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Amazon Web Services has joined the sponsors of the AWS North Community Conference, marking its second year of support for the North East technology event.
AWS joins CGI, Scott Logic, TrueNorth and conference founder Leighton in backing the one-day gathering in Gateshead.
The event was created to serve the growing technology sector across the North of England, bringing together developers, engineers, businesses and technology leaders. It is intended as a forum for sharing knowledge, discussing emerging technologies and building links within the regional technology community.
The latest sponsorship group reflects a wider effort by established businesses to support the North East's technology ecosystem, including creating opportunities for local talent and helping regional companies work with cloud computing and digital tools.
According to organisers, last year's inaugural conference drew more than 150 attendees. It also featured 24 speakers and six AWS Heroes, with participants travelling from outside the region to discuss developments in the AWS market.
Regional backing
Colin Eberhardt, Chief Technology Officer, Scott Logic, said: "The North East has a fantastic technology community, and events like AWS North play an important role in bringing people together to share ideas and explore how technology is evolving. At Scott Logic, we've always valued that kind of open exchange, especially when it's in our home city of Newcastle, so we're really pleased to support this year's conference. I'm also looking forward to being part of the speaker line-up and joining some great conversations around the future of software engineering and AI."
This year's programme will cover cloud technology, modernisation, migration, serverless computing and artificial intelligence. The conference is being shaped by a group of North East figures active in the AWS community, including AWS Community Builder Steve Morland; AWS Serverless Hero and Leighton AWS Practise Lead Lee Gilmore; Principal Solutions Architect Mark Sailes; and AWS User Group Leader and Solutions Architect Dan Pudwell.
Supporters say the event's appeal lies partly in its regional focus. By holding a specialist AWS conference in the North East, businesses and technologists can meet peers and hear from speakers without travelling elsewhere in the UK.
Usman Shahid, Associate Director, TrueNorth, said: "At TrueNorth, we believe the tech sector is at its strongest when its people come together to share ideas, build relationships and learn from one another. We're proud to sponsor AWS North Community Conference and support an event that brings some of the region's brightest technology leaders, developers and innovators together. It closely reflects our own commitment to strengthening the local tech communities in the areas we serve, and creating more opportunities for its people and businesses to thrive."
Building on 2025
Leighton said feedback from the first conference was strong, with a 100% satisfaction rate among respondents and more than 92% saying they planned to return. Organisers want to build on that response by widening access to the event for technology businesses, SMEs, developers, engineers, industry leaders, academics and students.
The conference also includes a social impact ticket allocation for underrepresented groups, not-for-profit organisations, students and people early in their careers. The approach reflects a broader push among regional technology networks to make specialist events more accessible to those who may face cost or entry barriers.
For Leighton, which founded and organises AWS North, the event has become part of its effort to convene the local technology community around cloud and software issues. AWS's return as a sponsor for a second year adds backing from the cloud provider at the centre of the ecosystem the conference is designed to serve.
Claire Cundill, Chief Commercial Officer, Leighton, said: "The North East has a thriving technology community, with talented people and ambitious businesses doing exciting things with cloud technology. Bringing organisations together to share knowledge and experience is an important part of helping that community continue to grow.
"We're delighted to have AWS, CGI, Scott Logic and TrueNorth on board alongside Leighton. Their support reflects a shared commitment to the region and to creating opportunities for people and businesses working across the technology sector.
"Last year's conference was a fantastic success, with a 100% satisfaction rate among respondents to our feedback survey and more than 92% saying they planned to return. We're looking forward to building on that response and delivering another valuable day for the community."