Launchpad Southend

Southend Business Partnership Briefing 9 October 2025
2025-10-09 07:30 - 10:30 UTC | Maritime Room, Cliffs Pavilion, Station Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 7RA
The morning will have on offer a free light breakfast, networking opportunities and a round of updates from local providers.
The focus of the event will be around AI.
AI presentation will be from the AI Guys:- An AI automation agency empowering your business with intelligent automation.
Space East will also be presenting on funding and advice for businesses looking to innovate and make the mst of space technologies.
7.30am registration begins
7.30am to 8.30am networking and light breakfast
8.30am to 10am presentations from keynote speakers
10am to 10.30am networking

AI Accelerator: Introduction to AI and Digital Tools
2025-10-10 10:00 - 15:00 | Launchpad Southend, Launchpad Airport Business Park, Rochford, SS4 1YH
Join us for a full-day, hands-on Digital Tools and AI Workshop designed to help professionals streamline workflows, boost productivity, and confidently integrate AI into their daily operations.
In the morning session, we’ll explore the fundamentals of digital tools, including communication, project management, automation, and data analysis platforms. Through interactive activities like tool mapping, gap analysis, and real-world scenario comparisons, participants will gain a clear understanding of how digital transformation can enhance efficiency and reduce manual processes.
We will have a short break inbetween including a complimentary light lunch and refreshments.
The afternoon session dives into the power of AI, with a focus on the Microsoft Copilot ecosystem. Participants will experience live demos across Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, and engage in practical exercises to identify AI solutions for real-world tasks. The day concludes with a collaborative project lab, integration strategies, and actionable next steps for adopting digital tools and AI in the workplace.
Whether you’re just starting your digital journey or looking to deepen your AI integration, this workshop offers practical insights, peer learning, and expert guidance to help you drive meaningful change.
This workshop will be a pilot for a four part accelerator series and there are only 20 spaces for Southend based businesses, entrepreneurs and leaders who are ready to embrace the future of AI and reap the rewards for your business.
These workshops have been organised by Southend-on-Sea City Council, hosted by Launchpad Southend and delivered by GoodChangePeople

Train Your AI in 1 Hour (So It Actually Sounds Like You)
2025-11-03 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
Welcome to the Small Business Saturday Webinar Programme! Join us as we gear up for Small Business Saturday on 6th December with our series of free, virtual webinars designed to help small businesses grow.
Each webinar is hosted by successful small business owners and recorded for later viewing.
Attend 10 sessions, and receive a free gift from us!
Do you want your AI assistant to truly reflect your voice, tone, and personality?
In this webinar, Julie Begbie shows you how to train your AI in just one hour, with no tech background required. Learn simple and effective techniques to make your AI write like you, think like you, and communicate like you. Perfect for anyone who wants to save time without sounding robotic.
You’ll learn:
– The exact prompts to use
– How to teach your AI ‘you’ authentically
– How to use your trained AI in day to day
Sign up for more webinars in this series here: https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/the-tour

Using AI in Bid Writing – Opportunities and Risks
2025-12-16 09:30 - 10:00 | Online
Essex Growth Agency is pleased to offer this free webinar for businesses and organisations across Essex. Join us for an insightful session on how Artificial Intelligence is shaping the future of bid writing. Discover practical ways AI can support your bidding process, the potential risks involved, and expert tips to improve success rates.
Date: 16th December 2025
Time: 09:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Agenda:

Introduction – Overview of Thornton & Lowe
The Importance of Effective Writing – How strong writing impacts success rates
What’s Involved in Writing – Key considerations for a winning bid
How AI Can Help – Practical applications for bid writing
How AI Can Be a Risk – Understanding limitations and compliance issues
Q&A Session – Your questions answered

Speaker:
Charles Grosstephan, Director of Development, Thornton & Lowe
About Thornton & Lowe:
Thornton & Lowe is a leading Bid Management and Bid Writing Consultancy with a success rate of nearly 80%, supporting businesses across all sectors nationwide to plan and secure contracts and frameworks.
