Event 1: Powering Productivity and Growth: People, Jobs and AI
Date: Friday 18 September 2026
Time: 8.45am to 11am
Venue: Teesside University Digital Life Centre, Middlesbrough
This session focuses on how the North East can build a workforce that is ready for the future.
As technology continues to change the nature of work, there is a growing need to balance technical capability with adaptability, creativity and strong workplace cultures. This is not just about skills provision, but about how organisations attract, develop and retain people in a way that supports long-term productivity.
The discussion will explore how businesses are responding in practice, including approaches to skills development, inclusive recruitment and employee wellbeing, alongside the role AI is beginning to play across different sectors.
AI will be considered in a practical sense: not just as a tool to improve efficiency, but as something that is changing how people work, solve problems and make decisions.
Sponsored by
Confirmed Speakers
Lord Elliott of Mickle Fell
Evenna Ottey
Claire Ainsley
Darren Hankey
Kate Shoesmith
Eddie Tribe
Event 2: Trade, Devolution and the North East’s Global Future
Date: Thursday 1 October 2026
Time: 8.45am to 11am
Venue: The Culture House, Sunderland
This session looks at how the North East can strengthen its position on a national and international stage.
As competition for investment and talent increases, there is a need for the region to present a clear and confident offer. This goes beyond individual sectors and looks at how the North East is understood as a place to do business.
The session will explore how trade, connectivity and devolution can support this. There will be a focus on how businesses can access new markets, build relationships and navigate an increasingly complex global environment.
It will also consider how the region tells its story, including how its strengths, heritage and ambitions are communicated in a way that resonates with investors and partners.
Confirmed Speakers and panellists
Søren Nikolajsen
Debra Walton
Sarah McCann
Tom Riordan
Richard Oppenheim
Event 3: Place to Prosperity: Culture, Investment and Growth
Date: Thursday 15 October 2026
Time: 8.45am to 11am
Venue: The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Gateshead
This session focuses on how the North East can translate its strengths into places that attract investment and support long-term growth.
This includes the role of infrastructure, development and regeneration, but also how places are designed and experienced by the people who live and work in them.
The discussion will explore how different elements come together to create investable locations, including transport and digital connectivity, sustainability, town centres and wider community identity.
There will be a focus on practical examples, including how organisations are approaching development and how projects are being shaped to deliver both economic and social value.
The session will also introduce the Social Value Framework and how it can support a more joined-up approach to investment across the region.
Sponsored by
Confirmed Speakers
David Hopkinson
Vicky Pryce
George Clarke
Marie Nixon
Dr Catherine Glover