BUSINESS NEWS
BATH DIGITAL FESTIVAL RETURNS FOR 2018
Local businesses, IT experts, and digital pioneers will be taking a step into the future later this year at the Bath Digital Festival 2018. Now in its sixth year, the festival will run from 23-27 October 2018 at numerous locations across Bath.
The 2017 event attracted over 2000 individuals ranging in age from pre-school to pensioners who took part in more than 80 events across 26 venues. Recently, Bath was named one of the UK’ s‘ top 10 tech hubs of tomorrow’ by The Financial Times.
Tim Warren, Bath and North East Somerset Council leader, said:“ Last year’ s event was a huge success for all those involved. I am delighted this event is coming back to the City again this year as the digital sector is becoming more and more important to Bath’ s economy.”
Based on the theme of‘ Discovery’, the
2018 programme promises“ even more” innovative advances, inclusive events, and debate.
Among the corporate sponsors already signed up to add their expertise this year are Invest in Bath, Minuteman Press and Bathbased Mayden Academy, who specialise in fast-track software developer training programmes.
Jim Morrison, director of Bath Digital Festival and CEO of Deep Blue Sky, added:“ Understanding and embracing digital technology is what the Bath Digital Festival is all about. Technologies are changing and advancing at an incredible pace – and everyone is impacted, from families to multinational corporations.”
He said:“ We live and work in one of the epicentres of this acceleration. So we have a duty as a city, and as a community of leading tech companies like Deep Blue Sky, to bring together everyone whom digital change touches, with those who are at the leading edge of that change.”
If you’ ve got an idea to showcase, a story to tell, or you’ d like to sponsor Bath Digital Festival 2018 then there’ s still time to get involved.
Bath trio win Queen’ s Award for Enterprise
Three Bath firms have been awarded The Queen’ s Award for Enterprise 2018, the UK’ s highest accolade for business success.
Gifting company Wild & Wolf received their award in the International Trade category. Founded in 2005, and now employing 150 people globally, Wild & Wolf creates design-led gifts and lifestyle products across a wide portfolio of popular licensed and own brands.
Paul Taylor, CEO at Wild & Wolf said“ It is a great honour to have been awarded the prestigious Queen’ s Award for Enterprise: International Trade. We’ ve experienced tremendous growth in our international trade, particularly in the last 3 years. Once a predominantly UK driven business, by the end of 2018 two thirds of our business will be outside of the UK, with the USA being our single biggest market.”
Rocketmakers won their award for innovation, in particular for the creation of the Performance Data Management System( PDMS). The system was built in partnership with the English Institute of Sport, which is used by elite British athletes to improve performance and avoid injuries.
Richard Godfrey, CEO of Rocketmakers, said:“ Winning the Queen’ s Award is an enormous honour for Rocketmakers, and real validation of the hard work we have been doing for the last decade. We would like to thank our partners at the English
Institute of Sport, and the athletes that use PDMS every day, for giving us the opportunity to work with them.”
Wessex Water’ s award came in Sustainable Development, the third time they had won in that category. Wessex Water’ s first commitment to becoming a sustainable company came back in 1996, and their operations centre just outside of Bath is among the most environmentally friendly offices in the UK.
Dan Green, Head of Sustainability and Innovation at Wessex Water, commented:“ We’ re thrilled and immensely honoured to pick up the Queen’ s Award for a third
For further information on the range of sponsorship packages available, or to register your interest as a speaker or volunteer, visit: www. bathdigitalfestival. co. uk
01225 582482
@ bathdigital
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4 THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2018