As the countdown to London Tech Week 2026 begins, the agenda is packed with sessions exploring how AI, automation and data are transforming modern commerce.
From supply chain resilience and customer experience to agentic commerce and autonomous delivery, this year’s programme reflects a growing shift from AI experimentation to operational reality.
For retail, ecommerce and hospitality leaders, we’ve hand picked the sessions worth adding to your diary.
From supply chain chaos to control
Monday 8 June | 14:05 – 14:45
Retailers and hospitality operators are under growing pressure to manage increasingly complex supply chains while balancing customer expectations, fulfilment speed and operational resilience.
This session explores how organisations are using AI, predictive analytics and machine learning to improve forecasting, inventory management and logistics.
Kate Hardcastle MBE will moderate the discussion alongside Vineta Bajaj, Group CFO at Holland & Barrett, Jamal Chamariq, Senior Vice President Global Supply Chain at Estée Lauder, and Tony Kreager, EVP, Dataworks Chief Engineering and Commercial Officer at FedEx.
Failure isn’t fatal but playing it safe is
Monday 8 June | 15:30 – 16:00
Innovation conversations often focus on success stories, but this founder session looks at the reality of risk, experimentation and learning from failure.
Moderated by Sarah Finegan, Associate Partner at Antler, the session features Hamish Shephard, Co-Founder of HelloFresh and Bridebook, discussing how businesses create cultures that move quickly, experiment confidently and recover from setbacks.
How a 160-year-old startup is embedding AI
Monday 8 June | 16:10 – 16:30
HEINEKEN’s Chief AI Officer Surajeet Ghosh will discuss how the global drinks brand is embedding AI across the business and moving beyond experimentation.
The session focuses on where AI is creating operational value, how insights are being used to optimise customer interactions and what enterprise-wide AI adoption looks like in practice.
How Vinted is making second-hand the first choice worldwide
Monday 8 June | 16:30 – 17:00
Second-hand commerce continues to reshape retail, particularly among younger consumers balancing value, sustainability and convenience.
Adam Jay, CEO of Vinted Marketplace, joins Avantika Chilkoti, Global Business Writer at The Economist, to discuss how the platform scaled from a Lithuanian startup into one of Europe’s largest second-hand marketplaces operating across 26 markets.
The session will also explore how Vinted is expanding beyond fashion and building infrastructure for the wider circular economy.
Seamless payment as the key to customer loyalty
Monday 8 June | 16:40 – 17:00
Payments are no longer just a transaction layer. They are becoming a critical part of the customer experience.
John Lueders, VP Developer Experience at FreedomPay, will explore how businesses are using AI, automation and customer data to create more personalised and frictionless payment journeys, including subscriptions, instalments and one-click experiences.
The human-AI dance
Monday 8 June | 17:10 – 17:40
As AI becomes more embedded into customer interactions, businesses are still trying to find the right balance between automation and human engagement.
Moderated by Maria McCann, CEO of Future Focus, the session brings together Claire Todino, Global Head of Digital Experience at No7 and The Boots Group, Peter Donlon, CTO at Zopa Bank, and Gorden Pretorius, CTO at Checkatrade.
The discussion will focus on where AI enhances customer experience and where human intervention remains essential.
From algorithms to autonomous delivery: bringing innovative AI tech to small business
Tuesday 9 June | 14:25 – 14:45
Deliveroo CEO Miki Kuusi joins Katie Prescott, Technology Business Editor at The Times, to discuss how AI, automation and emerging technologies are changing the future of local commerce.
The session will explore how Deliveroo, DoorDash and Wolt are using AI as a competitive advantage for independent businesses, alongside pilots involving drones and autonomous delivery robots.
How are enterprises preparing for agentic commerce & AI-assisted purchasing?
Tuesday 9 June | 14:55 – 15:30
As consumers increasingly use large language models and AI assistants to discover and purchase products, brands are being forced to rethink search, websites and customer journeys.
The panel features Piero Sierra, Chief AI Officer at Skyscanner, Daniel Hulme, Chief AI Officer at WPP, Kipp Bodnar, Chief Marketing Officer at HubSpot, and Denise Fender, SVP of Colleague, Customer & Channel Technology at Pandora.
AI in sport: elevating the fan experience through data, insight and innovation
Tuesday 9 June | 16:05 – 16:30
While centred on sport, this session offers broader lessons around customer engagement, personalisation and immersive digital experiences.
Steven Webb, UK Chief Technology & Innovation Officer at Capgemini, moderates a discussion with Michael Cole, CTO of the Ryder Cup, Jonathan Conn, Digital Technology Director at England Rugby, and Sarah Hunter CBE.
The session will explore how AI is being used to generate real-time insight, improve storytelling and deepen fan engagement.
Supercharging AI development with smarter cloud strategies
Tuesday 9 June | 09:35 – 10:10
AI ambition is growing quickly, but scaling it requires the right infrastructure underneath.
The session brings together Elizabeth Eastaugh, VP of Global Technology Platforms and Logistics at Just Eat, David Turner, CTO at Compass Group UK&I, Kris Kang, Chief Product Officer, Agent Systems at JetBrains, and Jason Engel-McMaster, Chief Data Scientist at Elsevier.
The discussion will focus on how enterprises are designing cloud environments that can support AI at scale, including data access, platform engineering and next-generation cloud tools.
Why London Tech Week matters for commerce
London Tech Week 2026 arrives at a time when retail, hospitality and ecommerce businesses are under pressure to modernise faster while proving clear commercial value from AI and emerging technologies.
The event’s wider agenda reflects how enterprise AI conversations are rapidly moving beyond experimentation into operational execution across customer experience, logistics, payments, marketing and commerce infrastructure.
Carolyn Dawson OBE, CEO of Founders Forum Group and Lead for London Tech Week, said:
“Europe has entered a decisive decade for technology, one where the outcomes are not guaranteed. London Tech Week 2026 is designed to bring the people who are shaping those outcomes into the same room: founders building the future, enterprises deploying it at scale, and leaders grappling with the real-world challenges. This year’s agenda is about clarity, urgency, and action.”
London Tech Week 2026 takes place from 8–10 June at Olympia London, with fringe events running across the capital throughout the week.
Registration Still Open
London Tech Week 2026 is welcoming delegates, founders, investors and technology leaders to now register for passes.
Register today: www.londontechweek.com
