At the invitation of the BBC, Danny Meaney Chaired the Connecting The North conference on 24th March.  The meeting wa called between the various parties involved in teh development of the technological infrastructure of the North of England, including the BBC as part of MediaCityUK.  The objective was to share knowledge of the initiatives underway, and explore how to maximise the impact of exisitng partnerships.  The focus of the event was on teh technological infrastructure of the North, rather than on commissioing structures or the talent base.

Key to the discussion were Peel Media, media industry specialists from RDAs across the North, the three Northern screen agencies, public development agencies active in teh sector such as Nesta and MDDA, key university partners, and leading independent production companies.

From the BBC, attendees included Bal Samra - Director of BBC Vision Operations and Rights, Richard Deverell, Chief Operating Officer, BBC North, Mark Harrison, Innovation, BBC North, and representatives of the BBC Future Media division.  Short presentations by Peel Media, BBC, NWDA, The Commission for the New Economy and NorthernNet.