Yorkshire Startup Scaling Panel | Bae HQ, NatWest & Dell

⌖ Leeds · NatWest Accelerator

Hosted by Fleek Marketing

A free, hands-on AI supplier discovery workshop in Leeds for founders and business owners who want to win more deals. Buyers increasingly ask tools such as ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity to recommend suppliers before visiting Google or contacting a business. If your company is missing from those AI-generated shortlists, you may never know that an opportunity existed. This practical session will help you discover what these tools currently say about your business, where their answers come from and what you can do to improve your visibility. Work on your own business This is a hands-on workshop rather than a conventional talk. During the 90-minute session, attendees will run their own businesses through AI tools live, record the results and compare them with the responses generated for competitors. You will then work through practical fixes designed to make your business easier for AI-powered search and recommendation tools to understand and surface. Led by Jonny Ross, Founder and Digital Strategy Lead at Fleek Marketing, the workshop connects AI discovery with the sales and marketing knowledge you already have. You will turn questions repeatedly asked during sales calls into useful content that can help prospective customers find and evaluate your company. You will leave with: - A written record of how AI tools present your business and its competitors - Five improvements you can make within a fortnight - Sales-call questions transformed into content ideas that support discovery - An AI research assistant, built during the workshop, to prepare for your next prospect meeting Who should attend? The session is designed for founders, owner-managers and anyone responsible for winning new business. No technical background is required. Bring a laptop or phone, as you will work directly on your own business throughout the event. This Catalyst Event is run with the Leeds NatWest Accelerator, whose series combines practical tools, expert insight and a supportive entrepreneurial community. It is relevant whether you are exploring the Accelerator, preparing to scale or simply curious about how AI is changing supplier selection.… Register for this event

Sponsors: NatWest Accelerator

⌖ 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

⌖ 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

⌖ Dublin · Royal Dublin Society (RDS)

Hosted by Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE)

Ireland's International AI Summit 2026 marks the official launch of European AI Innovation Month, positioning Dublin at the heart of Europe's AI conversation. Hosted by Ireland's Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment during the country's EU Presidency, this flagship event brings together EU and global leaders, heads of government, CEOs, investors, innovators and academics at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) on 14th October 2026. What Makes This Summit Essential Under the theme Harnessing AI to Revolutionise Europe's Competitiveness, the summit serves as a high-level platform for strategic dialogue on AI's future application across Europe and globally. Ireland's unique position as the EU headquarters for sixteen of the world's top twenty global technology companies and eight leading foundational AI model providers makes it an ideal setting for this critical conversation about Europe's technological sovereignty and competitive future. Programme Structure The full-day summit combines multiple engagement formats designed to explore AI from policy, economic and technological perspectives. Ministerial addresses and keynote speeches from global leaders will establish the strategic context, with confirmed keynote speaker EU Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen addressing technological sovereignty, security and democracy. These high-level addresses are complemented by panel discussions and fireside chats examining: - Competitiveness and innovation in the European AI landscape - Trustworthy AI development and deployment - Digital infrastructure requirements for AI advancement - Investment strategies and funding mechanisms - Skills and talent development for the AI economy Sector Deep Dives and Practical Applications Beyond strategic policy discussion, the summit includes European-focused sector deep dives examining AI opportunities across key areas of economy and society. These sessions highlight practical examples of AI adoption and collaboration, showcasing how businesses, public services and research institutions deploy AI solutions to improve productivity, deliver innovative services and address complex societal challenges. An Innovation Spotlight Exhibition will provide enterprises the opportunity to demonstrate cutting-edge AI applications and solutions, with expressions of

◎ Online

Hosted by The Principal Dev

A virtual conference from The Principal Dev taking place on 14 October 2026, focused on the provocative theme “The $100K Hiding in Your Payroll.” The event is organised by The Principal Dev, which describes itself as a tech leads masterclass. It may be particularly relevant to engineering leaders, tech leads and others responsible for technical teams and payroll budgets. The published listing does not currently include a start time, timezone, speaker line-up, agenda or detailed session topics. Check the event page for the latest programme and booking information before making plans. Register for The $100K Hiding in Your Payroll

⌖ London · Excel London

Hosted by DTX Events

DTX London brings together 10,000+ technology leaders, innovators and decision-makers at Excel London for two days of practical insights into digital and business transformation. Taking place 14-15 October 2026, this flagship expo connects the people, platforms and processes that drive organisation-wide change across AI, cyber security, data analytics, cloud infrastructure, and automation. What to Expect DTX London is designed for teams at every stage of their transformation journey — whether you're optimising your IT stack, strengthening cyber and data strategies, or deploying AI solutions at scale. The event features multiple content stages addressing critical themes including Responsible AI, Holistic Security Foundations, Human-First Resilience, Agile IT, and Purpose-Led Tech Rollouts. Attendees from organisations including Network Rail, NHS, BBC, Booking.com, HSBC, Barclays, and John Lewis come to discover vendor-neutral insights, explore emerging solutions, and connect with peers facing similar challenges. The expo floor showcases hundreds of exhibitors across 12 technology areas, from IT infrastructure and cloud computing to unified communications and customer experience platforms. Content and Speakers The event programme is shaped by a dedicated Advisory Board of senior leaders in technology, operations, data, and cybersecurity. Expect keynote presentations, panel discussions, and case study sessions covering People-Powered Transformation, The Data Advantage, Leading Through Change, Next Generation Talent, Smarter Workspaces, and Elevated Customer Journeys. Co-located with Unified Communication EXPO, DTX London creates a comprehensive environment for exploring the intersection of technology, people, and operations. The agenda balances strategic vision with tactical implementation, ensuring you leave with actionable insights regardless of your role — CIO, CTO, CISO, Head of Data, DevOps Lead, or Transformation Manager. Technology Areas Covered The expo spans IT Infrastructure, Storage & Networks | IT Service Management | Cloud Computing | Cyber Security | Unified Communications & Collaboration | Video and Audio Visual | Data Management & Analytics | AI | Software Development & Engineering | Customer Contact & Experience. Register your interest for DTX London 2026

Sponsors: Network Rail · Comcast Sky Business +20