Hands-on demos. Real-world stories. Bigger possibilities.

Nobody needs another event telling them AI will change everything. What organisations need is a practical roadmap from where they are today to where they want to be tomorrow.

Thinking Bigger 2026 is designed to help organisations move from AI Readiness to AI Realisation. Across one day and five dedicated technology tracks, you’ll discover how AI, cloud, security, data and business applications work together to accelerate transformation and deliver measurable business outcomes.

Hear from organisations that have already taken the journey, learn from their successes and challenges, and get hands-on with demos, workshops and interactive experiences. Connect with ANS specialists, Microsoft, and leading technology partners to explore funding opportunities, identify your next priorities, and build a clear roadmap for what’s next.

As Microsoft’s UK Partner of the Year 2025, ANS helps organisations move beyond technology conversations and focus on real business outcomes.

This isn’t about selling the dream of AI. It’s about showing you how to achieve it.

Why Attend?

• Move from AI readiness to real-world AI adoption with practical guidance and proven approaches.
• Explore dedicated tracks across AI, Cloud, Security, Data and Business Applications.
• Hear real customer stories, lessons learned and measurable outcomes.
• Experience live demos, workshops, AI readiness clinics and interactive sessions.
• Connect with ANS experts, Microsoft and strategic technology partners.
• Discover funding opportunities, assessments and discovery engagements.
• Leave with clear, actionable next steps tailored to your organisation.

Session Summaries

AI

• From Copilot to Agents: The Next Evolution of Work
  Explore how organisations are moving beyond Copilot and into the world of AI agents. Learn what agents are, where they create value, and how to build a strategy for adopting them securely and at scale.
• The Human Side of AI: Driving Adoption That Sticks
  Technology alone doesn’t guarantee success. Discover how organisations can drive user adoption, build trust, create champion communities and ensure AI delivers lasting business impact.
• AI in Action: The Results Behind Customer Zero
  Hear how ANS and Microsoft have implemented AI internally, including real-world productivity gains, business outcomes, lessons learned and future opportunities.
• Choosing the Right AI Agent for Your Organisation
  Not every organisation needs the same type of AI agent. This session explores different agent models, common use cases and the foundations required to deploy them successfully.
• AI Readiness Clinic
  A personalised consultation designed to assess AI maturity, identify priority use cases and help organisations build a practical roadmap from AI interest to AI impact.

Cloud

• Where Should Workloads Live in the Era of AI?
  Public cloud, private cloud, sovereign cloud or hybrid? Learn how leading organisations are making cloud decisions based on innovation, resilience, compliance and business value.
• Beyond Migration: Building an AI-Ready Cloud Platform
  A technical deep dive into modern cloud platforms, exploring automation, containers and platform engineering as the foundations for scalable AI innovation.

Security

• M365 Governance & Governing AI Agents
  Learn how to securely govern Microsoft 365, Copilot and AI agents through effective identity management, permissions, data protection and security controls.
• Executive Security Panel: AI Risk, Exposure & the Human Factor
  Senior leaders discuss the operational, reputational and cyber risks associated with AI adoption, and how security has become a critical business enabler.
• Inside the SOC
  Go behind the scenes of the ANS Security Operations Centre and see how threats are detected, monitored and responded to in real time.

Data

• Getting Real Value from Data & Analytics
  Understand how to identify meaningful data use cases, prioritise investments and build a roadmap that delivers measurable business outcomes from data and AI.
• From Dashboards to Decisions with PowerBI
  Discover how organisations can move beyond reporting and use Power BI to create insights that drive faster, better-informed business decisions.
• Microsoft Fabric Express Workshop
  A practical workshop demonstrating how Microsoft Fabric helps organisations unify data, simplify analytics and create a stronger foundation for AI innovation.
• Intelligent Business Processes: Where AI Meets Everyday Work
  See how AI, automation and business applications can improve operations, reduce manual effort and unlock greater value from systems such as Dynamics 365 and Business Central.

Interactive sessions

• CyberCrowd Escape Room
  A hands-on cyber security experience that brings incident response, resilience and risk management to life through an interactive challenge.
• Commvault presents: Minutes to Meltdown
  Explore the real-world impact of cyber incidents, data loss and downtime, and understand the critical role that resilience, backup and recovery play in business continuity.

Additional Sessions

• Women Leadership, Innovation and the Future of Technology
  A panel discussion focused on leadership, innovation, inclusion and the opportunities shaping the future of technology careers and organisations
• Executive C-Level Lunch
  A senior leadership session designed to create high-value conversations with strategic customers and prospects. This should bring together executive stakeholders to discuss the major themes shaping technology investment, including AI adoption, secure transformation, data-led decision-making, cloud strategy and business value. The Speaker Session Ideas tab references an executive-level lunch as part of the event concept

Register your interest today. To help you get the most value from the day, our team will contact you after registration with a session selection form, enabling you to create a personalised agenda tailored to your organisation’s goals and priorities.