Businesses large and small are being urged to enter the 2018 Hull Digital Awards.
Run by Hull Live and KCOM, and supported by the city’s C4DI, the awards give fledgling start-ups and established companies alike the chance to showcase their talents in one of the city’s most exciting sectors.
The deadline for entries is August 5, and Hull’s digital ambassador has said businesses would be “foolish not to take advantage” of the opportunity.
David Keel, co-founder of Trident and chair of the C4DI, said: “The publicity that goes with the awards is simply beyond what new start-ups could afford, and if you win, the opportunities that can open up is incredible.
“Every business today which is realistic will realise that they are in fact a digital business. Hull has got an amazing digital presence, and the next stage is to make it even bigger.
“The Digital Awards are different to any other awards at the moment.”
The awards night will this year be held on September 20, with finalists for each of the 11 categories will be released on August 10.
Categories at the 2018 Awards include the Best Mobile App, the Best Digital Start-Up and the Best Use of Technology within Education.
The prestigious Digital Ambassador of the Year will also be crowned, along with the Junior Digital Champion, part of the newly-launched Junior Digital Awards.
“One third of all fibre cables in the UK are under the streets of Hull, so we shouldn’t be shocked that our digital market has been so successful,” Mr Keel said.
“I think that, combined with the launch of the C4DI and Hull’s year as City of Culture provided the perfect storm.
“The digital quarter has completely changed the shape of the city. Up until it started, St Stephen’s had destroyed the shape and dragged everything over to that side, but the development of our side of the city has changed everything.”
A report released last month by Tech Nation revealed the booming digital industry which is present in Hull.
The sector employs more than 4,000 people, and turned over £568m in 2017.
What’s more, the digital and technology sector has grown 15 per cent since 2014, as businesses such as KCOM, the Ron Dearing UTC, Arco and the C4DI have helped drive the revolution.
You are eligible to enter The Digital Awards 2018 if your website, app, organisation or business is based in, or has an obvious interest in the following postcode sectors - HU1-20, YO15, YO16, YO25, YO42, YO43, DN18, DN19.
The closing date for all entries is midnight on Sunday, August 5, 2018. All entries will be judged by our independent panel of judges on August 7.
You can enter the 2018 Digital Awards online at www.thedigitalawards.net.
You can also get involved on social media using the hashtag #HEYDigitalAwards and @KCOMheybusiness.