Connecting with the North-West at iNetwork Annual Conference 2026

It was the our first time attending the iNetwork Annual Conference and they gave our team a warm welcome to a new public sector community and plenty of opportunities to talk about AI. Paul Wood, Zayyan Hafeez and George Mitchell from ICS.AI joined delegates at the Hyatt Regency Manchester on 10 November for the network’s 21st annual event.

With many attendees working across the north-west, the day was a valuable opportunity to meet people we had not spoken with before. Heads of service and customer experience teams were among those who stopped by, alongside colleagues at the start of their public sector careers.

A shared focus on change that delivers

The conference theme, “Shaping Change that Delivers”, provided a useful setting for these conversations. The published programme explored how organisations can scale innovation, invest in prevention and approach digital services responsibly. It also featured local government AI showcases and examples of collaboration to better support residents.

For ICS.AI, those themes connect directly with the work of introducing AI into public services. Progress depends on understanding a service’s needs, involving the people who deliver it and agreeing how success will be measured. The technology needs to fit that work and help staff deliver better outcomes for residents.

Meeting the people behind local services

The strongest part of the day for our team was the opportunity to build new relationships, including with Manchester, Tameside, Bolton & Oldham Councils amongst many others.

Meeting people working in customer services and customer experience was particularly valuable. Their perspective helps keep discussions about AI close to the everyday experience of contacting a council, finding the right information and getting support.

There was also plenty of curiosity among graduates and colleagues earlier in their careers. Our team welcomed the chance to talk with people who will help shape public services in the years ahead, as well as those already leading teams.

The organisers and delegates helped create an approachable atmosphere and brought a steady flow of conversations throughout the day.

Interest in AI at the council front door

Our upcoming Ipswich and Gen3 front-door webinar proved a useful talking point at the stand. Delegates could scan a QR code to find out more, and the team saw registrations during the event from people keen to hear about AI at the council front door.

That interest reflects the value of hearing directly from councils about their experience. Alongside exploring what AI can do, public service teams need opportunities to understand how it is introduced, how staff and residents respond, and what can be learned along the way.

Through SMART: Front Door AI and the SMART: AI Transformation Programme, we help organisations explore where AI can improve access to services and support their workforce. Events such as iNetwork give us valuable time with the people considering those decisions.

Continuing the conversations

We left Manchester with new connections and useful conversations to follow up. Thank you to the iNetwork team for a well-organised event, and to everyone who took the time to meet Paul, Zayyan and George.

If we met at the conference, we look forward to picking up the conversation. If we missed you, get in touch with ICS.AI to discuss how AI could support your services and the people who use them.

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