Scottish Alumni National Conference

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08:30 Breakfast and registration 

Tea, coffee, and networking.

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09:00 Opening Remarks from the conference chair

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09:10 Welcome from Scottish enterprise

Join Derek as he explores how Scottish Enterprise is driving innovation in a global economy. You’ll learn how Scotland’s SME leaders are pioneering innovation to compete internationally, adapt to global market shifts, and deliver lasting business impact. Derek will also provide an overview of Scotland’s innovation and investment ecosystems, showcasing how our businesses are thriving on the world stage and the support Scottish Enterprise offers to help them grow and scale globally.

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09:30 The Magic of Creativity: The benefits of being Brave

Andrew Dobbie will share his journey from launching a creative agency with just £1000 to leading one of the UK’s most respected brand and creative agencies – recently crowned ‘Agency of the Year’ by Marketing Society Scotland.

He will also explore how values and purpose-driven branding create stronger, more resilient businesses, and why the best brands are built from the inside-out. Drawing on MadeBrave’s award-winning work with global names like Nestlé, Medtronic, and KPMG, he’ll highlight the role of culture in fuelling creativity, and how fostering a positive workplace can deliver both exceptional campaigns and long-term business growth.

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10:15 AI in Practice: practical tools & advice to boost your business  

In this two-part session you will discover how real businesses are using AI to save time, boost productivity, and make better decisions without needing to hire a data scientist. Led by Help to Grow alumnus and AI consultant Vasilij Nevlev, this session will blend live demos, relatable case studies, and hands-on breakout activities to help you spot AI opportunities in your own business.

You’ll explore smart tools like ChatGPT, NotebookLM, and no-code automation platforms like n8n, and leave with a blueprint you can test during the breakout sessions. Whether you’re new to AI or looking to take the next step, you’ll walk away with clear ideas, not just theory.

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11:00 Mid-morning break 

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11:25 Ai in practice: breakout sessions

For this half of the session, grab your laptop, tablet, or iPad as you will be guided through:  

• NotebookLM podcast creator: Using your business’s existing content (blog posts, newsletters, or case studies), you’ll learn to generate a podcast script that answers typical customer questions. 

• Chat with your spreadsheets: Build a simple chatbot interface that pulls answers from spreadsheet data using n8n. 

• Prompt Engineering Sandbox: Understand the power of well-crafted prompts and how to adjust them for different business use cases. 

• Firestudio with Gemini 2.5: Show the power of generative design using AI by creating website drafts or campaign content in minutes. 

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12:10 Lunch

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13:15 real talk on business best practice

This panel of seasoned SME leaders will explore what truly drives success in today’s evolving business landscape. From leadership resilience and strategic thinking to employee engagement, export challenges, and pricing strategies, this open and honest discussion will spark fresh ideas and provide actionable insights to support your business growth.

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14:00 Bring Your Strategy to Life: Aligning Your Message with Your Team and Customers

This 60‑minute, interactive workshop helps business owners continue deepen the connection between strategy and real behaviour—internally and externally. Through reflection, table discussion, and exercises, you’ll identify what people already say about your business, clarify what you want them to say, and craft ways to communicate your mission with clarity and impact. Walk away with tangible ideas to ensure your strategy is felt by your team and customers.

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15:00 Iterate your way to success: lessons from building one of the UK’s most popular beer clubs

From launching SuperJam at 14 to co-founding Beer52, Wine52, and Whisky52, Fraser has built some of the UK’s most successful direct-to-consumer brands. In this session, he will share lessons on building a strong brand, developing a passionate team, and creating products that resonate with customers, giving you practical insights to apply to your own businesses.

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15:45 Closing remarks from conference chair

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16:00 networking

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16:30 Doors close

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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.