Reading: ConnectTVT's 'Festival of Digital Disruption' takes place from April 20-25

Prepare for upload, download and potential overload as the Festival of Digital Disruption gets underway in Reading from April 20-24.

Festival organiser ConnectTVT has provided a jam-packed compendium of choice for digital technology enthusiasts (and those just wishing to learn more) within a week-long programme of talks, seminars and hands-on workshops.

Activities will be staged at ConnectTVT’s workbase, provided by Oxford Properties, at Grow@Green Park within 250 South Oak Way, Reading (RG2 6UG), just off M4 J-11.

The events – all free-entry – include interactive discussions on digital skills, innovation and talent identification, a video challenge with an ’Oscars’ style awards evening, investgation of the gap between acdemia and the businessworld, a Bootcamp for startups, drone time trials, big data and Google developer meet-ups, a virtual reality room, 3D design and printing, cyber security, and IBM and ARM practical workshops on the Internet of Things.

As Louize Clarke, co-founder of ConnectTVT, says: “Digital skills will be at the heart of the region’s future competitiveness. If we want the Thames Valley to remain a region that’s synonymous with technology leadership, innovation and growth, we need to harness and shape the skills that enable this.”

The Festival of Digital Disruption follows the success of November's Thames Valley Tech Week, also staged by ConnectTVT, which is now acknowledged in the latest Tech City UK ‘Tech Nation’ report as a significant driving force in re-energising the Thames Valley digital startup scene.

On April 24, Gerard Grech, CEO of Tech City UK, will also be officially opening the ConnectTVT Open Device Lab, 3D printing zone, hardware and software development laboratory at Grow@GreenPark.

This lab will be able to offer startups access to products that can be prohibitively expensive but are essential to driving their business ideas forward.  By creating a collision environment that encourages creativity, ConnectTVT believes the result will be the formation of more startups.

• ConnectTVT has recently undertaken the Thames Valley’s first Digital Skills Survey. Look out for the results in the next edition of The Business Magazine.