Killers” from Al Mawakeb School. While the second prize went to team “DPS-A” from Delhi Private School, the third prize was scooped up by team “DPS-B” from Delhi Private School. The event, which was fully supported by platinum sponsor Samsung Electronics and key sponsor Canon, accepted nominated teams from each participating school, comprising of students aged from 8 to 12 years old. Supporting sponsors of PC Magazine Technology Challenge 2008 included Gigabyte, SKY Electronics, D-Link, and SanDisk. The Challenge included three rounds of technology trivia on computer history, basic technology concepts, computer technologies, internet basics, and general knowledge. The three teams garnering the highest scores at the end of the three rounds proceeded to a final round to determine the final ranking and the overall champion.
“We are indeed amazed at the response we have had for a first of a kind event such as PC Magazine Technology Challenge 2008 in the UAE. By all accounts, the event has been a huge success – happy kids, pleased parents and teachers, and satisfied sponsors,” explained Bud Keegan, the General Manager at DIT Publishing. “This kind of event has never before been attempted in Dubai and demonstrates what can happen when imagination, hard work and dedication combine to create a memorable experience. We look forward to the second edition of this event pretty soon, and we plan to up the ante by taking PC Magazine Technology Challenge 2008 to other markets in the Middle East, too.”
Cash prizes of AED 7000, AED 5000 and AED 3000, were awarded to all three final-round contenders, for the first, second and the third place, respectively. Towards the end of the event, Mr. Keegan announced that the cash prizes will be doubled. This essentially meant that while the first prize winning team would get AED 7000, an equal amount would also be donated to the winning team’s school. A similar scheme was also announced for the second and third prize winners. The announcement drew cheers from the participants and audience. Additional prizes such as a Samsung home theatre system and MP3 players, Canon digital cameras and photo printers, SanDisk MP3 players and memory cards, D-Link routers and switches, videogames for Xbox 360 and PlayStation, were also given out through bonus round questions and lucky door raffle draws.
© 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)