technology – connectivity 13
Festival of Digital Disruption brings together Reading’s technology finest
ConnectTVT is bringing back its Festival of Digital Disruption (FoDD) for the second year. Building on last year’s success, we’ve created a week comprising a series of exciting and collaborative events to celebrate excellence in all things digital across Reading, writes Louize Clarke, director, ConnectTVT
The week kicks off on June 11 and is a packed programme featuring inspiring tech leaders, digital innovators and ConnectTVT’s Green Meets Grey education event.
Why we need a Festival of Digital Disruption
The Festival of Digital Disruption follows Reading’s stellar success in Tech City’s Tech Nation report earlier this year, which placed (together with Bracknell) its digital turnover at £10 billion. This was second only to London. GVA growth is at 40% (2010-2014). The report also highlighted Reading as having one of the UK’s highest digital tech workforces and density of digital tech businesses.
However on the ground, we’re still seeing missed opportunities to take the regional economy that step further. FoDD aims to bring together the businesses and innovators pioneering Reading’s growing digital economy. As Tech City UK ambassador for the Thames Valley we can say we’re doing really well when it comes to pioneering new digital activities. But the disruption is happening in small pockets. Through FoDD, we want to bring all this amazing work together and encourage the digital community out here to collaborate more. That’s where the true potential lies for Reading and beyond.
Shining a light on the region with 50 Game Changers
For the first time, we’ll be unveiling our 50 Game Changers, the 50 companies and people changing the face of technology in the Thames Valley through digital and disruptive initiatives and campaigns. We want to create that pedigree of regional ambitious, fast-growth businesses that really shine a light on the region.
Key highlights from the fun programme include:
• Design An Elegant Wearable competition – launched with NatWest to break through the noise around fashion tech and wearables to create something truly beautiful
• Design, Disrupt, Do – Maker Event – a collision of tech, creatives, hobbyists. This family event will combine with a “Things Network” hackathon.
• Next Gen Agency Off – With the Thames Valley’s leading digital agencies battling it out to win the inaugural FODD “Agency Off”
• Green Meets Grey – Engaging the brilliant young minds of the next generation in Reading and pairing them with expert mentors in ConnectTVT’s third exciting instalment of this digital skills series.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – JUNE 2016
businessmag.co.uk
A new approach to failure
The Festival of Digital Disruption is also set to be a launch-pad for FUN Nights, a global movement where entrepreneurs publicly share their business failure stories. Hundreds of people attend each event to hear three to four entrepreneurs share their failures. As entrepreneurs and creatives, failure is part of success. But it’s difficult to find people willing to talk about failure in an open and honest way. We want to lead the conversation and drive discussion about how this ties into our economic development
Well-known Berkshire entrepreneur Shawn Khorassani, founder of Prestige Network and Coras, will be hosting the first Reading FUN. “It is great to be involved with ConnectTVT and to be able to work with new businesses – an area that Coras, my organisation, is committed to supporting. The evening is radically different from anything we have been involved with before, but it remains true to what we believe in – pushing the boundaries, learning from others and creating success. I am really looking forward to it.”
To become involved with FoDD, contact me or visit the events page on the website; details below.
Details: Louize Clarke
louize@conntecttvt.co.uk connectvt.co.uk
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