Upcoming Workshops
Meet the team and learn more about the project at:
Northern Ireland Alumni National Conference 2026 for the Help to Grow
Join us for a full-day conference bringing together Help to Grow: Management alumni and current participants from across Northern Ireland. It’s a chance to hear honest perspectives from people who understand the realities of running an SME, share experiences and tackle the challenges businesses are facing now.
From productivity and people management to data, digital innovation, AI and sustainability, we’ll focus on practical approaches that can help you strengthen how your business works. Through keynotes, workshops and roundtable discussions, you’ll have space to explore the issues that matter most to you.
Connect with fellow SME leaders, exchange ideas and leave with practical insights, useful contacts and things you can put into action in your business.
Navigating the Belfast Business Support Ecosystem
In advance of Global Entrepreneurship Week, we are supporting businesses by showcasing Belfast’s businesses support ecosystem.
Global Entrepreneurship Week is a celebration of innovators who dream big and launch startups that bring ideas to life. It reaches millions of people of all ages and backgrounds through local, national and global events and activities. For one week each November, partners around the world hold events and competitions to celebrate and support local entrepreneurs.
Everyone is welcome, whether you are at the pre-start stage, running a start-up, or an established business that has been trading for many years. Support is available for businesses at every stage of their journey.
Included in the list of exhibitors are Belfast City Council’s Enterprise and Business Growth Team, Procurement, Environmental Health plus our partners from Invest NI, Belfast Met, Queens, Ulster Bank, Innovation Factory, Women in Business, Social Enterprise NI, Housing Executive and Radius Housing, Ormeau Labs, Barclays Eagle Labs, DfC, Intertrade Ireland, The Kings Trust, NI Cyber Security, TechStart NI and more.
NI SME Business Conference & Expo 2026
The NI SME Business Conference & Expo will take place on Tuesday 17th November from 8:30am – 2:40pm in the Canal Court Hotel, Newry.
2026 marks the 12th edition of our annual SME Business Conference & Expo which attracts 150+ delegates each year, from all across NI, not just Greater Newry and is part of Newry, Mourne and Down Enterprise Week 2026.
You can view the full conference PROGRAMME HERE which will feature expert speakers and numerous exhibitors who will be in attendance on the day to make you aware of all the support that is out there for SMEs and chat with you directly about how they can assist your business.
The conference will include a mix of presentations, panel discussions and interactive Q&A sessions which will be overseen by our MC for the day, Deborah Loughran.
The conference will cover a wide array of key areas for SMEs including:
Demystifying AI – Challenges & Opportunities for SMEs
Sales & Marketing
Finance & The Economy
Skills, Recruitment & Innovation
If you are interested in taking an exhibition stand at the conference, please contact Chamber CEO, Michael Savage via michael@newrychamber.com.
Agentic AI for Automation Workshop
Discover how Agentic AI can move beyond simple prompts to take action and automate multi-step tasks. Explore practical ways AI agents can support everyday business processes, connect tasks and tools, reduce repetitive work and help your team work more efficiently while understanding where human oversight and control are still essential.
Join us at our Agentic AI for Automation Workshop on 25 November 2026 in Canal Court Hotel, Newry and explore how AI agents can automate routine tasks, improve efficiency, and unlock new opportunities for growth. Eligible SMEs can access up to 2 Innovation Discovery Days with our tech team to support their AI and digitisation journey.
Register today and take the next step towards business innovation.
📅 25 November 2026
📍 Canal Court Hotel, Newry
⏰ 10:00am - 1:00pm
Register Today! Innovate+ Portal
Unlocking AI with Better Prompts for Everyday Business Tasks
Unlocking AI with Better Prompts for Everyday Business Tasks is a practical workshop that helps SMEs get better results from AI tools. Participants will learn simple techniques for writing and refining prompts to improve AI responses. Through hands-on examples, they will explore how AI can support everyday tasks such as drafting emails, creating content, summarising documents, generating ideas, and planning projects.
AI Ethics and Governance
Learn how to use AI responsibly and confidently within your business. Explore the key considerations around data privacy, security, bias, transparency and accountability, and discover practical steps for putting the right policies, controls and governance in place as your organisation adopts AI.
Driving Business Success with Digital Innovation
Driving Business Success with Digital Innovation is a practical workshop designed to help SMEs identify opportunities to improve efficiency, productivity, and growth through digital technologies. Participants will explore proven innovation approaches, discover real-world business applications, and develop actionable ideas to drive competitive advantage and long-term success.
User Research & Persona Design for SMEs
Programme Type:
Interactive, practitioner-focused design thinking workshop
Delivery Method:
Online collaborative workshop via Microsoft Teams, using Miro for real-time group work and visual exercises
Location:
Online
Duration:
3 hours
Description:
This 3-hour, human-first, AI-enabled workshop helps startups, SMEs and larger organisations move from assumptions to evidence when designing new products and services. Drawing on best practices from Stanford’s d.school and MIT, together with design thinking methods developed at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and refined through a decade of regional industry engagement, you will be guided through a clear, step-by-step qualitative research and analysis process.
Is your business AI ready?
Join Innovate+, in collaboration with the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC), for an interactive half-day workshop designed to help businesses assess their AI readiness and identify practical opportunities to begin or accelerate their AI journey. Following the workshop participants will also be able to avail of up to two days technical support from Innovate+ AI & data experts who will undertake a data readiness audit and provide an implementation plan bespoke to each company.
Through expert-led presentations, real-world examples and facilitated discussions, you'll gain a clearer understanding of what AI adoption means for your organisation, the foundations required for success, and the support available to help you take the next step.
Whether you're just beginning to explore AI or looking to develop a more structured approach, this workshop will provide practical guidance that you can apply immediately.
Understanding AI in Business
Build a clear understanding of artificial intelligence and its role within organisations.
What AI is (and isn't)
Common business applications across different sectors
Real-world examples of organisations successfully adopting AI
Separating hype from practical opportunity
Assessing Your AI Readiness
Discover what your organisation needs before implementing AI solutions.
Topics include:
Understanding your business data
Assessing digital maturity
Infrastructure considerations
Identifying opportunities for AI within existing processes
Common barriers to adoption
Interactive group discussions and practical exercises
Planning Your Next Steps
We’ll close the show with everything you need to embark on your AI journey with the Innovate + and AICC
How to connect with us and what to expect
News of up coming events and new training courses
A final Q&A live session to explore next steps in your AI journey
Data Readiness audit follow up
Following the workshop Innovate+ will provide up to two days of technical support to participants, allowing you to
Assess current AI Data readiness of your company
Design an implementation plan bespoke to your company to support next steps in your AI implementation journey
Who should attend?
This workshop is ideal for:
SME decision-makers exploring AI as a driver for business growth.
Hands-on professionals looking for practical ways to integrate AI into their workflows.
This workshop is not intended for individuals with moderate to advanced experience or knowledge in AI, Machine Learning, and Data Science.
Innovate+ & AICC reserve the right to cancel registrations that do not meet eligibility criteria.