Brighton’s biggest private sector employer American Express is to sponsor the Brighton Digital Festival next month.
And the Dome will be the hub of the month-long festival – Britain’s biggest festival of digital art and culture – which starts on Monday 1 September.
The grassroots-led festival is guided by the Brighton Digital Festival Consortium, a volunteer steering group of local digital businesses and cultural organisations.
It hosted 175 events last year, attracting a total audience of more than 41,000 people.
A report in the Brighton and Hove Independent said that the continued support of American Express would help Europe’s fastest-growing digital culture festival celebrate the best in digital creativity and innovation.
The free weekly newspaper quoted festival manager Jesse Black Mooney as saying: “It’s great that American Express has chosen to support Brighton Digital Festival for the second year.
“Their contribution will allow the festival to reach new audiences and get more people involved in celebrating digital culture across Brighton and Hove.
“The creativity and innovation that takes place in the city is truly inspiring and we’re thrilled that American Express continues to champion the growth of the festival and its community of amazing event organisers.”
American Express Technology vice-president Katrina Roberts said: “As one of the largest local IT employers, we are excited to be supporting the UK’s biggest digital festival.
“At American Express we aim to be at the forefront of technological advancements to ensure we have the capabilities in place to meet the evolving needs of our customers.
“The Brighton Digital Festival provides an opportunity to deepen our links with a rapidly growing technology community and showcase the best the region has to offer in creativity, innovation and skill.
“More widely, it will help reinforce the city’s status as a growing technology hub and encourage new digital and creative talent to the area.”
Seven events have already been confirmed at the Dome – one of several venues being used during the festival.
These include an SEO conference and training sessions, with talks from some of the best speakers in the world of search, on Thursday 11 September and Friday 12 September.
A three-day conference for web designers and coders, called Reasons to be Creative, is being held at the Dome from Monday 1 September to Wednesday 3 September.
And on Thursday 4 September the same venue hosts Improving Reality, a day of talks by thinkers from technology, film, education and art. The following day dConstruct 2014 takes place with the theme of Living with the Network.
Other highlights at the Dome include the Brighton Mini Maker Faire on Saturday 6 September, the Brighton Digital Marketing Festival on Thursday 18 September and Let’s Get Real Conference, also on Thursday 18 September.
Andrew Comben, chief executive of Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival, said that the venue was only too happy to get involved.
He said: “I am delighted that Brighton Dome is the 2014 hub venue for Brighton’s Digital Festival.
“We recently launched enterprise-class wifi across all five venues so that we are equipped to handle up to 10,000 concurrent users, perfectly timed for the start of the festival.”
The Brighton Digital Festival is supported by Arts Council England and Brighton and Hove City Council.
Event organisers can apply to take part in the celebration of digital culture through the festival website http://www.brightondigitalfestival.co.uk.
More information on events, conferences and exhibitions taking part in the festival will be available in the coming weeks.
