NextGen 12 Roadshow is coming to Milton Keynes amid calls for the Digital Economy to be given priority as the UK economy slips back into recession. The event, being hosted by Milton Keynes Council, is to be held at the MK Dons Stadium on the 30th May as part of a sustained effort to stimulate knowledge sharing, encourage the provision of better broadband and boost the region and country’s long term prosperity.

Presentations from Prysmian Group, BT, Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), Fibre to the Home (FTTH) Council Europe, Broadband for the Rural North (B4RN) and Milton Keynes Council will headline the event which features keynote presentations, workshops and panel discussions. Dr Ann Limb OBE DL - Chair of the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) - will also set out the needs and expectations of local enterprise.

NextGen 12 is the UK’s leading broadband technology conference and exhibition concerned with better broadband and its impact on economic growth. The Milton Keynes event is the second in a four-part tour of the UK. NextGen will visit Scotland and Bristol, having already stopped off in York earlier this year. The 2012 programme culminates in a major national conference in central London on 8th and 9th October.

Event director, Marit Hendriks, said: “Many of the country’s most inspirational companies are based within the Milton Keynes area. We want to shine a spotlight on this area to encourage key influencers and actors to take action. Companies like Red Bull Racing and Silverstone based nearby did not become the success stories they are today without exceptionally strong digital provision and we want to kick-start growth by digital means using their success as our template. With better broadband we can all be more successful.”

The NextGen event will attract hundreds of SMEs, larger corporations, developers and local stakeholders. Workshops at this event will include Making a Difference for Businesses, The Quality Divide, Delivering your Local Broadband Plan, Getting Smarter Cities and Who needs high speed?

“The movement is growing. The UK has one of the highest levels of basic broadband penetration in Europe and yet trails in the rankings for network performance. There is strong evidence to suggest that better broadband leads to improvements in quality of life. We see the Roadshow as much more than a technology showcase,” added Ms Hendriks.

Now In its fifth year, NextGen 12 will be a two-day conference and exhibition in London (8th and 9th October), designed to enable a wider understanding of digital network investment as the essential pre-requisite for local economic growth and innovation. The event will bring together the best of the UK and European digital industry plus service providers, network designers, operators, regulators and local policy makers and will have a strong focus on UK economic and societal growth. Registration opens in July.

Registration for NextGen Scotland, taking place on 7th June, is already open. Alex Neil MSP will be delivering the Vision for Scotland whilst attendees will also hear from Feliksas Dobrovolskis Director of the Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania on how the country is leading in fibre to the home . With further presentations by Prysmian Group, BT, Swedish Urban Network Association (SSNF), Ericsson and the Digital Scotland working group of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, it is likely to be one of the busiest in the NextGen calendar.

Register for either Milton Keynes or Edinburgh at http://www.regonline.co.uk/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1057771