Member Article

Shining the Spotlight: 'It is time for the North East creative digital community to come of age'

Over 200 people from the North East’s digital and creative industry came together at Wylam Brewery, Newcastle, last night in a bid to shine the spotlight on the sector and support oneanother.

‘We are the new industrial centre of the region’ said an impassioned Jim Mawdsley, CEO of Generator, as he addressed the room.

Mr Mawdsley who leads Digital Union, a representative body for the North East’s digital and creative sector, unveiled the support organisation’s media strategy and gathered a panel of regional and national journalists in an attempt to bring the region’s tech scene closer to those who popularise it through their respective publications.

In an evening designed to motivate and demonstrate how the industry can raise its game and compete with other UK creative powerhouses, Shining the Spotlight featured a media pack of stories showcasing a spectrum of digital businesses from the region.

The guest business and tech editorial panel, which included Chris Tighe from the FT and Martin Bryant from Tech North, alongside Jamie Hardesty from Bdaily, Graeme Whitfield from the Journal and Suzy Jackson from BQ, assembled to provide insight into helping firms to get their stories heard.

Kari Owers of OPR, who chaired the panel discussion, said: “Tonight’s event showed there is a hunger by the media for the creative digital community to share their stories, and also for them to use their representative bodies to raise the volume about our economic value to the region.

“The tips by the journalists that took part were frank and insightful to each of their media platforms and I hope everyone will act on them so we can raise the profile of such a vibrant section of our business community.”

#ThisIsMINE

As part of the event, Digital Union also officially confirmed its adoption and the full backing of the #ThisIsMINE brand campaign to be rolled out to all Digital Union members in a collaborative attempt to bring the industry closer together and to inspire entrepreneurship in the region.

Delivering a keynote speech, which was met with cheers and applause from around the room Jim said: “We are sick and tired of hearing about Manchester and other regions. Of course they are good at shouting about themselves but a lot of it is smoke in mirrors in my view.

“Most of their decent companies are corporate owned and, while there is nothing wrong with that, we now need to realise that this region is fiercely independent.

“As a sector, we are in charge of our own destiny and possess much more creative flair than other regions. It is time for the North East creative digital community to come of age.

“We need to shine the spotlight on all of the amazing work that is being produced here. We need the national media to know what we’re doing and that the North East is not only a hot bed for creative digital talent but also an amazing collaborative and dynamic cluster.”

The aim of Generator’s new business support strategy is to grow the creative digital sector and improve on the current figure of £33,613.77 per individual GVA contribution to the UK economy currently achieved in the North East LEP area of Newcastle, Gateshead, Durham and Sunderland – a figure higher than the GVA per person of Greater Manchester.

Speaking after the event - which closed with a networking opportunity for attendees - Ben Quigley (above far right), of the creative digital marketing firm Everything Different, added: “This event has been fantastic. The creative digital sector contributes £1.25bn and 18,000 jobs to the economy here yet we aren’t as well known as we should be and this is a barrier to growth.

“Creative digital businesses are often under capitalised and under skilled and have unequal access to infrastructure they need to reach their potential.

“Supporting collaboration and promoting the great stuff we are inventing here through campaigns such as #ThisIsMine is a brilliant way to make change start happening and show that we are #InventingTheFuture.”

Generator, which oversees the Digital Union membership network and represents the leading creative digital companies in the North East,recently announced a new ERDF-funded business support programme worth £1.7m supporting creative digital businesses in the North East LEP area over the next two years.

As the North East of England’s leading creative digital development agency, over the last six years, it has provided an innovative programme of business support to the commercial creative industries, creating 98 new businesses, supporting 322 new companies and 249 existing firms – generating 225 new jobs since 2010 in the process.

Jim added: “The world is our stage. And our new slogan is for everyone here who is inventing the future. This event has been made in the North East. Or as we should now say, ThisIsMine.”