Northern Ireland Alumni National Conference 2026
Thursday November 12th 2026
Northern Ireland Alumni National Conference
Highlighted speakers:
Edwina Flynn Chief Executive Officer, Wood Innovations
Dr David Jordan Lecturer in Economics, Queen's Business School, Queen's University Belfast
Joanne Kearney Managing Director, GlowMetrics
Building stronger SMEs: practical support for Northern Ireland business leaders
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.
Agenda
09:30 Breakfast and registration
Tea, coffee, and networking.
10:00 welcome address
10:10 Leading growth, people and change in a family business
How do you lead a business through growth and change when the path ahead isn’t always clear? Help to Grow: Management alumni Edwina Flynn will share her story of stepping into the CEO role and growing the family business from 21 to 65 employees, while navigating succession, recruitment challenges and changing market conditions. Drawing on her experience of the programme, Edwina will explore how stepping back from the day-to-day, shaping a clear strategy and investing in your people can help any SME leader build a stronger business and prepare for what comes next.
Edwina Flynn Chief Executive Officer, Wood Innovations
10:40 Workshop session 1
Getting found in the age of AI: GEO for Small Businesses
AI is changing how customers discover businesses, with more people asking tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews for recommendations. This practical workshop will show you how to improve your visibility, make sure AI tools are representing your business accurately and take simple steps to strengthen your presence.
You’ll learn how to:
- Understand how AI-generated search is changing the way customers discover businesses
- Check how AI tools currently describe your business and identify gaps or inaccuracies
- Strengthen the signals that help AI recognise and recommend your business, and measure whether your efforts are working
Joanne Kearney Managing Director, GlowMetrics
Positive carbon reduction to improve efficiency, cut costs and strengthen your business
Improving efficiency, lowering costs, and making your business more resilient are some of the benfits of embedding sustainable practices. Through real examples and guided activities, you’ll identify practical opportunities in your own business, start building a simple sustainability roadmap and discover free tools and support to help turn ideas into action.
You’ll explore how to:
- Identify where carbon reduction could improve efficiency, reduce costs and strengthen your business
- Pinpoint practical actions you can take to reduce emissions and improve performance
- Start building a simple sustainability roadmap and access free tools, guidance and support to help you take the next steps
Dr Amy Garbett Senior Sustainability Adviser, Sustainable NI
11:30 Movement break
11:40 Panel discussion – hiring and retaining SME talent in Northern Ireland
Finding and retaining the right people remains a key challenge for SMEs across Northern Ireland. This candid panel discussion will explore the realities of attracting, developing and retaining talent, sharing practical insights on engaging younger workers, creating progression opportunities, managing succession, strengthening workplace culture and using technology to support teams and productivity.
12:15 Lunch
13:15 Leading Change When You Don’t (and Can’t) Have All the Answers
Leading through uncertainty starts with how you lead yourself. In this keynote, Caroline Duffy explores how SME leaders can stay grounded, make better decisions and support their teams through change, even when there are no easy answers. Drawing on neuroscience, adult development and practical leadership experience, Caroline will share practical approaches to building trust, encouraging ownership and creating resilient teams that can adapt to whatever comes next.
Caroline Duffy Director, Aube Coaching
13:50 Movement break
14:00 roundtables
You will have the opportunity to join a facilitated roundtable discussion on a topic that matters most to you. Select your preferred discussion themes via the registration form.
14:50 movement break
15:00 Workshop session 2
Stronger leaders, stronger businesses
Running and growing a business places significant demands on leaders, yet their own wellbeing is often overlooked. This practical, evidence-based session will explore how SME leaders can better manage their energy, focus and capacity to support effective leadership and sustainable business performance.
You’ll learn how to:
- Improve your energy, focus and resilience during demanding periods.
- Recognise habits and leadership behaviours that can contribute to overwork and burnout.
- Create more capacity for strategic leadership, with practical actions you can put into practice straight away.
Sarah Lacey Founder, Nourish and Nurture
Productivity and managers: strengthen performance in your SME
Drawing on research from the Northern Ireland Productivity Forum, David Jordan will explore the management practices behind productive, high-performing teams.
You’ll learn how to:
- Assess your own management practices and identify strengths and gaps that could be affecting business performance
- Use practical tools such as KPIs, targets, performance reviews and continuous improvement to strengthen productivity
- Turn your assessment into clear, practical actions for improving management and developing your people
Dr David Jordan Lecturer in Economics, Queen's Business School, Queen's University Belfast
15:50 LEssons learned and Closing remarks
16:30 Doors close
Please note: speakers, timings or format of our events may change due to circumstances beyond our control. We will inform delegates of any changes at the earliest opportunity.
Enquiries
If you have any questions, please get in touch by email at HTGM.Events@smallbusinesscharter.org or contact the Small Business Charter by phone on 020 7634 9584.
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