Expert Events

From AI Ambition to Business Value

A private executive dinner in London exploring how organisations are moving from AI ambition to real business value. Join senior leaders to discuss execution, governance, and accelerating time-to-value with AI.
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Event Location
The Ivy Soho Brasserie
Event Date
June 3, 2026
to June 3, 2026
Event Time
6:00 pm
- 9:00 pm
About this event

AI is no longer a future ambition; it’s a present expectation. Across industries, organizations are investing heavily in AI to drive efficiency, insight, and competitive advantage. Yet for many, the challenge remains the same: translating AI potential into real, measurable business value.

The gap is not in vision – it’s in execution. Disconnected systems, complex legacy environments, and unclear governance structures continue to slow progress. At the same time, leaders must navigate increasing economic volatility and geopolitical uncertainty, placing even greater pressure on technology investments to deliver rapid and reliable outcomes.

Join Blend, IBM, SAP and Cognitus for a private executive dinner in London to explore how organizations are moving beyond experimentation to operationalize AI at scale. This discussion will examine how business leaders are building trusted AI foundations, embedding intelligence into core business processes, and accelerating time-to-value through modern cloud platforms.

Through a candid, peer-led conversation, attendees will explore how to align AI strategy with execution, leveraging real-time insights, automation, and agent-driven workflows to unlock efficiency and resilience across the enterprise.

The London skyline
Our speakers
Hayden Bamber
Senior Partner & Head of Business Applications | IBM
Hayden Bamber
Coming soon.
Julia Belle
Head of Community - London
Julia Belle

Julia is a broadcaster, political commentator, corporate event host and business trainer. She has been covering news, current affairs and entertainment for BBC Three for three years and before this she featured weekly on BBC 5 Live – discussing the newspaper headlines and the latest breaking news.

She hosted a BBC election show, diving into key voter topics, as well as a TED Talk titled “The Secret to Being Right” which was instantly selected amongst TED’s “Editor’s Picks.”

She has interviewed some of the most influential figures in politics and business, on a range of topics from general elections to generative AI.

She runs the London community of Blend as well as the members’ exclusive Blend Book Club, interviewing prolific business authors and sharing key learnings from a range of titles covering topics like leadership, negotiation, DEI, productivity and handling difficult issues.

Key themes & discussion topics

From AI Strategy to Execution
How organisations are closing the gap between ambition and real-world implementation.

Embedding AI into Core Business Processes
Moving beyond pilots to integrate AI across ERP systems and day-to-day operations.

Balancing Speed with Governance
Delivering AI initiatives quickly while maintaining control, compliance, and trusted data foundations.

Accelerating Time-to-Value
Practical approaches to reducing the gap between AI investment and measurable business outcomes.

Event agenda
01
Cocktails & networking

6:00 – 6:30 PM

02
Opening remarks & panel discussion

6:30 – 7:15 PM

03
Dinner & guided discussion

7:15 – 8:45 PM

04
Event wrap-up & group reflection

8:45 – 9:00 PM

Why should you attend?

Hear how other senior leaders are navigating AI adoption in complex environments.

Gain practical insights on driving measurable business value from AI initiatives.

Explore how to build trusted foundations using modern platforms like SAP Business Suite.

Engage in a private setting designed for open, strategic discussion with like-minded leader

Who should attend
This event is designed for senior business and technology leaders responsible for driving transformation and delivering measurable outcomes from AI investments
A group of seated C-suite professionals enjoy a Blend community networking event. They are sat at a long dining table.
Venue
Event Location Light
The Ivy Soho Brasserie
26-28 Broadwick Street
London
W1F 8JB
United Kingdom
Apply to participate
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