The Kapiti Digital Leadership Forum Incorporated (KDLF) has announced Tech Expo Kapiti 2015 will take place 18 to 20 June at Coastlands, with the organisation saying planning for the expo is full steam ahead.

The Tech Expo is a digital enablement event that will support growth for SME business and schools and enhance consumer awareness of digital technologies that support living in a technologically advanced world.

Ann Verboeket, chair of the Kapiti Digital Leadership Forum, says the expo will focus on four key areas.

· Demystifying the benefits of ultra-fast broadband (UFB) and making it fun and safe for young people, parents and seniors. · Showcasing the new technologies already working in schools and educational institutions and the different approaches to learning · How to take a business from being non digital to becoming connected · New technology that will help older people live at home safely and for longer

“We know our region needs digitally capable small businesses and digitally capable school and tertiary graduates,” Verboeket says. “The KDLF team is aiming to have Kapiti put the internet at the centre of its drive for economic growth, and to ensure that all schools and businesses will be in a position to make effective use of it as UFB gradually comes on stream.”'

Day one of the programme will focus on education content for students and teachers; day two will include sessions for SME business and the independent living sector; day three is targeted at community groups including seniors, youth and Maori.

“The expo is well aligned to the new Economic Development Strategy put out by the Kapiti Coast District Council as a key part of their long term plan and is all about positioning Kapiti,” she says.

The expo will be opened by Minister of Broadcasting, Amy Adams, along with Mayor Ross Church and Fran Wilde, Greater Wellington Regional Council. It will feature a three-day workshop programme and 20 expo vendor sites in the Garden Court of Coastlands Shoppingtown.

There will be Digital Ambassadors trained to guide visitors around the expo. Attendance on any workshop will be handled through online registrations as seats will be limited. Vendor sites will showcase hands-on experience for everyone that will be a fun and informative experience for the wider community.

The KDLF is representative community group working with the Kapiti Coast Chamber of Commerce and Crown Fibre Holdings to support the Council's economic development initiatives through the uptake of digital technologies in the region. It is closely aligned with other regional forums across the country, including Northland and now Wanganui and Otago.

Kapiti Chamber of Commerce chair Liz Koh says “the expo is about raising our awareness and positioning Kapiti as a place that is embracing new technology.

“It is about image and branding and showing we are not some sleepy little seaside settlement but up to date when it comes to the digital age,” she says.

“The expo is a great example of how stakeholders within the community can work together on important economic development initiatives.