Purple, the Manchester-based leader in guest wi-fi and digital mapping, is launching ConneX, a new app designed to connect people more seamlessly to public wi-fi networks at nearby venues, in Newcastle. To drive awareness, Purple is hosting a city-wide virtual ‘Egg Hunt,’ giving residents the chance to win up to £5,000 in prize money.
The app supports an extensive, unified city-wide wi-fi network in partnership with Newcastle City Council, designed to boost digital inclusion, tourism and the student experience. The Egg Hunt will help showcase the benefits of seamless, city-wide connectivity in a fun, interactive way.
The hunt is open to Newcastle residents, visitors and students who will participate in the hunt, competing to find hidden “eggs” within city limits and win £1,000.
The competition will run from Tuesday, 23 September, 9am BST, until all eggs are claimed, or through 23 October, 5pm if they’re not, across the city.
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Five digital eggs will be hidden across Newcastle’s city limits as part of the challenge. When a user signs up to Purple ConneX and connects to Wi-Fi in a participating venue, the app will automatically check if they are near one of the hidden eggs. If they’re at the same coordinates as the egg, they’ll instantly win £1,000. One person may claim multiple eggs, making it possible to win big if you’re out and about.
The Purple ConneX App leverages location-based technology – by connecting to local Wi-Fi networks via the app, participants have the chance to discover the hidden digital eggs and win cash prizes.
This initiative highlights Purple’s commitment to fostering community engagement and making public wi-fi simper, smarter and more personalised.
Founded in 2012, and with its solutions already in more than 80,000 venues worldwide, Purple drives interactive experiences to improve the way people connect in the real world. With two million daily users, Purple’s platform empowers businesses to build stronger relationships with their customers by enhancing existing infrastructure investment.
Purple’s Newcastle project includes three key aims:
- Digital inclusion as social equity: making public Wi-Fi a right, not a perk, for residents, students and visitors.
- Supporting local SMEs: £120k in free hardware and analytics tools from Purple for small businesses to compete with larger firms.
- Smart city infrastructure: seamless connectivity across council buildings, gyms, libraries, and public venues, powered by Purple’s new ConneX app—positioning Newcastle as an early adopter of fast, free, and secure Wi-Fi, and offering a blueprint for other UK cities.
