When budgets tighten, events have to compete harder for investment. So what does it take to move them from a cost that's questioned to an investment the business is prepared to protect?

In this opening keynote, a senior leader takes us inside a real battle for event investment. What was being challenged? What evidence changed the conversation? And what finally convinced the business that cutting events would cost it more than protecting them?

This is the inside story of what it takes to make the value of events stand up when the money is on the line.

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Choose from four facilitated discussions:

1. Stakeholder Management: Making Your Voice Count

Managing different priorities and opinions from across the business is part of the job. But how do you make sure your own expertise carries weight? Share how other event leaders are influencing stakeholders, using evidence to back up their recommendations and handling the difficult conversations when they need to challenge an idea or push back.

2. What’s Worth the Money? Deciding Where Your Event Budget Goes

When budgets shrink, doing everything with less isn't always the answer. Sometimes you need to stop doing things altogether. How are event leaders deciding which events deserve investment, what to scale back and what to cut? Compare the decisions being made across different organisations — and the evidence being used to make them.

3. What I Wish I'd Known: Getting Ahead in Events

What really helps you progress from delivering events to leading them? Join a senior event leader for a candid conversation about the lessons they learned along the way, what gets noticed and how to make the case for your next move. Bring your own career questions and learn from others around the table.

4. Accessible Events: What Are You Actually Doing?

Move beyond the principles and compare what's actually happening on the ground. What changes are organisations making to create more accessible events? What's working, where are the sticking points and what could you learn from others who are further ahead? Bring your own challenges and leave with practical ideas from around the table.

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The workload isn't getting smaller. The teams and budgets are.

So where can AI genuinely make a difference? This practical masterclass looks at how event leaders are already putting it to work — what they're using it for, what's actually delivering results and where it isn't worth the effort.

Working through real event challenges, you'll learn how to identify where AI could have the greatest impact in your own operation and how to use it effectively. Put the approach to the test on a challenge of your own and leave knowing where AI can genuinely help your team do more with what you've got.

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