The founder of IMDb, the Bristol-based website that has become the world’s most online popular source of movie information, has joined the speaker line-up for this summer’s Venturefest innovation event in the city.
Col Needham, pictured, will be joined by Scott Wilcox, the director of technology of SXSW Eco who has firmly established it as the top international conference on the future of sustainability. 
They will be part of a thought leadership conference at Venturefest which will highlight the latest developments on key issues affecting innovators and investors.
Col founded IMDb 25 years ago in Bristol and sold it to Amazon in 1998. He continues to work from its Bristol-based UK office, while he has also become a key figure in the global film industry.
He said: “Bristol and Bath has an outstanding and innovative start-up culture which is one of the reasons the IMDb UK office is located in Bristol. I’m looking forward to learning more about other exciting companies in the region and sharing my own experiences over the last 25 years.”
Scott will be presenting his insights into the latest US and international green technology developments and outlining the opportunities for entrepreneurs in the region.
He said: “Bristol and Bath is one of the UK’s most important technology clusters. It has a big part to play in green technology internationally, especially this year with Bristol being the European Green Capital.”
Venturefest, which takes place on June 9 at the Engine Shed and Passenger Shed at Temple Meads, is to celebrate the region’s position as an unrivalled global centre for innovation and investment opportunities and also act as channel for dynamic new ideas and thought leadership.
The presence of Col Needham and Scott Wilcox signals Venturefest Bristol & Bath’s transformation into a national and international event, in line with the region’s status as a fast growing globally significant technology cluster.
The event – which has been re-invented since its launch several years ago – enables entrepreneurs and innovators at all stages of the business lifecycle to connect with investors and commercial partners and is set to feature 60 exhibitors.
The event will also have a particular focus on the role of innovation in sustainability and green technology as Bristol celebrates its year as European Green Capital.
First Group and Skanska will be sponsoring the City Innovation Zone, joining Airbus which has already signed up to support the advanced engineering sector.
KPMG will be supporting an investor showcase at the event, which will also be supported by SETsquared, TechSPARK, and Invest Bristol & Bath.
