The first , which will take place across the city from 17th to 21st October 2022, has received backing from six huge names in business with bases in the region.聽
Booking.com, MoneySuperMarket Group, BJSS, Morson Group and Venturi Limited are all founding partners of the festival, while Oscar Recruitment is its first sponsor. All six companies have been incredibly supportive of the festival and believed in it when it was nothing more than an idea on a piece of paper.
Amy Newton, co-founder and director at Manchester Tech Festival, explained: 鈥淥ur mission is to establish an annual festival that represents Manchester鈥檚 true tech self. Manchester Tech Festival is the people鈥檚 festival. We want to give a voice to everyone in Greater Manchester鈥檚 vibrant tech scene, showcasing that it鈥檚 our time to reign.鈥�
The festival programme will feature more than 40 free events across the city, including meetups, pop-ups, lectures, hackathons, discussions, debates, socials and a core two-day event at the iconic Victoria Baths.聽
The organisers鈥� aim is to help those working in or interested in the tech space learn, create, thrive and shape the 2022 Manchester tech scene and beyond.
Ged Mason, CEO at Morson Group (pictured below), said: 鈥淭he Manchester Tech Festival will celebrate everything that鈥檚 great about the tech sector that is right on our doorstep. Greater Manchester鈥檚 tech scene is one of the best in the world, yet the sector faces an increasing skills shortage which has been accelerated further by the pandemic.聽
鈥淲e need to be ready for the thousands of new roles which are expected over the coming decade.聽
鈥淭he festival is a unique opportunity to connect, collaborate and inspire tomorrow鈥檚 tech innovators. As a family-formed business with our roots firmly anchored in Greater Manchester, it鈥檚 important that we support such programmes, and I鈥檓 looking forward to an inspiring week of events as we come together with our peers to build inclusive futures.鈥�
Dan Smart, Engineering Manager (Test) for Booking.com and CTO of the festival, echoed these sentiments. 鈥淭he festival will demonstrate what it鈥檚 like to work in the most vibrant regional tech sector in the country. The next generation of professionals will get the chance to hear from speakers and network with some of the region鈥檚 biggest names in the field,鈥� he said.聽
Mike Dicks, head of delivery at BJSS Manchester & Liverpool, feels that the community element to the festival is vital: 鈥淏JSS is committed to supporting Manchester’s tech community, and we’re reinforcing this as a founding partner of the Manchester Tech Festival.
“We’re passionate about supporting all the communities within which BJSS operates. Since we opened our office in Manchester in 2012, we’ve supported the local tech community by sharing our local and international insights and education via the city’s vibrant Meetup scene.聽
鈥淢anchester Tech Festival is a not-for-profit event that has been born out of our regional Meetup scene, and we see it as a vital platform for addressing the digital skills shortage in the area.聽
鈥淲e’re looking forward to supporting the inaugural festival to inspire, educate and encourage people from all backgrounds to develop the digital skills that are so important to improving citizens’ lives.鈥�
The festival will examine how Greater Manchester鈥檚 tech community can achieve their goals through shared experiences, highlighting successes and failures. Attendees will witness first-hand what it鈥檚 like to be part of the UK鈥檚 most vibrant regional hotspots for tech, whilst hearing from and networking amongst some of the combined authority鈥檚 biggest and most innovative names within the sector.
Registrations for this year鈥檚 festival, together with more information about speakers and exhibitors, can be found at