There's plenty to celebrate locally in digital this month!
By Sarah Cronk, October 2023
Welcome to the new members of our digital community in Eastbourne who attended DigiFest! We really hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did hosting it.
A huge thank you goes out to all who were involved, from sponsors and supporters to exhibitors and attendees. Everyone pulled together for the greater good of the local digital sector and Eastbourne, which is what we have been trying to build with our Chalk Eastbourne community. We are hoping that this year’s DigiFest will be the first of many.
You can read our wrap up of the day here.
We know many of you are patiently waiting for the recordings from talks and workshops to be made available - these are on their way, we promise! Keep an eye on our social media and we'll share a link to the playlist VERY soon.
Eastbourne DigiFest aside, we have LOADS of news and updates from our community this month. Keep reading...
Starting next month: Join us at Chalk Connect!
We're thrilled to introduce Chalk Connect - a new Chalk community group that provides its attendees with a platform for nurturing their passions for coding and technology, giving them space to work in cross-functional teams and exchange ideas.
Whether you're a seasoned tech pro, a student, or a coding enthusiast, Chalk Connect is your platform to build relationships and share insights; a great place for learning and finding out what others are doing and working on to gain new ideas and insights.
Chalk Connect will provide a dedicated space for collaborative exploration. Imagine cross-functional teams working together on projects that bridge the gap between coding and design. This is a space where ideas are exchanged, where professionals and students from diverse backgrounds come together to learn, share, and ignite their creative sparks.
Our vision extends to exciting events for the future. From hackathons that challenge participants to think outside the box to competitive Capture the Flag events that showcase cybersecurity skills, we're committed to providing avenues for growth, learning, and fun.
But we value your opinions and aspirations, so we'll encourage all participants to share their thoughts on what they want to achieve in the group - our first session will focus on this so we can shape the direction of Chalk Connect together, ensuring it remains a dynamic and relevant platform for all its attendees.
When?
The first Tuesday of every month from 5pm to 7pm - the first session takes place on Tuesday 7th November.
Where?
FOUNDRY, The Beacon, Eastbourne, BN21 3NW
What should I bring?
Bring your laptop, a passion project or two that you're working on, and an open mind to chat and work alongside professionals and students from across the spectrum of digital careers.
How much is it?
The first launch session is free, so come along and see what you make of it!
Ongoing pricing still TBC, but we commit to keeping it affordable for all.
Want to be part of the first session? Simply email hello@chalkeastbourne.com to let us know to expect you.
A Chat with: Robbie Warwick, Founder, Programme Director and Product Owner
Our featured digital professional this month is Robbie Warwick, who has been working at the Home Office since 2011. He's also set up his own tech company, Random Creation House, to create a pipeline of apps; the first being a food and grocery planning app to make good, healthy, nutritious food affordably available to more people.
We caught up with him to find out more about his career journey and what he gets up to in his day-to-day life in the world of tech. From migrating 60,000 users to voice and video collaboration during the pandemic to ways to launch new products and services, Robbie's done it all - whilst embracing his neurodiversity.
Read our interview with him to find out why he chooses to live in Eastbourne rather than London, how he keeps up to date with tech by being like a toddler, and how he goes about pinning down that idea for a new solution.
Eastbourne's Racquet Studios partner with Canon Europe for Virtual Production Demonstrations during IBC 2023
At the recent IBC 2023 at RAI Amsterdam convention centre, Racquet Studios partnered with Canon to deliver a stunning XR stage, demonstrating a range of bespoke virtual environments and workflows. With hands-on real-time shooting opportunities, the set highlighted Canon’s cutting-edge Flex Zoom Cinema lenses with a host of high-quality virtual backdrops and partner brands. Racquet Studios demonstrated the benefits of shooting on a virtual set with a best-in-class ecosystem and dynamic solutions.
With daily presentations throughout the conference on "The Art of Photogrammetry", Racquet Studios gave an insight into the benefits of producing 'digital twins' of objects and environments with an overview of the various applications in which they are useful for filmmakers and lateral channels.
Simon Skinner, Managing Director at Racquet Studios, said: "As a new and ambitious virtual film production team and facility, located on the South East Coast of the UK, we have worked tirelessly to ensure the highest quality results possible. Canon has been integral in this journey and we are excited to present the results of this partnership."
Strategic new partnership focused on improving access to digital experiences announced
Eastbourne's industry-leading digital accessibility champions Zoonou and London-based inclusive international marketing agency Purple Goat have entered into a strategic partnership. The collaboration is focused on improving access to digital experiences and creating a genuine impact on the lives of disabled people.
Despite 22% of the UK identifying as disabled, less than 1% of website homepages meet standard accessibility requirements. The Zoonou-Purple Goat partnership brings together expertise in accessibility testing and marketing strategy to support clients with their accessibility journey. The unique combination will give clients access to award-winning digital marketing capabilities whilst being confident it will be compliant with the latest international web accessibility standards.
Silver Jubilee for Calibre Marketing to be celebrated this autumn
Celebrating a quarter century in business, Calibre Marketing has been helping clients fly higher for 25 years this autumn. During that time, the company with a hot air balloon as its logo, has taken many clients, from multinationals to small businesses, to new heights.
Started in the same year as Google and the Millennium Dome build commenced, Calibre has grown to have a portfolio of quality clients across many different products and services, served by its committed crew who cover the full marketing and communications spectrum from website optimisation and online marketing to media relations, social media and branding.
Eastbourne ALIVE - Get involved!
If you hadn't already heard, Eastbourne ALIVE kicked off last week, celebrating the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that the Turner Prize 2023 offers. It's a hugely exciting time to be in Eastbourne, so get involved and support our creative sector.
There's so much going on you might not know where to start, but new installations are popping up all over Eastbourne so you're likely to cross paths! Check out the full guide to what's on here.
One last thing…
🎄 Save the date! 🎄
It's too soon to mention the "C" word, but DigiFestive is coming on Friday 8th December... keep your eyes peeled for updates...
