Bath Digital Festival returns next week. Built around the simple question of What if?, the festival is deliberately open-ended — an invitation to challenge assumptions, test possibilities and explore new ways of thinking about technology and business. It’s not a conference with a fixed agenda and a room full of slides. It’s something looser, more energetic, and considerably more fun.
Tuesday sets the tone for everything that follows. The day moves from a relaxed breakfast designed to get people talking, through to hands-on workshops, founder sessions and an evening that explores gaming — all of it threaded together by that central question of what could be different if we dared to try.
With so much on across the day, knowing where to focus your energy matters. We’ve done the hard work for you and picked out the Tuesday events we think are genuinely not to be missed.
Tuesday Breakfast - Newark Works - 08:30
Come and join us at the facilitated breakfast – starting each day of the Bath Digital Festival with lively conversation, pastries and coffee.
Join us for an engaging and insightful breakfast networking event that brings together tech industry leaders, professionals, students and enthusiasts to explore the vibrant tech talent landscape in our region – these are open to anyone working in tech or interested in tech.
This event is the perfect way to start your day, with the chance to meet like-minded individuals from the tech community, and share plans for the upcoming day.
Designed to get the morning started with curiosity and conversation we break into groups, led by a facilitator, and discuss the topic of the day, and every 5 or so minutes we move around, so as attendees you’ll meet lots of people and have lots of fascinating conversations.
It’s an ideal way to start the day, fun and engaging.
Tuesday breakfast is sponsored by our legal friends at VWV.
Tuesday Showcase - Newark Works - 09:30
Join us at the first Showcase of Bath Digital Festival and explore how technology is shaping the way we think, create, and connect.
Our daily showcase brings together innovators, startups, creatives and technologists to share what they’re building right now. From early concepts to fully formed products, it’s your chance to experience new ideas first-hand, meet the people behind them, and see what’s next for tech and digital in the South West.
Expect live demos, interactive conversations and the opportunity to explore technologies up close. It’s a relaxed, welcoming space to discover new ideas, learn something unexpected and connect with the people shaping the region’s tech community.
Whether you’re curious about emerging tech, looking for inspiration, exploring potential collaborations, or simply keen to see what people across the South West are building, the showcase offers a relaxed space to discover, explore and connect.
Come along, explore the ideas on display, and be part of the conversations shaping what comes next.
What If I’d Known That the First Time? - Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution - 15:00
Join three founders who have successfully built and exited companies—and are now doing it all over again. In this candid session, they’ll share the hard-earned lessons from their first ventures: what worked, what didn’t, and what they’ve deliberately changed the second time around.
From early decisions to scaling challenges, you’ll hear what they’re doing differently this time round. A must-attend for first-time founders looking to learn from those who’ve been in your shoes – and avoid the mistakes they’ve already made.
The Panel includes Ruben Portz (COO, Novabook), Tanya Larsen (CEO, Co-Founder questionZERO), and Zara Nanu.
What If You Built an Indie Games Studio? - Runway East - 18:00
Join us for an evening of insight, conversation, and connection at Bath Digital Festival, as RWK Goodman’s Mike Ahyow hosts the founder of BAFTA-nominated indie studio Ground Shatter to discuss his experiences setting up and running a video games company.
In this intimate one-hour session, James Parker will share his journey of building a successful independent games studio, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the opportunities and challenges shaping today’s video games industry.
Designed for founders, developers, creatives, and anyone curious about the business of gaming, this session blends real-world experience with practical insights.
After the chat, stick around for drinks and informal networking.Whether you’re building, investing in, or simply passionate about games, this is a rare opportunity to hear directly from someone shaping the indie gaming landscape
