Leeds Digital Festival Mini-Fest 2026: AI Innovation and Regional Growth

⌖ Leeds · West Village - Bruntwood SciTech

Hosted by Bruntwood SciTech

Get a practical, hype-free view of how AI is working inside real businesses at this one-hour lunchtime session in Leeds. Held at West Village – Bruntwood SciTech on Tuesday 3 November 2026, from 12:00pm to 1:00pm, the session examines current AI capabilities, successful business applications and projects that have quietly failed. It is organised by AI Lab UK exclusively for Bruntwood SciTech customers and its ecosystem, with lunch and drinks provided. What you’ll learn - Where AI technology genuinely stands today - Which tools deserve attention this quarter, and which do not - How to distinguish a valuable use case from an expensive distraction - The risk, value and complexity test Zygens uses with clients - What AI agents are and when they justify the effort The programme begins with registration and lunch from 12:00pm to 12:10pm, followed by the AI learning session and an open Q&A until 1:00pm. No laptop or prior AI knowledge is required. The event is designed for founders, leaders and professionals across marketing, finance, operations, HR and sales who want a concise, practical understanding of business AI. The session features Zandra Moore MBE, founder and CEO, who previously scaled enterprise AI platform Panintelligence to more than 450 customers, and Charlie Bartle, co-founder and CIO, a former CEO of Decodifi focused on turning AI ambitions into working systems. AI Lab UK is the academy arm of Leeds-based agentic AI consultancy Zygens. The event is presented by Bruntwood SciTech. Get tickets for AI for Business: Lunch & Learn

⌖ Leeds · West Village - Bruntwood SciTech

Hosted by Bruntwood SciTech

Design and score a practical AI agent for your business in this two-hour, no-code workshop in Leeds on 3 November 2026. Rather than focusing on AI theory, this hands-on session helps you decide where AI could genuinely save time in your own working week. You’ll leave with a detailed agent specification, an assessment of its value, feasibility and risk, and a repeatable method for identifying future opportunities. What you’ll do - Discover what AI can and cannot currently do - Identify repetitive, rule-based and time-consuming work - Design an agent’s task, inputs, guardrails and measures of success - Score the idea using the same framework Zygens applies in client engagements The workshop is aimed at SME founders, operations and marketing professionals, and anyone ready to move from reading about AI to applying it. No coding or previous experience is required. Bring a laptop and a rough idea of how you spend your week. The session runs 2–4pm on Tuesday 3 November 2026 at West Village – Bruntwood SciTech, Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 1BA. AI Lab UK, the academy arm of Leeds-based agentic AI consultancy Zygens, is delivering it exclusively for Bruntwood SciTech customers and ecosystem members. The page also highlights founders Zandra Moore MBE and Charlie Bartle, whose backgrounds span enterprise AI, AI-native delivery and operational adoption. Get tickets

◎ Online

Hosted by JohnS

AIoT Hub Leeds is an online meetup for AI and Internet of Things enthusiasts, running from 6:00pm to 9:00pm on Tuesday 3 November 2026. Hosted by JohnS, this session is part of the recurring AIoT Hub Leeds community, formerly known as IoT North. The group brings together people interested in the intersection of artificial intelligence and connected technologies, offering a regular setting for talks and community discussion around AIoT. What to expect The event is designed around a presentation and discussion format. The precise session title, abstract and speaker biography are currently listed as TBA, so the specific subject and presenter have not yet been announced. Attendees should check the Meetup page nearer the date for the final programme and any additional participation details. Based in the Leeds community but delivered entirely online, the meetup is accessible without travelling to a physical venue. The joining link will be made visible to attendees through Meetup, so registration is required to access the session. This edition forms part of AIoT Hub’s established monthly series, scheduled for the first Tuesday of each month. That recurring format makes it a useful touchpoint for people who want to follow developments across AI and IoT, hear the community’s latest thinking and take part in conversations with others who share those interests. Who it’s for The meetup is relevant to: - AI and IoT enthusiasts interested in where the two fields overlap - Technologists following connected systems and intelligent applications - Builders, practitioners and community members looking for AIoT-focused talks - Anyone curious about the work and discussions taking place within the Leeds AIoT community No required experience level or prerequisites are stated on the event page. As the detailed abstract remains unconfirmed, prospective attendees can register now and revisit the listing when the organiser publishes the final topic and speaker information. Date: Tuesday 3 November 2026 Time: 6:00pm–9:00pm Format: Online event; access link visible to attendees Host: JohnS Register for AIoT Hub Leeds on Meetup

⌖ Leeds · Platform

Hosted by The Curve

A closed-door Leeds discussion for senior professional-services leaders on shadow AI, data sovereignty and accountability for AI-assisted decisions. Taking place from 8:30am to 10:30am on 4 November 2026 at Platform in Leeds, this focused session from The Curve tackles the gap between formal AI policy and how artificial intelligence is already being used inside organisations. From informal AI use to defensible control Employees may be turning to personal AI accounts because approved tools are inadequate or unavailable. Governance policies may reflect how the organisation operated a year ago, while regulation and everyday usage continue to evolve. Meanwhile, ownership can become unclear when an AI-assisted decision produces the wrong result. Rather than treating these challenges as employee discipline issues, the discussion will examine them as questions of organisational design. Attendees will explore: - Where sanctioned and unsanctioned AI may already be operating, and what that exposes - How to size governance according to genuine risk rather than impose blanket processes - Where data sovereignty matters, and where it may sit lower on the risk spectrum - How governance can withstand model drift, regulatory drift and growing teams - What effective governance looks like when translated from principles into daily practice - How organisations can train and supervise junior staff who may not yet recognise when AI output is wrong The aim is to help leaders move away from ungoverned or informal AI use and towards confident, proportionate and defensible control, without assuming that every business needs the same framework. Speakers and format The conversation will include Fiona Widd, Head of IT at Clarion Solicitors, and James Ridgway, CTO at The Curve. This is not an AI hype session or a lecture focused on the wording of legislation. It is a small, in-person, closed-door discussion for senior leaders in professional service organisations, designed around candid peer exchange and practical experience. The session will operate under the Chatham House Rule, creating space to discuss shadow AI, unclear ownership and operational exposure openly. Breakfast will be provided. View the event and registration details

Sponsors: CGI

⌖ Leeds · Platform

Hosted by NewRedo

Explore AI, software development and planning for exponential change at Agile Yorkshire’s in-person meetup in Leeds on 4 November 2026. Taking place from 6:00pm to 8:30pm at Platform, New Station Street, this community-led evening brings together two experienced technology leaders with contrasting perspectives on how artificial intelligence is changing development, strategy and decision-making. Organised by NewRedo, the meetup focuses on practical ideas attendees can apply in their own roles rather than hype or abstract predictions. Talks and speakers James Ridgway: Why AI Isn’t Taking My Job, 30 minutes James Ridgway, Co-Founder and CTO of technology consultancy The Curve, will examine whether AI is really coming for developers’ jobs. Drawing on three decades of change, from the internet and open source to frameworks, cloud infrastructure and AI coding tools, he will explore how technology reshapes software development without removing the need for human judgement, experience and context. The session will consider what GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT genuinely change, where their limits remain and why developers who learn to use AI effectively may gain a significant advantage. David Shapton: How to Plan Absolutely Anything in the Era of AI and Exponential Change, 60 minutes David Shapton will address the challenge of making plans when technology develops faster than traditional strategy can accommodate. A technology leader, writer and adviser with more than 30 years of experience across media and technology, David has served as CTO, European President of Atomos and Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of RedShark Media. His talk will unpack why exponential growth is difficult to understand, how AI challenges assumptions about the future and how people and organisations can adapt their planning and decision-making. Who should attend?… Register for this event

Sponsors: CGI

⌖ Leeds · Brooklyn

Hosted by Strive Networking

Build valuable cross-industry connections at this two-hour tech and business networking evening in central Leeds, hosted by Strive Networking. Taking place at Brooklyn, 50 Call Lane, Leeds LS1 6DT, the event brings together established professionals and newcomers from technology, finance, property, healthcare, the arts and other sectors. Attendees may include software engineers, consultants, analysts, bankers, entrepreneurs and people looking to enter these fields. What to expect This is an informal, multi-industry networking session rather than a conference or structured programme. Potential connections could include future collaborators, employers, colleagues, investors and friends. There will be a dedicated check-in area, and name tags will be provided. - Date: Wednesday 4 November 2026 - Time: 6:00–8:00pm; attendees may arrive at any point - Format: Two-hour, in-person networking - Age requirement: 18+ - Dress code: Business casual or job-fair attire - Bring: Business cards are encouraged Tickets are limited. Refund requests are permitted within 24 hours of purchase, provided the event is more than 48 hours away; Eventbrite fees cannot be reimbursed. By attending, you agree that event photos or videos may be used to promote future events. Get tickets