AI-Agent-a-thon: Building Practical AI Agents for Real Business Impact

The Rose Bowl, Leeds, England

Leeds

Hosted by

West Yorkshire Combined Authority

About this event

Description:

Unlock practical AI potential with a hands-on workshop in Leeds that translates AI capability into real business impact. The AI-Agent-a-thon, presented by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority as part of the West Yorkshire Innovation Festival, is a focused, hands-on session designed to help organisations move from AI idea to concrete, working prototypes.

What to expect

  • A practical, hands-on workshop led by TrulySMB (a trusted Microsoft partner) on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm at The Rose Bowl, Leeds, England.
  • Work in small groups with experienced mentors to design and prototype a Copilot-powered AI agent tailored to a real business use case within your organisation. Examples include streamlining internal processes, or supporting sales, service, or operational teams.
  • No deep technical background is required. Bring a real business problem, non-sensitive sample data you’re happy to use, and an idea of where the agent should live (e.g., Microsoft Teams or a web app). Attendees are encouraged to bring a laptop.
  • Attendees will leave with a clear next steps plan for implementation and, where possible, a working agent prototype.
  • The session runs in a Microsoft office-secure environment, aligned with standard Microsoft 365 security, privacy, and compliance controls. Governance best practices will be discussed to help you manage ownership, access, and data governance.

Format and audience

  • A compact, collaborative workshop designed for business leaders, product managers, operations, sales, and customer service teams exploring practical AI adoption.
  • Participants will collaborate in small groups with mentors to translate a business challenge into an actionable agent design and prototype.
  • The event is free to attend, but spaces are limited due to the small-group format. No Microsoft Copilot licences are required to attend or participate.

Why this is valuable

  • Learn how to frame realistic AI agent use cases, identify feasible paths to implementation, and understand governance and security considerations when deploying AI agents in a corporate setting.
  • Get guidance on options for using and scaling AI agents after the event, with no obligation to purchase.
  • This event is delivered as part of the West Yorkshire Innovation Festival by AD:VENTURE in partnership with Microsoft, TrulySMB, Leeds Beckett University and the WYCA.

Practical details

  • Date and time: Tuesday, 10 March 2026, 09:30–13:00 local time (GMT)
  • Venue:
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