An Open Room
Archive

ManchesterWeek of 27 Apr 2026

Mon 27 AprSun 3 May 2026 · 20 events

9:00amFree
Department Campfield, Manchester M3 4FP

Found Up North kicks off Manchester Tech Week with a full day programme for founders, recovering founders and soon-to-be founders. Workshops, unconference sessions, introductions, and the honest conversations founders usually only have in private. Relaxed format at Campfield.

FoundersInvestors
2:00pmFree
Gateley, Ship Canal House, Manchester M2 4WU

techUK's Scaling in... Retail session, hosted at Gateley in Manchester, brings retail-tech founders, scale-ups and investors together for a working afternoon on the growth questions that matter at Series A-B: margin, unit economics, and cross-border expansion. Part of Manchester Tech Week.

SaaSInvestorsFounders
4:00pmFree
Bloc — Bruntwood SciTech, Manchester M2 3AW

True Worth Tech Talks hosts a Chatham House-style roundtable on Shadow AI — the unsanctioned tools already running inside most organisations — and how CTOs, CISOs and people leaders are handling it. Senior-only, limited seats, Bloc at Bruntwood SciTech.

AI & ML
4:30pmFree
Colony King Street, Manchester M2 4NH

WomenWise brings together senior women from across the Northern tech ecosystem for a Real Talk evening on leadership. Panel, Q&A and structured networking at Colony King Street. Part of Manchester Tech Week.

FoundersSocial
4:30pmFree
Alliance Manchester Business School, Manchester M15 6PB

Alliance Manchester Business School hosts the latest instalment of its Scale Up Series, focused on how scaling companies are actually embedding AI across their org — not the vendor story, the operator story. Part of Manchester Tech Week's fringe programme.

AI & MLFounders
5:00pmFree
Glaisyers ETL, Manchester M3 3HF

A DTX Fringe evening for GM tech leaders on the intersection of AI, cybersecurity and the human layer — the behaviours, training gaps and policy choices that actually determine risk in an AI-augmented workplace. Hosted by GM Business Growth Hub at Glaisyers ETL.

AI & MLOther
9:30amFree
Manchester Central Convention Complex, Manchester M2 3GX

UCX Manchester runs alongside DTX at Manchester Central, covering unified communications, cloud telephony, contact centres, CX, AV and the AI layer that's now reshaping all of them. Co-located with DTX Manchester — one badge, four events.

SaaSAI & ML
9:30amFree
Victoria Warehouse, Stretford

Creator Economy Live lands in Manchester for two days at Victoria Warehouse — the UK's #1 influencer-marketing conference, bringing together brands, creators, agencies and platforms. Strategy, measurement, partnerships and the hard commercial questions behind creator-led growth.

MarketingSaaS
9:30amFree
Manchester Central Convention Complex, Manchester M2 3GX

DTX Manchester is the anchor event of Manchester Tech Week — two days of expert talks, live demos and interactive sessions across digital transformation, cloud, data, AI and cybersecurity. Manchester's largest tech gathering, co-located with UCX, Creator Economy Live and IR B2B at Manchester Central.

AI & MLSaaSFintechOther
4:30pmFree
CloudGuard AI,

CloudGuard and BCN team up for a Manchester Tech Week happy hour — short tactical talks on cloud, security and AI, then drinks. Deliberately informal, deliberately early-evening, and deliberately focused on the people doing the work, not the people selling it.

AI & MLSaaS
5:00pmFree
Colony King Street, Manchester M2 4NH

An evening on the design, safety and accessibility challenges of social VR — what works, what doesn't, and where the research is heading. For anyone building in XR, games, social platforms, or working on online-safety policy. Part of Manchester Tech Week.

DeepTechDesign
5:00pmFree
Squire Patton Boggs, Spinningfields

CONEXEN's monthly Manchester mixer brings together biopharma, life-sciences and health-tech founders, investors and researchers. Hosted at Squire Patton Boggs in Spinningfields as part of Manchester Tech Week.

Health & BioInvestors
9:30amFree
Manchester Metropolitan University — AMMIC, Chester Street

Manchester Metropolitan University's Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMMIC) runs its next innovation pathway cohort, starting during Manchester Tech Week. A fully funded programme for manufacturing and materials businesses working with MMU experts on test, validate and deliver stages. Launch/kickoff session on 30 April.

DeepTechCleanTech
10:00amFree
Deloitte Manchester, Manchester M3 3HF

Manchester Digital's Digital Her programme runs its annual Curiosity Camp for career changers and returners looking to move into tech — this year with Deloitte. A day of practical sessions, employer introductions and honest career-path conversations for anyone rebuilding a tech career.

FoundersSocial
1:30pmFree
Manchester (MTW venue TBC via organiser),

A Manchester Tech Week afternoon session on AI in the cultural heritage sector — galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM). Practical case studies on collections intelligence, interpretation, access and rights. Strong hidden-gem pick for anyone at the AI × arts × public-institution intersection.

AI & MLDesign
4:00pmFree
N Brown, Manchester M60 6ES

Launch event for the Women in Tech and Cyber Hub (WiTCH) Manchester chapter — a new community focused on women building careers in cyber and technology across Greater Manchester. Hosted at N Brown on Lever Street as part of Manchester Tech Week.

FoundersSocial
4:45pmFree
Slalom, Manchester M2 3AW

Power BI Manchester (PBIMCR) runs a recap session from Microsoft's FabCon 26 conference on Microsoft Fabric — what actually matters for Manchester-based data teams, which of the new features are production-ready, and what's still a wait-and-see. Hosted at Slalom's Marble Street office.

AI & MLSaaS
5:00pmFree
SISTER — Renold Building, Manchester M1 7JR

Venture Café Manchester's Thursday Gathering lands squarely on Manchester Tech Week evening with a themed programme on regional innovation — what the North's model actually looks like, who's investing, and what the next three years need to look like. Weekly format, free, open to anyone.

FoundersInvestors
5:00pmFree
Colony King Street, Manchester M2 4NH

With Steve Wade (Kubernetes Ambassador, DevOps Society)

DevOps Society's Manchester Tech Week evening with Steve Wade (Kubernetes Ambassador) on how high-performing engineering teams actually communicate. Pattern-level, practical, and directly applicable on Monday morning. Colony King Street.

SaaSAI & ML
6:30pmFree
NatWest — 8th Floor Event Space, Manchester M3 3AP

The launch event of Manchester Responsible AI Network (MRAIN) — a new city-wide initiative bringing together researchers, policy people, founders and operators working on the practical side of responsible AI. Keynote, panel and networking at NatWest's Spinningfields event space. A founding-moment event for anyone in Manchester's AI community.

AI & MLFounders