TechNExt Festival 2024

June 2024 marked the second year of TechNExt, a five-day festival celebrating the North East’s technology sector. TechNExt is underwritten by Dynamo North East CIC, co-organised by Sunderland Software City and the event management is delivered by partners BeaconHouse Events. The festival attracted approximately 3,000 attendees and featured over 70 community-led fringe events alongside five curated main events. These events highlighted the best in tech across the region, with curated events including the inaugural Schools Challenge at Durham Town Hall, the Industry Dinner at the Fire Station Sunderland, Tech Talent Live at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead, the Main Stage Conference at the Crowne Plaza, and the Festival Party at Revolución de Cuba.

This year’s Main Stage Conference was the festival’s largest event, focusing on the theme of ‘Tech for Good.’ 6 keynote speakers from across the UK, alongside 2 North East based tech entrepreneurs shared insights on how technology can address societal challenges, making a significant impact on the audience. The Schools Challenge also made its debut, engaging school children aged 9-13 in developing tech solutions to answer real-world problems during the summer term, with their ideas celebrated at the Durham Town Hall event during the festival week.

The festival continued its ‘Good Festival’ legacy from 2023, with quality, inclusivity, diversity, accessibility and sustainability at the heart of the festival.

“The festival showcased so many good things about the region. The vibe was a good balance between social and professional. Very well organised, great purpose, great format – can’t wait until next year!” 2024 Festival Attendee