From AI Noise to Business Value: Where to Invest, What to Avoid and How to Lead AI with Confidence

BREAKFAST EVENT

Hosted by: Barclays, Oxford Innovation Space & The Liberti Group
Sponsored by: Barclays, Oxford Innovation Space and all the Liberti Group businesses
Date: 5^th Nov 2026
Time: 8:30am–10:30am
Location: Oxford Innovation Space, The Wellsprings, Howell Croft South, Bolton, BL1 1SB

AI is developing at extraordinary speed, but for many SME leaders the challenge is no longer understanding that AI matters. It is knowing what to do about it.

Businesses are being exposed to an increasing number of AI tools, technology providers, use cases and claims about what AI can deliver. This is creating significant opportunity, but also uncertainty, fragmented experimentation and the potential for investment in technology that delivers little measurable business value.

This breakfast briefing is designed specifically for business owners and senior leaders who want to move beyond the hype and develop a more practical, commercially focused approach to AI.

The session will examine AI from three complementary perspectives: business strategy and investment, legal and governance considerations, and the experience of a business owner who has already implemented AI within their organisation.

Attendees should leave with a clearer understanding of where AI can genuinely create value, what they should avoid, the risks they need to manage and the practical steps they can take within their own businesses.

Event Timings:

8:30am – Arrival, breakfast and networking
9:00am – Welcome and introduction
Brief introduction from The Liberti Group and Barclays.
9:05am – Ged Leigh, The Marketing Centre
From AI Noise to Business Value.
9:30am – The Legal Director
Legal, compliance and governance considerations.
9:50am – Jonathan Bradley, Everpro
The practical experience of transforming a business using AI.
10:10am – Panel discussion and audience Q&A
10:25am – Closing comments
10:30am onwards – Networking

Intended Audience

The event is aimed primarily at:

SME owners and founders
Managing Directors and CEOs
Finance Directors and CFOs
Operations Directors
Senior commercial leaders
Other executives responsible for investment, technology or business transformation

It is deliberately designed as a business leadership event rather than a technical AI event.

What Attendees Will Take Away

By the end of the session, attendees should be better equipped to answer five important questions:

Where could AI create meaningful value in my business?
Where should we invest first?
What AI activity should we avoid or stop doing?
What legal, data and governance risks do we need to manage?
What should our next practical step be?

The overall objective is to give SME leaders greater confidence to approach AI as a business investment and leadership issue, rather than simply another technology trend.

Guest Speakers

Ged Leigh

Regional Director and FCAIO, The Marketing Centre

Ged will provide the keynote session, looking at AI from the perspective of the SME business leader. He will explore why AI activity does not necessarily translate into business value, how to distinguish worthwhile opportunities from hype and low-value experimentation, and where businesses should consider investing first. Drawing on common mistakes SMEs are making when adopting AI, Ged will look at how leaders can identify the processes and activities where AI can have a measurable impact, while considering people, process, data and technology rather than simply buying more tools. The session will also address how to balance innovation, commercial return and risk, providing a practical framework to help leaders make better investment and prioritisation decisions and determine what their business should do next.

Kiley Tan

Commercial Lawyer, The Legal Director

Kiley Tan from The Legal Director will address the legal, compliance and governance implications businesses need to consider as AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday operations. Kiley will explore key issues including data protection and confidentiality, the risks of employees entering company or customer information into public AI tools, intellectual property and ownership of AI-generated content, and accountability for AI-supported decisions. He will also consider appropriate internal policies and governance, managing third-party AI suppliers and emerging regulation, with a focus on how SMEs can put sensible controls in place without creating unnecessary bureaucracy or limiting innovation. The session will give business leaders a practical understanding of the key risks they need to recognise and manage as their use of AI develops.

Jonathan Bradley

Director, Everpro and AIMAI

Jonathan Bradley from Everpro will bring the discussion to life from the perspective of a business owner who has already used AI to transform significant areas of his business. Rather than discussing AI theoretically, Jonathan will share the practical experience of implementation, including how Everpro identified opportunities for AI, what the business chose to change and why, and the impact on processes, productivity and ways of working. He will also reflect on what worked well, what proved more difficult than expected, the organisational and leadership challenges involved, and the lessons learned along the way. Jonathan will share what he would do differently if starting again and how the experience is shaping the way he thinks about the future of the business, giving attendees a practical SME case study of what AI adoption looks like beyond pilots and experimentation.

Don’t miss out.

Places are limited, so book your spot now.

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