‘Record attendances’ expected for over 200 Leeds Digital Festival events next week

With a week to go until the Leeds Digital Festival gets underway, event places are filling up fast, with organisers predicting record attendance.

Over 240 events are taking place as part of the annual Festival, the UK’s largest open platform tech event and the biggest outside London. The first event, IP in the Metaverse, raises the curtain on the Festival on September 18, with events running until September 29 at a host of city centre venues and virtually.

The Festival is designed to inspire and encourage collaboration with the aim of promoting the strength of the sector in the city to a global audience. Confirmed high-profile guests include Paul Scully, the Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy and Clare Barclay, CEO of Microsoft UK.

Commenting on the launch, Stuart Clarke MBE, festival director, said: “This is the eighth year for Leeds Digital Festival, and the appetite for this year’s event programme has been phenomenal, with many events booking up fully straight away.

“With such a high number of events this year, making it our most packed programme ever, there should be enough variety for anyone looking to attend, but I’d urge visitors to get their places booked soon to avoid disappointment.”

The Festival itinerary includes events ranging from The Yorkshire Data and Digital Conference to designing digital hospitals, and events focused on the metaverse, sustainability, cyber-security, AI and a CAD to Catwalk session hosted by global luxury brand Burberry.

Also taking place is the Leeds Digital Careers Fair on September 26 at Leeds Arena. It will showcase over 100 employers and training providers, with over 1,500 attendees expected to attend.

Simon Wright, acting UK CEO of premier sponsors PEXA, added: “With such a comprehensive and diverse range of events this year, we’re confident of igniting excitement among attendees and encouraging collaborative working to highlight the strengths of the digital community in the city.

“The majority of the events being staged are free to attend to ensure accessibility and inclusivity for all, ensuring there’s something suitable for everyone.”

The Festival is supported by premier sponsors BJSS, TPP and PEXA, alongside executive sponsors Accenture, Glean, Jungle IT, LCC, Lloyds Bank, Nexus, University of Leeds, and Flutter. An event to launch the Festival will be hosted by sponsors, Leeds Building Society on September 14.

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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