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Getting AI Ready

Tue 8 Dec 2026
10:30 - 13:30
VirginMediaO2, Manchester

There’s plenty of pressure to get moving with AI. But what needs to be in place to make it work for your contact centre, your people and your customers? Getting AI ready means looking beyond the technology: knowing who takes responsibility, getting your data and knowledge in shape and helping colleagues prepare for change.

Join us for an honest, practical conversation, with insights from Motorway and Reed in Partnership, about getting those foundations right. Through real experiences and expert insight, we’ll explore governance and accountability, why knowledge management matters and how to bring your people and wider organisation with you. We’ll also look at building the case for investment, with plenty of time to put your questions to the speakers and hear how others in the room are approaching the same challenges.

Whether you’re finding your starting point or already making progress, come ready to share your experiences and to learn from others. You’ll leave with a clearer view of what needs attention in your own organisation, ideas from fellow contact centre leaders and practical actions to take back to your team.

How much is it?

Free to attend.

Why should you go?

Don’t miss this opportunity to understand what it takes to prepare your organisation for long-term AI investment, from governance and accountability to the data, knowledge and workforce foundations that enable success.

Who is it for?

Open to members and non-members. This event is for senior operational managers and upwards, and those responsible for AI projects (project managers) or functions supporting the contact centre, such as IT, knowledge/insights, compliance/risk or HR.

Agenda

10:30
Welcome

Hear the latest news and updates on the CCMA and what to expect from the day. 

Leigh Hopwood, CEO, CCMA
10:40
AI Story: Solving Problems Differently

Many organisations begin their AI journey with the technology. Motorway started with the problem. In this practical session, Nic shares how the team identified opportunities to improve customer and colleague experiences, from image quality and service history checks to issue prioritisation, by deploying AI and AI voice. 

Nic Hartley, VP Customer Operations, Motorway
11:00
AI Story: Learning by Doing

Not every successful AI project starts with a complex strategy. Nick shares Reed in Partnership’s experience of identifying an opportunity, trialling AI-powered engagement and evaluating the results before taking the next step. An honest account of how experimentation, evidence and practical learning helped shape their approach. 

Nick Hughes, Divisional Director, Reed in Partnership
11:20
Brilliant Basics

Before you scale AI, you need the foundations in place. This session cuts through the hype to focus on the brilliant basics that drive success: clear objectives, quality data, governance, processes, people and measurement. Discover what organisations getting AI right are doing differently, and where many are going wrong. 

11:50
AI Story: If We Were Starting Again

With AI embedded throughout customer operations, Octopus has learned valuable lessons along the way. Wren will share the decisions, pitfalls and insights that could save others time, money and effort.

Wren White, Chief of Staff, Octopus Energy
12:10
Conversation: What’s Your AI Reality?

This is your opportunity to shape the conversation. Share the challenges you’re facing, ask questions of our speakers and explore the issues that matter most to you. Whether you’re deciding where to start, struggling to build the business case or working through the realities of implementation, bring your questions, experiences and lessons for an open and honest discussion. 

Hosted by Leigh Hopwood with:

  • Nic Hartley, VP Customer Operations, Motorway 
  • Nick Hughes, Divisional Director, Reed in Partnership 
12:45
Final Comments and Close
Leigh Hopwood, CEO, CCMA
13:00
Lunch

Speakers

Leigh Hopwood

CEO
CCMA
Leigh champions the contact‑centre industry’s development, reputation and voice, using her extensive leadership and marketing experience to support members and influence national industry engagement.

Nic Hartley

VP of Customer Operations
Motorway
With 20+ years’ experience, Nic drives customer experience, commercial performance and operational excellence through scalable operations, technology, automation and future-focused operating models.

Nick Hughes

Divisional Director
Reed Wellbeing
With 35+ years’ experience, Nick drives customer contact excellence through service transformation, digital innovation, data-led improvement and customer-focused operations.

Register for this event here

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For more than 30 years, the CCMA has been dedicated to supporting contact centre leaders. We push ourselves to do more for our thriving membership base, which is the largest community of industry professionals in the UK.

The CCMA was founded with the goal of sharing best practice and networking to improve skills and knowledge in order to progress contact centre operations - and we live by that to this day.

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Reg No: 5799326