Introduction
A hands-on workshop delivered in partnership with Microsoft, Barclays and Pax8 to help SME leaders turn AI into workflows that add value in just one day.
Date: TBC in September
Time: 08:45 to 13:00
Location: Greater Manchester Digital Security Hub, Heron House, 1 Lincoln Square, Manchester, M2 5LN
*Places are limited to ensure valuable engagement.
Register Your Interest
About the Event
The AI-Agent-a-thon is a practical workshop designed to help SMBs turn AI agents into something they can actually use. An AI agent is a Copilot‐powered digital assistant that can think, act, and complete real tasks on your behalf, from gathering information to triggering workflows and solving everyday business problems.
Delivered by Novem, in collaboration with Microsoft, Barclays and selected partners, this hands-on session focuses on real business challenges and real outcomes.
During the Session, You Will:
- Work with experts to design and prototype a Copilot-powered AI agent
- Apply AI to a real business use case (e.g. approvals, sales support, service requests, internal processes)
- Learn what’s practical and achievable for your organisation today
- Leave with a working prototype and clear next steps for implementation.
Agenda (Subject to Changes):
- Welcome & Kick off
- Copilot: What’s new & the Art of Prompting
- Agents & Security – Foundations of a Frontier Firm
- Agent-a-thon Kickoff
- Hands-on Lab: Get Started With pre-selected Agents
- Agent Ideation
- Agent-a-thon continued
- Agents Showcase
Who Should Attend:
This session is designed for business owners, founders, and leaders who are involved in running and growing a business – particularly those wearing multiple hats.
It’s ideal for:
- Scale-ups, and growing businesses of all sizes
- Entrepreneurs and leaders responsible for operations, sales, finance, or delivery
- Businesses looking to use AI to save time, reduce manual work, and scale more efficiently
- Anyone curious about AI agents but unsure how to apply them in a practical way
No technical background is required. The session focuses on building confidence and showing how AI can be used effectively to support business growth.
What You’ll Walk Away With
- A working AI agent prototype
Turn a real business problem into a practical, usable agent with expert guidance. - Confidence to move forward
Leave with a clear use case you can share internally to support buy-in and adoption. - Direct access to experts
Work in small groups with Microsoft and partner specialists. - Peer learning
Learn from other SMBs facing similar challenges and see how they’re approaching AI. - Post-event insights
Receive a summary of key SMB agent use cases, trends, and recommendations gathered during the session.
You’ll need a laptop to be able to get the most out of this event.
About the Partners
Barclays – A consortium led by Barclays Eagle Labs were chosen by Manchester City Council to operate the Greater Manchester Digital Security Hub (DiSH) and this events is part of their efforts to support businesses across the area.
Novem – An MSP with decades of experience supporting SMEs across the UK with their IT, cybersecurity and technology roadmaps.
Pax8 – A leading global cloud marketplace known for its deep expertise in AI, Copilot, security and modern workplace technologies.