More speakers announced for Thinking Digital

The roll call of international speakers at this years Thinking Digital event has been finalised and includes an internationally acclaimed author,a BBC innovator and a roboticist.

The conference will take place on 21-23 May at the Sage Gateshead Music Centre and features a varied programme of innovative thinkers.

Among the roster of speakers is author Matt Ridley, whose most recent work, ‘The Rational Optimist: How prosperity evolves’ has sparked vigorous debate and Head of Computational Ecology & Environmental Science at Microsoft Research Cambridge, Drew Purves.

Alexander Reben, a roboticist, engineer and artist from Boston, whose film, ’ World’s First Documentary Shot And Directed Entirely By Robots“ was included in the Tribeca International Film Festival also features in the programme of speakers.

Ian Robertston, Professor of Psychology at Trinity College, Dublin, who has been published in The Times and The Huffington Post, will also be speaking, as well as Adrian Woolard who helped create the BBC Future Media North Lab at MediaCity in Salford.

Elsewhere, Derek Scobie, who runs Google’s YouTube Brand Propositions team for Northern and Central Europe and Facebook’s newest employee, Maria Giudice, can be heard.

Also addressing the conference are, Bob Paton, MD of Accenture Newcastle, entrepreneur David Erasmus, Rob Wilson, Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University Business School and Markham Nolan, Managing Editor of news agency, Storyful.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to hear, Director of Teaching and Learning at Newcastle University, Colin Ashurst, Paul Smith, Director of Ignite100 start-up incubator, consultant Stuart Anderson, social media trainer and writer, Katie Moffat and writer and founder of the worlds first virtual business school, Eddie Obeng.

The Founder & Director of Thinking Digital, Herb Kim, said, “We filled the Main Hall so quickly this year, it’s amazing to see that the interest in Thinking Digital remains so strong.

“For us, Thinking Digital is more than just a conference, it’s an experience.

“While the content is extraordinary we believe it’s our focus on delivering the total experience that lies at the heart of our success.”

Further speakers whose attendance was previously announced by Digital Thinking will also feature in the conference’s running order.

Also returning this year is the Second Annual Thinking Digital Start-up Competition which is made possible with support from Sage One competition entry is open until Tuesday, 30th April.