SIRM College Research Conference 2026: AI and the Future of UK SMEs

⌖ Leicester · National Space Centre

Festival of AI 2026 brings 200+ AI innovators to Leicester's National Space Centre for a day of practical insights, hands-on demonstrations, and high-value networking. This is a two-day consideration for attendees who want to dive deep into AI tooling and real-world applications, with a dedicated workshop day option. The event emphasizes accessible learning paths through two stages—Beginner and Advanced—so both newcomers and seasoned practitioners can engage meaningfully. Expect world-class talks, tactical demonstrations, and hands-on sessions showing AI tooling in action, along with curated networking opportunities in a venue that embodies exploration and innovation. What to expect: - Two tracks: Beginner and Advanced, with flexible switching and full session recordings so you don’t miss a thing - Practical insights and tactical walkthroughs you can apply in your projects or business right away - Hands-on workshops that help attendees get hands dirty with AI tools and techniques - Rich networking with 200+ attendees, entrepreneurs, and AI enthusiasts - On-site lunch, refreshments, and free parking at the National Space Centre - Access to session replays for 12 months and exclusive networking opportunities - An inspiring venue designed to spark curiosity and innovation in AI applications Event details: - Dates: October 15–16, 2026 (workshop day option included) with the main festival on October 16, 2026 - Location: National Space Centre, Leicester - Ticket options include standard access or a combined festival + workshop pass Registration information: - Visit the event site to register and secure your spot: https://festivalof.ai - Early interest and pricing details are highlighted on the official page - For those exploring more AI events, find additional opportunities in Leicester and nearby cities via the Create With directory: Leicester Why this matters: - If you’re building AI-powered tools or automating workflows, Festival of AI 2026 offers practical demonstrations and a forum to connect with peers who are advancing AI in real-world contexts - The two-stage format makes it accessible for beginners while still offering depth for experienced practitioners - The venue choice—one of the UK’s premier science attractions—underscores a hands-on, exploratory approach to AI and technology Find more AI events in Leicester or explore related topics like automation a

⌖ Leicester · National Space Centre, Leicester, UK

Festival of AI 2026 returns to Leicester's iconic National Space Centre for two days of intensive AI learning and networking on October 15-16, 2026. This carefully structured event splits into focused workshop sessions on Day 1 and a comprehensive dual-track conference on Day 2, designed to serve both AI newcomers and seasoned practitioners looking to implement transformative artificial intelligence strategies. Who Should Attend This event caters to business leaders, developers, product managers, and entrepreneurs seeking practical AI applications that deliver measurable business outcomes. Whether you're taking your first steps into AI automation or architecting sophisticated machine learning pipelines, the dual-track format ensures relevant content at your experience level. The beginner track introduces fundamental AI concepts and accessible tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, while the advanced track explores cutting-edge implementation strategies for teams already deploying AI at scale. Event Structure Day 1 (October 15th) features hands-on workshops where participants build real AI solutions rather than just discussing theory. Day 2 (October 16th) transforms into a full conference experience with parallel beginner and advanced tracks running throughout the day, punctuated by shared keynotes, extended networking breaks, and a unique closing Q&A session held inside the venue's spectacular planetarium. With registration opening at 8:00 AM and programming running until a 6:00 PM networking reception, attendees have nearly ten hours of content and connection opportunities. What Makes This Event Different Hosting an AI conference at the National Space Centre creates an inspiring backdrop that reinforces the event's forward-thinking mission. The dual-track system ensures you're never sitting through content that's too basic or too advanced for your current skill level. Generous breaks built into the schedule (morning coffee, 60-minute lunch, afternoon refreshments) prioritize relationship-building alongside learning—recognizing that the connections made at AI events often prove as valuable as the sessions themselves. The conference emphasizes "practical AI that actually moves the needle for your business," focusing on implementation strategies, real-world case studies, and actionable frameworks rather than abstract theory. Whether you're exploring aut

⌖ Leicester · St Martins House Conference Centre

Hosted by Practical AI

The DRAFT Festival of AI 2026 is a dedicated AI conference occurring on October 16, 2026, at St Martins House Conference Centre in Leicester. Hosted by Practical AI, this event is an ideal opportunity for professionals, enthusiasts, and novices interested in artificial intelligence to deepen their understanding and network with like-minded individuals. Attendees can expect a focused program covering cutting-edge AI topics, industry insights, and practical applications of AI technologies. The conference is well-suited for developers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and anyone looking to stay ahead in the fast-evolving AI landscape. The setting at St Martins House Conference Centre provides a professional environment conducive to learning and collaboration. As Practical AI organizes the event, the agenda likely emphasizes hands-on knowledge and practical AI skills, enhancing attendees' ability to apply AI in their work or projects. This in-person conference offers a valuable platform for learning, idea exchange, and connecting with AI experts and peers in Leicester. Find more AI events in Leicester. Register for the event and learn more at the Eventbrite page.

⌖ Barcelona

GlobalAI–2026 (Oct 05–07, 2026 | Barcelona): a three-day conference exploring AI, machine learning, automation, and AI agents with keynotes, research talks, hands-on demos, and industry panels. Learn the latest research insights, practical strategies to deploy automation and AI agents, and how organisations are applying ML in healthcare, finance, transport and education. Ideal for researchers, engineers, product builders, startup founders and enterprise leaders seeking cutting-edge techniques and partnerships. Format: multi-track keynotes, paper presentations, panel discussions, poster sessions, and networking opportunities over three days.

⌖ Location TBC · Private winery estate, Loudoun County, Virginia (Leesburg area)

Hosted by Modev

The Global Agentic AI Summit brings together 1,500+ builders, enterprise leaders, and AI visionaries for three immersive days exploring the autonomous intelligence revolution. Set on a private winery estate in Loudoun County, Virginia — home to Data Center Alley, the world's largest concentration of cloud infrastructure — this isn't your typical tech conference. Three Critical Tracks The summit addresses three defining vectors of the autonomous AI economy through dedicated programming tracks: Agentic AI explores autonomous systems that plan, decide, and act independently. Sessions cover enterprise-scale agent deployment, single-agent workflows, multi-agent orchestration, reasoning and planning architectures, memory and context systems, and AI assistants that autonomously execute complex workflows. Physical AI examines embodied intelligence moving from datacenters into the real world. Expect deep dives into robotics, edge AI deployment, autonomous drones, AI-powered prosthetics, manufacturing automation, and the next generation of human-machine collaboration in logistics and defense applications. Sovereign AI addresses national AI infrastructure, data sovereignty, and the geopolitics of autonomous systems. Topics include how governments and enterprises build AI capability they control, critical infrastructure protection, defense AI applications, and national AI policy frameworks. World-Class Speaker Lineup 75+ speakers represent the builders actually deploying agentic systems at scale. The lineup spans enterprise AI leaders from Cox Communications, McKesson, and Navy Federal Credit Union; government innovators from the U.S. Department of the Navy and Library of Congress; media AI pioneers from USA TODAY; and founders driving the agentic revolution forward. Every speaker brings real-world deployment experience — no theoretical talks, just practical insights from the trenches. Comprehensive Topic Coverage The program addresses 54 distinct categories across core AI infrastructure, security and trust, developer tools, workforce transformation, and emerging applications. Technical sessions cover coding agents, vector databases, foundation models, orchestration frameworks like OpenClaw, observability and monitoring, model deployment, and guardrails for safe AI operation. Developer-focused content explores SDKs and APIs for building agentic systems, testing and evaluation frameworks, multimodal AI implementations,

⌖ Amsterdam

Hosted by World AI Week

World AI Week brings together the global AI community in Amsterdam from 2026-10-05 to 2026-10-09, with an expected 15,000 attendees. This multi-day event is positioned as a premier gathering for anyone building, implementing, or researching AI-driven solutions, automation, and no-code AI workflows. The week-long program is designed to help developers, product people, founders, researchers, and educators connect, learn, and accelerate their AI initiatives through real-world insights, hands-on demos, and meaningful networking. Why attend World AI Week - A focused, multi-day program in Amsterdam dedicated to AI, automation, and no-code tooling, offering a hub for practitioners to explore practical AI applications. - A chance to see how AI agents and automation concepts are being operationalized in real-world workflows and SaaS architectures. - Opportunities to discover visual-development approaches and no-code AI platforms that enable rapid prototyping and deployment. - Networking with a large community of builders, founders, engineers, and researchers exploring the next wave of AI-enabled products and services. What to expect - Keynotes and sessions covering AI adoption, governance, and responsible AI, plus case studies from enterprises and startups. - Breakout tracks focused on AI agents, automation, no-code AI, and startup enablement, with opportunities for live demos and product showcases. - An expo-style environment where attendees can explore tools, platforms, and vendor innovations that accelerate building AI-powered solutions. - Structured networking and partner/mentor meetups to help attendees form collaborations, pilots, or co-development efforts. - Hands-on sessions and live demos illustrating practical workflows, from data prep and model iteration to deployment in production. Who should attend - Engineers, developers, and AI practitioners looking to speed up development with AI agents and automation. - Product managers and founders seeking scalable AI-powered product strategies and go-to-market insights. - No-code and low-code enthusiasts exploring AI-enabled workflows and visual development. - Researchers and educators interested in real-world deployment patterns and industry needs. Format and style - A blend of talks, panels, live demos, expo-style showcases, and ample networking time. - An inclusive environment designed to help both seasoned professionals and newcomers share knowledge, experiences, and opportunities. How to