GATESHEAD LAUNCHES INTERNATIONAL Digital Festival

Gateshead is getting ready for seven weeks of Wow! as preparations for a major international festival celebrating the digital age get underway.

Launched today (4 March, 2010), the 2010 Gateshead Digital Summer will be the region’s first ever international celebration of digital technology, with events attracting industry experts from throughout the UK and Europe, as well as local businesses and the public .

Gateshead Digital Summer, which will run from 24th May to 10th July, will boast great films, international guest speakers and important announcements about the latest developments in digital innovation, attracting industry experts from around the region.

The games industry will be well represented, with an important international games conference coming to Gateshead, along with opportunities for the public to see sneak previews of yet-to-be-released video games and the chance to take part in a major video game competition.

Event’s already scheduled include:

The international ‘Thinking Digital’ conference at The Sage Gateshead, a three-day event for industry experts examining the latest in digital innovation and attracting speakers and around 400 delegates from the US and Europe,

‘GameHorizon’, Europe’s only international conference for game designers and manufacturers, with previews of upcoming games, reviews of current and future technologies, and a host of international speakers,

‘Popcorn’, a two-day digital film festival that celebrates the new age of cinema and gives local youngsters the chance to learn more about the latest mind-blowing digital techniques.

In addition, plans are also being made for the launch of Gateshead Game Hero 2010, a battle played out in public between 96 of the best video game players in the region.

Gateshead Digital Summer will be taking place at venues throughout Gateshead including The Sage Gateshead on Gateshead Quays and the Metro Centre.

Dozens of other events and a host of smaller activities are also being planned for the 6 week festival.

Gateshead Digital Summer is being jointly co-ordinated by Gateshead Council and Codeworks, the centre for digital innovation. Based in the North East, Codeworks has hosted a number of exciting events within the region, and is one of the key regional supporters of the digital sector.

Councillor Mick Henry, Leader of Gateshead Council, says:

“Gateshead Digital Summer is a major innovation for Gateshead, and it promises to be an event of national and international importance.

“As well as being a public celebration of the digital age which everyone can get involved in, it will also be a hugely important event for the region’s growing digital business community, who will have the chance to take part, showcase their own products and innovation, and hear what the rest of the digital world has to say.

“This industry sector is a crucial part of Gateshead’s plans for the future and although this will be the event’s inaugural year, we are confident that this will become an important event in the borough’s – and the country’s – conference calendar.”

Herb Kim, CEO of Codeworks, says:

“The Gateshead Digital Summer will bring to the North East some of the very best the digital world has to offer, from amazing interactive games to international guest speakers outlining tomorrow’s digital developments all the way through to some of the best films created using digital tools.

“Over six weeks, the 2010 Gateshead Digital Summer will bring us the very best of tomorrow, today.

“We really feel honoured to have the opportunity to work with Gateshead Council to deliver an exciting and important new festival highlighting the positive impact that digital technologies are making for the future of Gateshead and how Gateshead has also become the home to a rapidly-growing digital and creative sector.”

The 2010 Gateshead Digital Summer will run from 24th May to 10th July with key events held at The Sage Gateshead, MetroCentre, and elsewhere in Gateshead. Further details, including details of Game Hero 2010 and other events, will be announced soon.

For further information, check the Gateshead Digital Summer website www.gatesheaddigitalsummer.com, or sign up for regular updates and latest news on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gatesheadsummer.

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