Organised by regional tech network Dynamo and its partner Sunderland Software City, TechNExt Festival will host events across the North East, with a ‘BIONIC woman’ and a ‘Chief Failure Officer’ among the speakers at the centrepiece conference, and over 40 fringe events taking place from Teesside to Tyneside.

On Wednesday June 21^st the festival Main Stage will host a series of thought-provoking conference talks from leaders in technology and related industries at Sunderland City Hall. The day is being designed to include a range of speakers and disciplines centred on the theme; technology, the future and us. The programme line-up also covers three key sub themes – innovation and humans, technology and ethics, and business, society and people: Getting the balance right.

The world-class line-up for the Main Stage includes ‘Bionic’ Tilly Lockey; Dutch academic and author Paul Iske; computer scientist and founder of the Stemettes Anne-Marie Imafidon; ex-Microsoft executive Dave Coplin; emerging tech trailblazer Nell Watson and Mala Kumar, a global leader in tech for good.

Speaking about the event Dr David Dunn, CEO of both Dynamo and Sunderland Software City said, “Our aim is to bring at least 3,000 attendees together to showcase the vibrancy, excellence and ambition of the north east tech sector. Other areas of the UK already have tech festivals, so it’s about time we had a similar platform to show just how good we are!” he added.

Dynamo Director Sarah Thackray explained: “We’ve had a huge amount of interest in TechNExt since we announced that the festival was taking place and we are looking forward to bringing together people from a wide range of backgrounds to create conversations and discuss the world-class work that is being delivered in the region.

“Our industry dinner in Durham on Tuesday, June 20 has been designed to give attendees a chance to connect with peers, tech entrepreneurs and business leaders across the region. It’ll be a fantastic opportunity to mix and network with leading figures from the regional sector.

“Then on June 21 we will be at City Hall in Sunderland for the TechNExt Main Stage, bringing some brilliant international speakers together. The big social of the festival, the party, will also take place on June 22 also in Newcastle at Revolucion de Cuba, and tickets are available on the website for anyone who would like to come along to any of the events throughout the week.”

As well as the curated key events, TechNExt will feature a vibrant showcase programme of over 40 fringe events, many of which are free to attend. Tech companies and organisations have submitted ideas for the programme which will see them throw their doors open to engage the wider community, and shine a light on the amazing tech we have in this region.

Tech Talent Live, a free, drop in careers event is for anyone keen to learn more about tech careers and the employers in the North East will take place on Thursday 22 June. The aim of this event is to inspire, motivate and inform the next generation of tech and digital talent, as well as showcase our North East employers to anyone looking for a role in the sector. Tech Talent Live offers students, recent graduates, career changers or those new to the tech sector the chance to hear short talks on career options in the region and take part in CV workshops.

Headline sponsors for TechNExt are Digital Catapult, Newcastle Strategic Solutions, Opencast and Sage.

TechNExt is being planned as a Good Festival, with ‘for good’ being a core value of every element of the programme.

Sarah explained: “Delivering a Good Festival means we’re focusing on quality, inclusivity, diversity, accessibility and sustainability. It also means delivering a diverse programme and we aim to make our core events truly accessible, considering those with different protected characteristics and ensuring we meet their needs and make them as welcome as possible.

“We’ve had such a positive response to the Festival, and we’re looking forward to bringing the region’s tech sector together through a week of fantastic events.”

To book tickets, or for more information about TechNExt, go to https://technext.co.uk

The events sector is fast-paced and continuous learning is a huge part of our culture here at BeaconHouse Events. Our monthly ‘HeadSheds’ are designed to give us an opportunity to step out of our comfort zone and learn from external experts, and each other, to make sure we stay ahead of the game for ourselves and our clients. Recently we’ve covered everything from Canva hacks to digital marketing and the future of sustainability; we all really value taking the time to focus on our personal growth through learning, even in the busiest weeks.

Real growth through learning comes when we have the capacity to act on the new information that we have learnt and derive our own ideas from it, rather than simply hearing something new and not adapting based on the new knowledge we have received. We caught up with our team to discover how events can stimulate learning and what they think the key is to creating an environment that cultivates absorbing information and adopting new ideas.

Events create strong cultures

Getting your team together offsite and outside of the day to day can give them a chance to bond, learn from each other and builds a culture of trust, something which is key when you are asking people to discuss new ideas or try different ways of doing things. A team who feel psychologically safe because they have a strong culture will be much more willing to take risks in order to innovate, be more creative and learn from each other to solve problems.

Access to world-class speakers

A conference gives you an opportunity to inspire your team through world-class speakers and ideas that they may not usually have access to or take the time to seek out. We can all get stuck in the echo-chamber of social media, our work places or social groups and choosing a speaker that challenges and inspires your team will have a huge impact on their learning and development. Technology like video dial-ins or hybrid events has shrunk the world when it comes to access to the best speakers from across the globe so think big!

Create space for conversations

Talking about ideas or things we have learnt is a great way to solidify information in our brains. By creating space to discuss an idea or dissect new information we can help to bring it to life and put it in context. When you are designing your event environment it’s important to think about how and where your delegates will interact with each other, and how you can give quieter or more reflective members a chance to be part of the conversation. Think about including discussion points in your event packs to help people learn from each other in a robust and meaningful way – this can be especially helpful if your delegates have never met before!

Remember not everyone learns the same way

Not every delegate will learn in the same way, so its important to take advice from your delegates in advance of the event to understand if a small seminar, lecture or online event would work best for their learning experience. Try and curate a mix of experiences that will allow people to take in and retain what is being discussed – this could be digital ways of interacting with proceedings, an illustrator visually bringing to life key ideas from the conference or an event take away with key learnings to read later.

Take time to reflect

Post-event take time to see if the learning on the day is being put into action back in the ‘real world’. Follow up with a post-event questionnaire, or even a ‘implementation seminar’ to find out what people can remember and what they found most valuable from the experience, this will help you to enhance the learning experience at your next event and increase your overall event value.

At BeaconHouse Events we work closely with our clients to understand the aims of your experience and the desired learning outcomes, so we can pick the speakers that best align with your vision and curate events that support delegates preferred format for learning. For more information and to speak to the team about building a learning based event email info@beaconhouse-events.co.uk or call +44 (0)191 691 3456

People are preparing to return to the office, albeit with a more flexible attitude. But what of all those pandemic pups? With all the time spent WFH many chose to finally get that furry companion to enjoy quality time with, walking during lunch and curled up at their feet during those Zoom meetings. How will our four-legged friends manage now their human ‘work mates’ are returning to the office?

It’s a ‘new normal’ in lots of different ways, considering dog care is something that many businesses wouldn’t have previously been set up to manage. Do we now expect ergonomic desk chairs alongside plush dog beds? Should the coffee machine sit next to the treat tins? What if you mix your hobnobs with the woofles? And surely it’s a rare breed indeed but there are those who perhaps don’t get wobbly at the knees at the sight of a wet nose and waggy tail.

Here at BeaconHouse HQ, we’re dog lovers – it’s not a prerequisite to get a job here…but it helps! 50% of our team own dogs and that plays a big part in our office planning and staff wellbeing. There’s a certain vibe that comes over the team on a ‘dog day’, a kind of gentle excitement and overall sense of companionship that the occasional tail whip brings. A tough day can easily be improved by the sound of a soft snore from the fur ball in the corner and of course the cameos on a virtual event are excellent ice breakers.

We’re currently preparing a more structured return to an office, and our four-legged friends will be welcomed. This is just one of the things that we’ll be considering in our new workspace to adapt to the many changes we’ve faced over the past two years. Our team is our top priority, making sure the workplace fits the needs of the whole team (paws or not) is key. It’s a bit of an ethos of ours and one we always plan to stick to.

Side note; our office pooches have requested to feature more regularly on our social platforms. They reckon they do much for our wellbeing and don’t get enough air time. So if you feel like following the antics of Luna, Raven and Harry you know where to find them. 

For the Eco-Conscious…

Buy The Kilo

These days we’re all looking for ways to UP our sustainability game, so start your sustainable shopping habits, and fill up on your Christmas groceries at Buy The Kilo in Tynemouth. With local art, and reusable cups on sale you might even tick another gift off the list.

For the Stylish Homemaker…

The Biscuit Factory

Find a gift that supports independent artists and makers this season – we particularly like their Maker’s Parcels, carefully curated design pieces, books and other trinkets all wrapped up beautifully

For those who like to drink their presents…

Brinkburn St Brewery

For the person who’s hard to buy for, there is always beer.

For the one and all…

If you are planning to go visit Ratty, Badger and Toad, all holed up within the windows of Fenwick, not sure if ‘For the difficult one’ is a hangover from the previous gift idea? Why not head to another North East stalwart? Some ungrateful gift recipients have strange taste, are notoriously picky and will be quick to openly mock a ‘wrong’ gift but here’s how to win their approval: a Gregg’s Gift Voucher. Always a crowd-pleaser (and is unanimously well-received as a Secret Santa gift). I don’t wish to disclose the tally of Festive Bakes consumed by the BeaconHouse office in only the first week of December, but perhaps we might need to gift each other a fresh fruit and veg delivery box.

 

Shopping Online?

If you are not ready to brace the cold, queues, or bright lights of the high street, our friends at NewcastleGateshead Initiative have launched the Virtual Christmas Market to bring together all our quality regional gift options.

Our favourite picks are;

Sage Gateshead Vouchers – the gift for music lovers.

Sponsor a Bee at Ouseburn Farm – a bee-utiful gift for nature fans

 

Luxury Afternoon Tea at Jesmond Dene House, need I say more.

Put their name centre stage with a named seat at the Tyne Theatre and Opera House for eternity.

Local Heroes Food Market, a box FULL of goodies.

One for the January diet perhaps – MEAT:STACK Gift Cards 

However your Christmas is shaping up this year, we wish you glad tidings, festive feelings and encourage you to shop local where you can. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

BeaconHouse Events has been taking positive action to reduce emissions since our inception in 2014, however working with The Planet Mark for their events we’ve been continuously improving across our portfolio of events with meaningful actions. Our increased focus on reducing our carbon footprint and adopting sustainable working practices has been hugely beneficial to our clients and delegates, and with the rise in virtual, online only events, we’re confident we’ll be reducing our emissions significantly this coming year.

The Planet Mark is also partnered with the Eden Project, the educational charity and award-winning international visitor destination, and centre for education in sustainability and innovation. Every business awarded the certification contributes 5 per cent of the fee to the Eden Project.

Last, but not least, with every new business certification, the Planet Mark protects an acre of rainforest through Cool Earth, the award-winning charity that works alongside indigenous villages to halt rainforest destruction.

Find out more about Planet Mark here. 

New CGI videos and imagery released today show that the UK’s newest international conference and exhibition centre will be capable of hosting up to 5,000 delegates with a high level of flexibility across a suite of dedicated spaces.

The centre will include a 6,300 sqm pillar free exhibition hall, which has the capability to be divided into three smaller halls. Alongside this, there will be a 1,620 sqm conference hall, 990 sqm of stunning meeting and events spaces with views of the spectacular NewcastleGateshead quayside and its iconic bridges, and a dedicated 1,350 sqm outdoor events space.

Hailed as one of the country’s most exciting developments, the £260m project on Gateshead Quays will also include a 12,500-capacity arena, two hotels with 290 bedrooms, bars, restaurants, and other public spaces.

Councillor Martin Gannon, Leader of Gateshead Council, said: “The Quays development confirms the region’s reputation for world-class events. Gateshead Quays will capitilise on a conferencing demand that the region has been unable to meet and showcase the North East’s strengths to a global audience. The new images show just how unique and special the waterfront site is. An events setting like no other in the UK.”

Kerrin MacPhie, Head of Business Events at VisitBritain, said: “The Gateshead Quays development will create a huge opportunity for NewcastleGateshead, increasing its global reach to attract large-scale events from all over the world. This development is great for the business events industry in the UK and shows confidence within the market.

“The new centre will provide event planners with an exciting option in an already well-established destination within the business events industry and will have a positive impact on bringing more international associations and incentive groups to the area.”

A full planning application has been submitted for the 80,000 sq ft development, positioned between the BALTIC and Sage Gateshead, with a decision expected in Autumn.

If agreed at planning, Gateshead Quays will create approximately 2,000 jobs and inject a much needed £60m into the regional economy each year, as well as attracting an extra 300,000 visitors to North East England. As well as the direct impact, the development will support local businesses throughout the region – from hospitality operators to those in the events industry.

Those within the industry have welcomed the news, Catherine Coulter, Director of Newcastle-based event agency BeaconHouse Events, said: “We deliver over 100 events annually, with 85 per cent of those in Newcastle and the surrounding area, and we relish the chance to show off our region to international visitors bringing their events to North East England.

“New venue space is an exciting new asset that helps us attract business to the region, opening opportunities for us and our clients to create events that didn’t previously have a place here. Enticing new work to the quayside always brings the question – will our attendees be able to see the bridges? – having this impressive set up directly overlooking the Tyne and the iconic views is a fantastic attraction.

“In light of recent restrictions to mass gatherings; large, flexible event space that can handle alternate delivery considerations for ever-changing guidance on social distancing is essential. As much as we enjoy a challenge and responding to the new needs of our clients – developments like this on the horizon give us, our sector and the region something to look forward to for a brighter future for the events and hospitality industry in NewcastleGateshead.”

Paul Szomoru, Director of Business Events at NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau, added: “It’s fantastic to see these new details on what the International Conference and Exhibition Centre on Gateshead Quays will offer. To have 6,300 sqm of pillar free, flat floor space, along with other substantial spaces, with stunning views of the quayside is going to help us create iconic events. I am particularly excited by the outdoor events space, which I think in the current climate of social distancing will allow organisers to be very creative and original in their approach to networking, social events and even presentations.

“With it being set to open at the end of 2023, this is a bold confidence boost for Gateshead, Newcastle and North East England as we work towards economic recovery in a post-covid world. There’s no doubt that this is an impressive, world class investment, which will enable us to attract bigger national and international events in sectors that are strategically important for the region. Bringing such large-scale events allows us to showcase all North East England has to offer and gives us an opportunity to turn delegates into future leisure visitors, residents and investors.”

International venue and event management company ASM Global has already been confirmed as the operator.

Award-winning global architect, HOK, is designing the overall masterplan for the site, international conference and exhibition centre and the 12,500 capacity arena while AHR Architects are designing the state-of-the-art hotel which forms part of the masterplan. The project team also includes: Project Manager and Contract Administrator, Legends International; Lichfields, Planning Consultants; Gardiner and Theobald, QS; ARUP, structural engineers/ M&E and Vectos for transport planning.

For more information, full details on all the spaces and up to date news on Newcastle Gateshead Quays, visit www.meetNewcastleGateshead.com/gatesheadquays

Get your tech right

We’re always on the go, so it didn’t require any planning for us to unplug laptops, ipads and retreat to the home office (ahem, dining room). We operate from the infamous ‘cloud’ and use Basecamp so we’re always connected, we can heartily recommend Basecamp. ‘Zooming’ is now commonplace, although I’ve already written a strongly worded letter to Dell regarding the location of the camera on my model, it’s somehow angled to get all of my chin(s), and with the current proximity to my fridge I feel personally victimised.

Lists

Always a favourite for the clipboard wielding event planners. Ours are obviously digital now in Basecamp, but the odd post-it with the three most important things to achieve in a day doesn’t go amiss.

1) Don’t turn on Netflix
2) Don’t turn on Netflix or sit on the sofa
3) Don’t turn on Netflix or sit on the sofa and get the blankets

Capsule your workload

Hugely popular across the BHE office, we ‘batch’ our workload due to the number of projects we work on. So programme in the diary work on specific projects/tasks, and plan out your day. You’re more accountable when there is an Outlook reminder telling you you’ve really got to find out where to source that huge pineapple. With fewer interruptions and a focus, it’s easier to complete tasks one at a time.

Boundaries

We’re used to working onsite so can set up a workspace anywhere, from a tiny bird hide in Kielder Forest, to the House of Lords, we’ve remotely worked all across the country. Once you’ve set boundaries in terms of workspace, you must also stick to time boundaries. Yes, you are saving on the daily commute, but you can’t extend the day as this isn’t always good for our mental health. You’ll be more productive in your working hours, rather than experiencing burn out. For lunch (and always take a lunch), get out of your workspace, take a turn around the garden, get some fresh air or finally sort out that sock drawer you’ve been putting off (yes that is my plan for Thursday and what of it?).

Don’t Isolate

Digitally that is. We’re used to being around people, they are at the centre of the business, so we have made it a priority. We have regular team Zoom calls scheduled in, get regular pup-dates from team members on Whatsapp, and ping each other regularly to make sure nobody is feeling the negative effects of working at home. So Carol, what did you have for lunch today??

Just remember having Netflix on the background, NEVER works.