East Midlands business owners will get hands-on with AI and cyber security at a Leicestershire Innovation Festival event organised by EMCSC and hosted by Better-IT.

Actionable AI, Real-World Security: Practical Innovation for East Midlands Businesses will take place at the Mattioli Arena, home of Leicester Riders, on Wednesday 11 March. 

The half-day session is designed for SMEs who are already using or trialling AI tools in their business and which want to improve cyber security or need practical, non-technical guidance that can be implemented immediately.

What is the Better-IT AI and security event?

The event, which is part of the week-long Leicestershire Innovation Festival, brings together security specialists, AI practitioners and local business leaders for a morning of demos, case studies and workshops. 

It sits within a wider festival programme that showcases how innovation, from AI and cyber security to digital manufacturing and university partnerships, is driving productivity across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland.

The session, from 9.30am to 12.30pm, is built for SMEs that:

• Are already experimenting with AI but aren’t sure if it’s secure
• Want to automate routine tasks like onboarding and call handling
• Need clear, non-technical guidance on tools such as Microsoft Copilot.

What will attendees learn?

The agenda is structured around three core questions: how attackers use AI, how to defend against them, and how to make AI work for your business.​

• Delegates will hear how Huntress works at the front line of cyber defence, tracking and defending against real attacker behaviour across millions of devices and identities.
• Michael McHugo and Bill Hefford from Better-IT will discuss driving innovation with AI tools and automation, including call transcriptions and automated onboarding.
• Where Microsoft Copilot is today and how small businesses are already using AI agents to improve productivity, streamline workflows and support teams.​

You can book onto the AI event here.

Hands-on workshops and Q&A

The session also includes interactive 30-minute workshops:​

• Preparing your data and business security for AI – Policies, controls and compliance considerations to make sure your AI setup is secure.
• AI for personal productivity – Practical Copilot tips, prompts and workflows you can test on the day and take back to your team.

There will also be a guest Q&A with Rob Paternostro, Head Coach of Leicester Riders, on performance, leadership and making data-driven decisions in a high-performance environment. 

An additional session from the East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster (EMCSC) director Dave Nicholls will look at bridging the skills gap in an AI-driven world.

How does this fit into Leicestershire Innovation Festival?

The Better-IT event is one of 10 sessions at Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2026, led by the Business Gateway Growth Hub and the Innovative Leicestershire partnership. Across the week, SMEs can access expert guidance on funding and business growth, discover tools and technologies to boost productivity and connect with universities, innovation partners and fellow business leaders.

Times, venues and details of all events – including registration – are available here.