Roll up! Roll up! for the meeting of minds and collision of ideas that will be this year’s Shift Happens.

For the past few years, Pilot Theatre director Marcus Romer has masterminded the bringing together in York of some leading figures in the world of digital and online communications.

This year’s event at the Theatre Royal on July 8 will be no exception. Among those taking part will be the American critic and digital communication commentator Howard Rheingold, credited with inventing the term “virtual communities”.

Mr Romer said: “He’s the Godfather of this stuff!”

He will be joined by BBC digital reporter Kate Russell, who presents the channel’s flagship technology show Click; Jenny Sealey, co-assistant director of the Paralympics opening ceremony; Joseph Rowntree Foundation chief executive Julia Unwin; Huntington School head (and keen blogger) John Tomsett; and City of York Council chief executive Kersten England.

They will be grappling with one of the biggest challenges of our age: how to make the most of recent developments in digital communications to make our world, our businesses and our lives better.

Shift Happens is a smart play on words, but basically means change happens.

Since the new Millennium alone, we’ve had YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Those agile thumbs teenagers needed for texting are already a thing of the past, because modern smartphones have keypads. Computer workstations are dated: the modern way is to use laptops or iPads so you carry your internet connection around with you.

For some, the pace of change can seem overwhelming. But it needn’t be, says Mr Romer. He said we can all be a part of the digital revolution. “My mum has started using an iPad, and she’s in her seventies.”

The challenge which delegates at this year’s Shift Happens V will be addressing is to find the best way of using the technology – in schools, work, our daily lives, in our friendships and relationships.

Some of the delegates will be taking part by digital conferencing – courtesy of the latest technology from York-based Saville Audio Visual.

So Howard Rheingold will be in San Francisco, futurologist Dr Kristin Alford live from Adelaide and Shift Happens connector ‘DK’ in Oregon.

Mr Romer said: “And we’re really proud that we’re able to host in this city a global event bringing together people like this from around the world.”

• Tickets – including entry to all events, meals and refreshment – cost £150. The event will be streamed live online during the day. Visit pilot-theatre.com for details. Tickets from Theatre Royal box office on 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk