London's role as one of the world's foremost digital hubs will be showcased in June this year as the capital holds its first London Technology Week, the largest series of tech events ever seen in Europe.
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Some of the world's biggest tech brands, including Microsoft and Google, will share the stage with home-grown London tech companies as thousands of entrepreneurs, investors and developers attend London Technology Week, which will take place from 16 - 20 June.
Over 70 independently run events have now signed up to participate in London Technology Week which will be hosted across the city, from Old Street to Croydon, and from the Docklands to Westminster. Tech-savvy professionals will take part in large international conferences, showcasing workshops, face-to-face investor meetings, idea pitching competitions and innovative hackathons.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: "London's first ever Technology Week will showcase London's role as the digital capital of Europe, with a range of innovative businesses now calling the city their home, attracting both significant investment and some of the best and brightest talent on the planet. Throughout the week tens of thousands of the industry's top tech professionals will flock here to share brilliant new ideas, build business relationships and help cement London's position as a top global tech hub."
London Technology Week has been organised by UBM Live, in association with London & Partners - the Mayor's official promotional organisation for London, ExCeL London and Tech London Advocates. The week features one of Europe's must-attend tech events, Internet World (17 - 19 June), which will take place in ExCeL London and is expected to attract up to 10,000 visitors. Internet World will include a number of influential events, such as the Big Data Show and the first European edition of international IT event Interop.
Gordon Innes, Chief Executive of London & Partners, said: "London is home to some of the world's most innovative and creative technology businesses. Since between 2010 and 2013 over 340 tech companies in the capital have attracted investment of over £1.47 billion[1] to the city, and with over 155,600 digital tech employees[2] working across London, tech is becoming as an important part of the city's economic infrastructure as banking or tourism.
"London Technology Week is the best way to shine a light on this thriving industry, getting us to showcase the talent we have in the city on a global stage."
London Technology Week will also give start-ups the opportunity to showcase their ideas for investment opportunities, receive free advice from highly experienced mentors, and get to practice how to pitch effectively to Venture Capitalists. London based group, Hipsters, Hackers and Hustlers, who aim to support and foster fast-growing tech companies, will be hosting events across the week, including a co-founder speed-dating and pitching evening where attending start-ups have 30-seconds to present their business plans.
There are events for all categories of tech professionals across the week, no matter what stage they are in their career. At Made@City students from the City of London will be showing off their innovative tech creations, while entrepreneurs can get valuable advice from InvestHK on how to grow their business in China and across Asia, and at Big Data Hack Day developers will work together to create a new music recommendation system.
For business networking opportunities, Enterprise Europe Network will host TechMatch, a unique event that gives small and medium-sized tech enterprises the opportunity to meet and talk face-to-face with some of Europe's most influential companies in digital marketing, eCommerce, social media, cloud computing services and mobile.
Russ Shaw, a member of the London Technology Ambassador Group and founder of Tech London Advocates, said: "London has always been a city of opportunity. In 2014, that desire for ambition and growth has taken root in the technology sector. The eyes of the world are on our capital city as the very best entrepreneurs, investors and developers have started turning start-ups into multimillion pound success stories.
"The landscape for start-ups has never been better and the first London Technology Week will provide an unrivalled platform for entrepreneurs and investors, and is set to be one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The UK has long been revered for its creative talent and the combination of world class innovation and cutting edge technology on offer in London is sure to attract global investors and tech leaders to these events."
Adrian Newton, UBM Live's Group Director of Transport & Technology, said: "London Technology Week is a real opportunity to show the rest of the world just how important the city is to the global technology industry. While it will encompass well-established London-based events such as Internet World, it will also see international events such as Interop coming to Europe for the first time. With more than 70 events confirmed London Technology Week will be the perfect showcase for the city's thriving tech scene."
Jeremy Rees, Executive Director of ExCeL London, said: "Both the Events Industry and Tech industries are booming in London so it makes perfect sense to create London Technology Week with both industries working together. At ExCeL London we have developed a reputation as one of Europe's leading venues for technology events. We are therefore delighted to be playing our part as a venue partner in London Technology Week."
Highlights of London Technology Week:
- RE.WORK The Future of Education (16 June, Somerset House):
This one-day workshop which will bring together education practitioners, technologists, innovators and strategists to discuss, explore and collaborate in order to discover how advancing technology will impact education.
- Internet World (17 - 19 June, ExCeL London):
Incorporating both Interop London and Big Data Show, as well the new Tech Transformation Forum, this event will enable visitors the chance to define and deliver all aspects of their digital strategy. The event will bring together business leaders, operational heads, marketing and development professionals, IT specialists, developers and technical experts with leading technology innovators and solution providers.
- Leisure Tech Expo (17 - 18 June. The O2):
The event will showcase the latest developments, products and software that can be harnessed to help attractions and suppliers to engage with their visitors. There will be a host of guest speakers, workshops and opportunities to 'road test' the new technologies.
- Tech Fest - A Love Byte (20 June, ExCeL London):
Now in its third year, this is Europe's largest dedicated event technology show. It will include a mix of great content from world-class speakers and the latest innovations in event technology.
There will be free, ticketed and closed events across the week. For more information about London Technology Week and a full up-dated list of events, visit http://londontechnologyweek.co.uk/ .
Notes to Editors
Sources
- Figures according to corporate finance firm Ascendant
- ONS/GLA
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