Community throws full weight behind NetHui 2013

Community throws full weight behind NetHui 2013

Media release - 19 June 2013

This release is available online at http://tinyurl.com/k84xtmd

New Zealand’s Internet community has thrown its full weight behind NetHui 2013, with a range of exciting speakers and panellists confirmed, conference registrations topping 300 and more flooding the event website – nethui.org.nz – as the big day nears.

Spaces are filling fast so please register now to avoid missing out. To find out more and to register, visit www.nethui.org.nz.

Running in Wellington from 8 – 10 July, this year’s NetHui is shaping up to be one of the best yet. Participants are in a for a treat, with discussion sessions encompassing a broad array of hot-point topics including Internet Openness, Internet and the Law, Health, Education, Culture, Economy and Business, Internet Governance, Safety and Security, and more.

Following a welcome by Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown, Day One of NetHui will feature a number of dedicated workshops – a technical workshop called InTAC, an Internet Research Day, a Youth Forum, a ‘Wellington Workshop’, a Māori Meetup and a Jumpstart Day in the main auditorium, which will feature short talks from a range of expert speakers, as well as activities and discussion which will lay the groundwork for Day Two and Three of NetHui. That evening there will be a Wellington ‘Girl Geeks Dinner’, and InternetNZ will hold its AGM. For those interested, the highly-acclaimed documentary film ‘We are Legion’ will also be screened.

Day Two will see a highly-anticipated keynote address by digital activist and Anonymous expert Quinn Norton. Minister of ICT Amy Adams will also take the stage to address NetHui conference-goers. Some confirmed session highlights on Days Two and Three will include discussions titled ‘Into the Breach: Handling Privacy Breaches’ with special contributor Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff, a fascinating insight into ‘What’s really going on with music and the Internet’ facilitated by Russell Brown , and a ‘Privacy By Design’ session with the CTOs of Mega. A full programme of discussion sessions will be up online in the coming week.

In addition, there will be a number of interesting and engaging panel sessions. The Parliamentary Internet Forum will assemble. A high-profile line-up of panellists including Mega’s Vikram Kumar, Xero’s Rod Drury, Sapere’s Hayden Glass and APNIC’s Geoff Huston will future-gaze to 2025 – taking an informed and educative look at the Internet Era Economy - and a four-strong expert panel will explore the exciting opportunities that Faster Broadband can afford New Zealanders. Rounding off Day Three will be a ‘Orcon Great Blend’ after party at The Boatshed.

NetHui 2013 has attracted a solid line-up of community support and sponsorship. Gold sponsors are global search behemoth Google, e-commerce player Trade Me and online news network Scoop Media Cartel. Silver sponsors are Facebook and Catalyst IT. Conference Wi-Fi is being provided courtesy of Bronze sponsor FX Networks, and Telecom is sponsoring the all-important networking drinks. REANNZ is sponsoring the conference lanyards and TechDay the conference handbook. The conference venue – Wellington Town Hall – is being generously subsidised by Positively Wellington.

Key to the success and growing reputation of NetHui is the inclusive open discussion streams and high level of community involvement. InternetNZ Community and Collaboration Lead Ellen Strickland says these intertwine to form the beating heart of NetHui and thanks all NetHui supporters, sponsors, facilitators and volunteers for coming together to make the event happen.

Members of the media interested in attending NetHui 2013 are asked to email campbell@internetnz.net.nz to secure a media pass.

www.nethui.org.nz
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