Halifax Digital Festival

Day 1 kicks off the festival with a spotlight on Digital Skills, delving into their importance, how they can be applied across most organisations and how closing the digital skills gap is more important and achievable than ever before. Whether you're a tech professional, a business leader, or simply curious about the topic - this day promises expertise that will help propel you into the future with ideas and inspiration.

Time

Activity

08:30 - 9:15

Breakfast, Registration and Networking

09:15 - 9:25

Hello and welcome to the Halifax Digital Festival with Jim Moran

AND Digital's Halifax Club Executive, Jim Moran, will kick off the Festival with some hopes and aspirations for the next 3 days and beyond.

09:30 - 09:50

A Warm welcome from Calderdale Council and the Good Things Foundation

We will set the stage for the next three days, showcasing the importance of Digital Skills within the regional Tech Economy and share more on the digital divide and skills gap, and how we can all play our part in closing it.

10:00 - 11:00

"I Don't Even Play Computer Games"

Be prepared to challenge your perception of what Digital Skills are and who can have them, as we share varied experiences and anecdotes in a panel discussion on how Digital Skills can be adopted by anyone that has the amibiton to learn, regardless of background, experience or sector.

Hosted by AND Digital

11:00 - 11:20

Refreshment break

11:20 - 12:30

The Power of Self-Led Learning in a Digital world

Take your learning to the next level as Learning and Development specialists showcase how you and/or your organisation can get on board with self-led learning when it comes to digital skills, what this means for them and how it can accelerate your personal development and business growth. Whether you're a leader, curious about digital or a professional looking to further your knowledge - there's something for everyone in this talk.

An interactive talk from AND Digital Anna Kelly, Senior L&D Consultant and Bhavna Nair, L&D Lead

12:30 - 13:40

Networking Lunch

13:40 - 14:40

Break out sessions

Breakout 1

"Want a Job in Digital? No Problem!"

Are you curious about Digital opportunities? A mini panel discussion that touches on how to explore what Digital Jobs and careers are out there and how to find one that you might enjoy, based on your interests, ambitions and values.

Breakout 2

How to recruit top tier talent outside of the big city

What makes people accept that Job offer and look to apply to your organisation in the first place? From benefits and progression routes to opportunities to grow skills - how might business leaders and other recruiters get better at hiring (and retaining) the best people. An informative talk from a highly experienced recruiter on how location doesn't necessarily matter.

A discussion with Sophie Hallam, AND Digital's North West Recruitment Lead

14:40 - 15:00

Refreshment break

15:00 - 16:00

"What do you mean Accessibility isn't optional?”

How can we all learn a bit more about accessibility and how digital skills might be shaped by having better accessibility knowledge? A refreshing and eye opening account on why accessibility isn't optional and how you could be excluding customers from your products and services, as well as impacting their quality of life if you forget about it.

A talk from Calderdale Council and AND Digital Developer and accessibility extraordinaire, Phil Steer

16:00 - 16:15

Closing remarks

16:15 - 18:00

HDF Marketplace 'Meet the Employer'

Hosted by Calderdale College and Calderdale Council

18:00

Event Finish

Dive into the world of Data & GenAI on Day 2 and uncover the transformative influence of data and artificial intelligence in shaping the future landscape of businesses and the future of Digital Jobs and Skills. Get on board with the Data-driven and GenAI Revolution!

Time

Activity

08:30 - 09:15

Breakfast, Registration & Networking

09:15 - 09:20

Welcome and introduction to GenAI and Data

A brief introduction to the day ahead.

09:20 - 09:40

Stephen Paterson, Chief for Tech Evolution at AND Digital

Why GenAI is at the forefront of the conversation in Digital and beyond and why it's more important than ever to be ethical about how we use AI.

09:50 - 10:40

"Is GenAI coming for my Job?”

Find out What GenAI is, where it comes from and if it really is coming for our Jobs. Is this a new thing? Why are people talking about it so much? Let's find out by looking back at the past to predict our future.

A talk from Matt Robertson - Tech Principal for AND Digital's Halifax Club

10:40- 11:00

Refreshment break

11:00 - 12:30

"You should have used AI for that”

How much can you trust AI tools when it comes to making important decisions? When should you use AI to do things? We are overwhelmed with options, but are they really all useful? A panel discussion and interactive session on how AI can be used to support productivity and creativity - and when to be wary of misinformation and the dangers of over-reliance.

A Panel Discussion hosted by AND Digital with guests

12:30 - 13:40

Networking Lunch

13:40 - 14:40

Ethical AI - How is AI being used in Education?

How might you be inspired? A Case Study example of how the DfE have embraced AI and what this Journey has looked like so far and how AND digital have supported them to make progress, as well as forward thinking examples from Calderdale college on how they have ethically embraced AI.

A Panel Discussion hosted by AND digital with guests

14:40 - 14:55

Refreshment break

15:00 - 16:00

Breakout Sessions

Breakout 1

Content Design is dead! Long live content Design

Bill Gates said that "content is King” back in 1996 and he wasn't wrong, but will the role of content Design always remain the same? How might GenAI impact the role of content design in particular and what it means for the future.

A talk from James Watson - Content Designer from AND Digital's Halifax Club

Breakout 2

Why data is important for learning about your customers and what to do next

A talk from the Department for Business and trade and Brown Dog Agency

16:00 - 16:15

Closing remarks

The festival concludes on Day 3 with a focus on Customer Centricity. We will explore customer-centric practices and learnings from both the private and public sector, that not only help fuel business growth and the success of products and services, but can inspire current (and future) digital professionals to put customer centricity on their priority list.

Time

Activity

08:30 - 09:15

Breakfast, Registration & Networking

09:15 - 09:30

Welcome and introduction

A brief introduction to why customer centricity is important, and a brief introduction to the final day of the festival.

09:30 - 10:40

Winning experiences in the Banking Industry

Governance, regulations and red tape? No problem - Lloyds banking group will share some of their biggest challenges, wins and anecdotes on how they create the best user experiences across their banking products and services.

10:40 - 11:00

Refreshment break

11:00 - 12:15

Be inspired: How do the Public Sector put their users first?

A panel discussion that disects what we can learn from the Public Sector approaches. We'll explore the government Digital Service, user centred design approaches and multi-disciplinary teams. Come and experience a whole new way to drive meaningful change for your customers.

12:15 - 13:30

Networking Lunch

13:30 - 14:40

Are we nearly there yet?

A lighthearted, inspiring talk on why transformation and change is a constant journey rather than a destination, and how to make the most of the ride with your customers at the wheel. Join us to discover new ways to think about change and what it might mean for you and your organisation.

A talk from Clare Lynch, An experienced Agile Coach and Faye Murdoch, a Senior Product Analyst from AND Digital's Halifax Club

14:40 - 15:00

Refreshment break

15:00 - 16:00

Breakout Sessions

Breakout 1

An audience with: User Centred Designers (UCD)

A panel discussion and Q&A with professionals at different stages in their UCD careers, all in different roles. A rare opportunity to find out more about UCD, personal experiences and career Journeys. Come along and see how User centred design might work for you and/or your organisation, as well as how you might attract the right people to focus on your customer centric goals and ambitions.

A panel Discussion Hosted by AND Digital with guests

Breakout 2

Improving your online presence to grow your customer base - Transferrable Insights from Manufacturing

Ideas on how you can grow your customer base covering the manufacturing and online selling mismatch, how you can best use your budget to promote your service and grow your customer base domestically and internationally.

A Q&A session hosted by The Department of Business and Trade and Brown Dog Agency

16:00 - 16:30

Close of proceedings of the Halifax Digital Festival

There's a lot to be proud of in Calderdale and the north-west when it comes to digital knowledge and innovation. As we wrap up the last 3 days, we'll close with a talk on why digital is more important than ever for Halifax and Calderdale, and how we might continue to move forward at pace together.

16:30

Festival End, followed by Festival Networking & Drinks Wrap-up Social

16:30 - 19:00

Festival Networking & Drinks Wrap-up Social

Events