Digital Forum: WE ARE OFFICIALLY OPEN!

Posted on 3rd February 2026 at 17:14

Digital Forum is Officially Open: A Night to Remember

After years of planning, months of construction, and hardwork, Digital Forum is finally here. And what a way to celebrate.

On 30th January, we hosted our grand opening launch event, welcoming local and county councils, tech businesses, creative partners, and everyone who has supported this journey. Then on Monday we officially opened our doors to the public. It was emotional, exciting, and honestly, one of the proudest moments in Colbea's history.

Thank You to Everyone Who Made This Possible

None of this would have been possible without the brilliant people who helped bring this vision to life. Digital Forum is a stunning achievement and everyone who worked on making this a reality deserves great plaudits.

We have so many thank yous and we would like to start with the fabulous team we have here at Colbea. Huge thank you to each member of the Colbea family, who has helped in their own way, it has been a real collective achievement.

We're also incredibly grateful to the project team, our council partners and everyone else who helped bring this vision to life.

Grand Opening Celebrations

The ribbon was cut, pizza was devoured, the cocktails were flowing and a lot of people got to see something special. Our launch event hosted local tech companies, council stakeholders, creative businesses and more, all coming together to celebrate Colchester's newest tech hub.

Our guests started the day with David King, Pam Cox, Matt Brown and our own Simon Mead taking the floor to share a few words, thanking everyone who helped bring Digital Forum to life. They were then treated to incredible immersive VR art experiences, a showcase from a revolutionary local AI start-up, and some stunning digital artwork from Colchester Institute students.

It was wonderful to have the teams who brought the building to life with us, including Inkpen Downie, Horizon Construction, Colchester City Council and Essex County Council. We were also joined by Colbea founder John Russel, local stakeholders Colchester Institute, University of Essex, Oxford Innovation and Tech East, plus local tech companies Footprint Digital, Iron Brand, Hexanode Digital and &Element. Seeing so many people who care about Colchester's digital future in one space was genuinely special.

You can view all of the fantastic event photos taken by Ivory White Photography here -> View Photos

Creative Showcases

Guests were then treated to some fantastic tech inspired local businesses who transformed the unit space into digital showcases.

CapitArtX - Dr Isil Ezgi Celik

Dr Isil Ezgi Celik, Director of capitArt and capitArtX Media Lab, created an unforgettable experience. A local art curator based in Harwich, who has held exhibitions worldwide, Isil brought projection art to our thoroughfare, a VR experience, and a digital art exhibition displayed throughout the studios. It was the perfect blend of creativity and technology.

Get Dizzy AI - Ricky Haydon

Local AI start-up Get Dizzy AI gave our guests exclusive access to their live beta, a revolutionary platform that helps members plan their next outing in just seconds! Get Dizzy Ai also aims to give power back to local venues who find it hard to compete with the budgets of the nationwide chains. With Colchester set to be the launch city when the app goes live, it was brilliant to see attendees getting a first look at what's coming. Sound interesting? You can now join their waitlist.

Waitlist - Venue Interest

Lark Rise Photography - Eleanor Church

Eleanor Church from Lark Rise Photography, based next door at Space on Queen Street, created something truly special for us. She was commissioned to take portraits of local bus drivers, that is now on display here in Digital Forum. Eleanor also worked with the archaeological society to photograph the artefacts discovered underneath the site during excavation, creating bespoke prints for us. It's a beautiful way to connect Digital Forum's future with Colchester's incredible past.

Colchester Institute Digital Art Students

The talented digital art students from Colchester Institute displayed their work throughout the building. Supporting local talent is at the heart of what we do, and seeing their creativity on show was wonderful.

We're Open!

The celebrations were fantastic, but now the real work begins. Digital Forum is officially open and ready to welcome Colchester's digital and creative community.

Here's how you can be part of it:

🖥️ Need a desk for the day? Our hot desking is perfect for freelancers and remote workers looking for a brilliant workspace. For those of you looking for the best place in Colchester to hot desk. You can drop in any day of the week for just £20 a day. Looking for something more regular? For just £200 a month we will provide you with a fixed desk, reserved just for you.

That is not all. You all have access to unlimited free tea and coffee, Monitors and 10gb of lightning speed internet access.

Hot Desking →

🪑 Want your own dedicated desk? Rent a desk gives you a permanent spot in our thriving community.

Rent a Desk →

🏢 Looking for office space? We have stunning spaces available for tech and creative businesses ready to call Digital Forum home.

Explore Workspace →

📅 Need a meeting room? Book a space for your next client meeting or team session.

Get in Touch →

Questions?

Drop us an email at digitalforum@colbea.co.uk

Alternativly you can call us on 01206 239297

Here's to What Comes Next

Opening night was just the beginning. We're excited to see Digital Forum grow into the thriving tech community we've always envisioned for Colchester.

Thank you to everyone who came, everyone who supported us, and everyone who believes in what we're building here. This is your space. We can't wait to see what you create in it.

👉 Visit Digital Forum