SPARK: Where Creativity Meets Technology – Hampshire CreaTech Event
Note: To be eligible to attend this free funded event (courtesy of Hampshire County Council) you must be based within the Hampshire County Council region and either a creative business/agency owner or working in a creative role within an organisation.
Ever wondered what magic happens when a designer meets a developer?
Whether you're a maker, freelancer, musician, artist, code wizard, game builder, or somewhere beautifully in between this is your morning to connect, collaborate, and create something unexpected.
SPARK is Hampshire's new CreaTech networking experience, bringing together the region's most innovative creative minds and tech trailblazers – meeting you at the crossroads of creativity and tech!
What's on the menu?
- Creative Sparks Networking
Get matched with people from "the other side" — because the best ideas happen when different worlds collide. Three fast-paced rounds of brilliant conversation. Think of it as creative matchmaking, but for your business.
- CreaTech in Action Showcase
Hear from Hampshire businesses already smashing it at the intersection of creativity and technology. From AI-powered design studios to gaming innovators, these are the stories that'll make you think "I could do that."
- Open Networking & Demo Zone
Explore hands-on tech demos, chat with the Hampshire Creatives’ Advice Hub team, and make the connections that could change your business. Plus, pastries. Really good pastries.
Who should come?
- Creatives exploring how tech can supercharge your work
- Tech folk building tools for creative industries
- Hybrid humans already living in both worlds
- The curious who just know something interesting happens when art meets algorithms
Designers, developers, animators, data scientists, filmmakers, AI specialists, photographers, gaming studios, content creators, immersive tech pioneers – is this you?
Why bother?
Because Hampshire is becoming a genuine hotspot for CreaTech innovation, and you should be part of it. This is your chance to:
- Find the tech partner who gets your creative vision
- Meet the designer who can visualise your platform
- Discover collaborators, not just contacts
- Learn about support available through Hampshire Creatives’ Advice Hub and other creative networks in the Hampshire region
- Be part of something bigger during UK Tech Week
The practical bits
When: Thursday 19th March, 9:30am - 12:30pm
Where: Anvil Arts, Churchill Way, Basingstoke RG21 7QR
Cost: FREE (but limited to Creative and Tech companies or individuals in creative roles)
Includes: Welcome refreshments, networking, inspiration, and potentially your next big collaboration!
Parking: Details here (not available on site)
Organised by Hampshire Creatives’ Advice Hub (IncuHive) for Hampshire Growth Hub & Hampshire County Council
Part of UK Tech Week 2026
Questions? Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sign up for the Hampshire Creatives' Advice Hub: https://incuhive.co.uk/acceleration-investment/hants-creatives-advice-hub
Speakers
Rich Burn is a dynamic business start-up, digital-skills consultant, bid writer and marketing mentor with over 20 years of experience helping organisations and small businesses unlock their potential. With a career spanning marketing, sales, training, public-sector innovation, business support, and hands-on consultancy, he’s known for turning complex ideas into practical, human-centred solutions that drive growth. Rich has worked in corporate life, been a co-owner of a small retail business and worked across multiple sectors including public and third sector, giving him a wide ranges of experience across many fields. Rich brings energy, empathy and humour to every project. Whether mentoring entrepreneurs, supporting public-sector partnerships or running marketing workshops, his goal remains the same: to make business growth, practical, results focussed and simple - inspiring the business owner with confidence and enthusiasm to make that next step towards success.
Rich has worked in publishing (Financial Times/Pearson), marketing of the arts/film & music (including roles at Earls Court & Olympia, Bournemouth International Centre & Lighthouse, Poole Centre for the Arts). Adding to this he has worked on publicly funded programmes as a business advisor with the creative and digital sectors in Dorset and the South East and been actively involved with creative sector communities including Your Are The Media and The Marketing Leaders Forum