On Monday 2nd October, the Bournemouth International Centre was a hive of activity as 1,000 students attended Digital Wave

Monday, 16 October 2017

On Monday 2nd October, the Bournemouth International Centre was a hive of activity as 1,000 students attended Digital Wave – the largest digital youth conference in the UK. Aimed at young people between 14 and 19 years old, the event showcases the many different careers and opportunities in the digital and creative industries.

Organised and funded by award-winning digital agency Redweb, the conference attracted a variety of local and international speakers from digital agencies, game development, visual effects studios and global pioneers in technology.

The exhibitions area was buzzing with energy as students had the chance to get hands-on with new technology, including VR headsets, 3D printing pens, robots and interactive games. Exhibitors included Bournemouth University, Bournemouth and Poole College, Barclays Eagle Labs, J P Morgan as well as local agencies Greenwood Campbell, Crowd, Cold Banana Studio, Createful and hosts Redweb.

Attendees gained valuable insights into all corners of the industry from speakers including:

•Amanda Follit, Head of Digital Operations Services at Amaze – Winner of an FDM Everywoman award, Amanda detailed the ups and downs of her career, shared advice, and emphasised how doing what you love means you’ll never work a day in your life.
•Mike Hawkyard, Amuzo Games, and Jack Bishop, Propel Worldwide – As well as talking about how their collaboration bridges the gap between the virtual and real world, Mike and Jack gave a live demo of their Star Wars drone. Their talk left a lasting impression, with lively audience interaction, stunts and even a competition to win a Star Wars X-Wing drone.
•Thor Mitchell, product.careers – With his experience of working at Google, as well as numerous other leading tech companies, Thor gave thoughtful, practical guidance in a talk titled ‘An introvert’s guide to a career in technology’, including speaking in public and how to network.
•Tom Davis, CloudServe – Heading up Managed Services at only 22 years old, Tom was perfectly placed to share his tips and tools for getting ahead in the tech sector at such a young age, and where tech might be going in the future – from space exploration to artificial intelligence.
•Vivienne Rudcenko, YEAY – With a varied career in communications, Vivienne talked about how today’s young people, more than anyone, innately understand digital and explained how they can turn their hobby into a business.

Other speakers included Jamie Sergeant of Crowd, Matt Hawkins from MiMiC, Ari Rubenstein of Blue Sky Studios, comedian and freelance creative Joe Bor, and LoveLove Films panel Georgina Hurcombe, Joanne Salmon and Oliver Selby – find out more about all the speakers at this year’s Digital Wave.

The event was a roaring success and would not have been possible without the help of sponsors Digital Horizons and Dorset Local Enterprise, as well as A/V partners BFX Festival and Brighter Productions.

Organiser of Digital Wave and Marketing Assistant at Redweb, Danielle Dwyer, said: “Redweb has a real passion for helping young people find opportunities in the industry. We’re so proud to host Digital Wave each year – and hopefully we’ve inspired the attendees to pursue a fulfilling career in digital.”

View the gallery of photos from the day, or see what you missed in our Digital Wave 2017 video.

Digital Wave will be back in 2018 – keep an eye on the website for updates or, if you’d like to get involved, please email hello@digitalwave.org.uk

-ENDS-
For more information on Redweb visit Redweb website
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