Opening remarks from the event director and introduction to the event chair.

09.00 - 09.10

Turning AI ambition into business impact demands more than experimentation. In this opening keynote, Debabrata explores how global organisations connect AI investment with digital transformation, embed change into everyday operations and measure meaningful results. Drawing on his perspective at Bolt, he examines the leadership decisions and practical choices involved in scaling improvements across teams, processes and markets. Attendees will gain insights into identifying valuable opportunities, prioritising investment, balancing global consistency with local needs and engaging people as workflows evolve. Discover how to move beyond isolated pilots and build the operational foundations for sustained, measurable transformation through AI across the business.

Transformation delivers value when people, process and technology move together. Drawing on experience leading a £30m+ portfolio at Tesco, this presentation explores how ten disconnected initiatives became one programme. It examines how clear accountability, stakeholder support and cultural change help organisations turn technology investment into operational improvement. Attendees will learn how to unite fragmented initiatives around shared priorities, secure senior leadership commitment and guide executives and functional directors through changing ways of working. Take away practical lessons for building cohesive programmes and leading transformation that reaches beyond system implementation..

As customer behaviour changes, businesses must rethink how they attract audiences and how their teams work. Drawing on Checkatrade’s transformation from print directory to an AI-powered two-sided marketplace, Gabriella explores how marketing, product and consumer teams are modernising the growth engine. The session connects evolving search strategies and discovery with the internal changes needed to support them: AI-enabled workflows, new skills and a culture of experimentation. Attendees will gain practical insights into adapting to changing customer journeys, connecting marketing and product priorities, and equipping teams to test, learn and build sustainable growth in a shifting digital landscape.

Our first networking break of the day taking place within the exhibitor floor where teas, coffees and refreshments will be available. Great chance to meet network, refresh and see what our exhibitors have for you! 

10.30 - 11.00

Digital transformation depends on giving people the skills, confidence and support to improve how work gets done. Drawing on the launch of innocent drinks’ data and AI academy, this session explores how a shared business ambition can bring teams, technology and practical learning together. It examines the role of leadership support, collaboration across functions and hands-on experimentation in helping employees identify opportunities, test ideas and develop their own solutions. Attendees will take away practical lessons on building digital capability, connecting learning to everyday business challenges, and creating the conditions for better ways of working, greater efficiency and sustainable business growth.

We're just awaiting some final details for this session, but will be added very soon! Stay tuned.

Richard Adams draws on thirty years in technology, creative industries and transformation to examine what AI adoption means for the way businesses are led and run. Now leading architecture in the rail industry, he shares ten common ways enterprise AI adoption goes wrong and the decisions leaders face as speed, scale and accountability raise the stakes. The session looks at changing skills needs, the value of curiosity and judgement, and how people can contribute more directly to business performance. Richard closes with four practical rules for navigating change and making experimentation part of everyday work. 

As enterprises scale AI agents, inadequate governance can lead to security risks, operational failures, excessive cloud costs, and loss of customer trust. This session explores how organizations can move from reactive damage control to proactive protection using Aspire Systems' Agent Architecture Maturity Model. Across five cumulative maturity levels, we will examine how to separate agent execution from governance, establish critical control points, and embed security, reliability, accuracy, and cost management into the architecture. Attendees will learn how to assess their current maturity, prioritize essential controls, and build a practical roadmap for responsible, scalable agent adoption while balancing governance investment against potential failure costs.

Lunch is served! A great chance to discuss the keynote content with your fellow delegates and meet some like-minded professionals. Refresh and get ready for an afternoon of further insights!

12.15 - 13.30

AI and automation are reshaping how organisations work, raising important questions about investment, skills and leadership. How can businesses translate digital ambition into measurable results while bringing their people with them? This panel brings together perspectives from change delivery, digital product development and business leadership to explore the practical decisions behind successful transformation. Panellists will discuss prioritising investment, redesigning processes, empowering teams and improving customer experiences. The conversation will examine how organisations balance innovation with accountability, build the capacity for continuous change and keep people, technology and process aligned around outcomes that matter to the business and those it serves.

This session explores how organisations identify opportunities worth backing and translate strategic ambition into commercial results. It considers how technology investment and partnerships can support customer adoption, retention and revenue growth, and examines the build, buy or partner decision, balancing speed, cost, control and access to capabilities. Drawing on experience shaping technology partnerships and commercial initiatives, the discussion addresses shared incentives, clear responsibilities and meaningful measures of success. It also explores how to align commercial, product and technical teams, use pilots and financial modelling to test assumptions, and move from signed agreements to practical initiatives that deliver value at scale.

Drawing on lessons from a career leading digital change, this session explores what helps organisations turn strategic ambition into lasting business progress. It considers how digital platforms and shared capabilities can improve customer experiences, and how to balance consistency with flexibility as organisations evolve. The discussion also examines the people and culture behind transformation: developing talent, building inclusive and effective teams, and creating the conditions for continuous improvement. Reflecting on how their thinking has evolved, the speaker shares what has worked, what they would approach differently, and how to connect technology strategy with competing priorities for innovation, efficiency and resilience.

Teas, coffees and refreshments will be available. Another great chance to meet network, refresh and see what our exhibitors have for you! 

15.00 - 15.30

Abstract coming soon!

You’ve heard the ideas, now bring your challenges. This interactive, 35-minute session puts the audience’s real-world digital transformation questions at the heart of the conversation. Drawing on the day’s presentations, our expert panel will work through selected audience challenges, diagnose what’s holding progress back and suggest practical next steps. From aligning teams and modernising systems to overcoming resistance and sustaining momentum, the discussion will connect the day’s insights to the realities of delivering change in your organisation. Come ready to ask questions, share experiences and learn from others facing similar hurdles and leave with a clearer sense of what to do next.

Wrap up the day with a beer, wine or soft drink (all included in your ticket price!) and one last opportunity to forge long lasting business relationships with our 2026 cohort of speaker, delegates and sponsors!

16.30 - 17.15