In the 1880s, Manchester was a fulcrum of global trade. Dubbed ‘Cottonopolis’, most of the world’s cotton was said to pass through the booming city in this period – often travelling via rail onwards to the rest of the world. Here, Manchester’s handsome Central Station, at the heart of the city, played a critical role in such industrial enterprise. 150 years on, the station’s cotton days are long behind it – but it still plays a role in industry, now as an exhibition centre. And next week, the repurposed vaulted building will host some of the most innovative and enterprising minds in the technology industry for DTX Manchester 2025, the anchor event for Manchester Tech Week.
Across the two days, DTX Manchester is hardly just for those within technology and IT. With technology the basic foundation of all organisational life, thought leaders from energy, finance, gaming, charity, development, transport, housing, law and sport will be in attendance. Aligning with the conference’s key theme, they will speak to how to balance the need to ensure innovation is balanced with integrity and purpose, and how such an ethos intersects with customer experience, security and AI.
The biggest tech world challenges will be centre stage. How to develop and then operationalise an AI strategy that prioritises innovation and growth? How to centre trust in an era of near-total digital transformation? How to ensure digitally-powered business growth benefits the communities? There will also be fringe sessions and case studies, too: with examples on Microsoft, Apple and where carbon reporting and tourism is headed next. All speaking to critical delegate challenges.
People-centric tech transformation at DTX Manchester
With over 150 speakers – across topic strands including transformation strategies, customer experience and cybersecurity, as well as many others – there’s lots to see; not least, 45 separate sessions on AI, from keynotes on how this technology can drive profit to more technical examples on how to extract the best out of your office Copilot.
But how humans and technology enable one another is also a prominent theme. The day one keynote sees Sue Daley OBE in conversation with Dame Laura Kenny, Great Britain’s most successful female Olympian, on resilience. Here, there will be clear takeaways for attending delegates, not least on how to forestall burning out – of critical importance as AI turbocharges business.
Elsewhere, the second-day keynote will see Segro’s CIO Rich Corbridge take to the main stage to talk about building engagement in digital work environments – important as work rapidly transforms. There will also be panels on building management and leadership skills in the era of AI, understanding the revolutionary impact of agentic AI on the workforce, and knowing how to upskill colleagues for a tech-defined future.
To balance out strategic focus, mental well-being is also a central expo theme. Sessions on prioritising mental health, especially in cybersecurity teams, knowing how to spot well-being cues in colleagues and how to use data to spot ill health in the workforce will definitely draw people-centred leaders. And for those with demanding schedules, a second-day instructor-led session on managing stress will surely be of interest.
Not just about the workforce
The conference also takes a multi-angled approach to customer engagement, which is critical in ensuring that technology can power growth.
DTX offers the inside track on how Auto Trader is integrating Apple technology to ensure staff can deliver for its client base, in addition to a panel featuring BT | EE on how to promote customer inclusivity. Alternatively, for those who get lots out of a chat in a more social setting, there’s a network session at the end of day one for customer-minded delegates.
Elsewhere, there will be an opportunity to hear from the trailblazing startups launching cloud data security and green tech and a panel on how Manchester and the rest of the north can bring together founders, investors and policymakers to fuel a well-funded, interconnected digital economy.
Cottonopolis it ain’t, but such a session, as part of a varied agenda, offers the opportunity to gain the insights and tools that ensure delegates leave confident to lead their own digital transformation.
DTX Manchester will take place on 2-3 April at the Manchester Central Convention Complex
