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Wayne Hemingway to head Newcastle Superfast Summit

Fashion entrepreneur Wayne Hemingway will head up a ‘Superfast Summit’ in Newcastle which will help firms learn more about free business help.

The event this Thursday (July 3), organised by Go Digital Newcastle, will bring together commercial landlords, internet suppliers, companies, charities and voluntary organisations to highlight the free connection vouchers and business support available.

Superfast broadband can speed up Wi-Fi and improve reliability, enabling businesses to reach more customers, promote their products and services and cut costs with more efficient working.

Businesses in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Gateshead are invited to apply for free Connection Vouchers worth up to £3,000 towards connecting to superfast broadband, which could give them the competitive edge they need.

Internet suppliers exhibiting at the event will be able to provide quotes to those businesses keen to take advantage of the Connection Vouchers.

Wayne Hemingway MBE – co-founder of the Red or Dead label and of multi-disciplinary designers HemingwayDesign - leads a multi-faceted business empire.

He will be addressing the issue of how the digital arena has opened up a world of opportunities for businesses.

And he will reveal how he and his wife, Gerardine, also an MBE, have used those opportunities to further grow the many strands of their businesses, including HemingwayDigital, a division of the renowned and award-winning Hemingway Design.

Councillor Ged Bell, Cabinet Member for Investment and Development, said: “There’s never been a better opportunity for local companies, commercial landlords and charities to take advantage of free funding and practical help to reach more people.

“Go Digital Newcastle has the potential to boost the city’s economy by £150m, but only if organisations take advantage of the connection vouchers and make use of the business support that’s available.”

Jonathan Walker, NECC Head of Member Relations, said: “I would encourage all businesses to get involved and take advantage of the free support available.”

Those attending the Superfast Summit will also hear from companies who have already benefited from Go Digital Newcastle, and charities and voluntary organisations who are using the internet to reach more people and boost fundraising.

Go Digital Newcastle is being run by Newcastle City Council to bring superfast broadband to 97 per cent of the city by 2015, and is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

• The Go Digital Newcastle Superfast Summit is taking place at Centre for Life, Newcastle, on Thursday.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .