MVC Workshop Sessions

AI has moved very quickly from being something people talked about to something people actually use. A few years ago, tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot were novelties. Now they are becoming part of how businesses write, plan, research and communicate every day, often without anyone making a big announcement about it.

For small and medium sized businesses, that shift brings a genuine opportunity. The tasks that fill your week up, the repetitive admin, the first drafts of emails, the summarising of long documents, the blank page moments when you need to write something and simply don't have the time, can now be helped along by tools that are more capable, more accessible and more affordable than most people realise. The businesses that benefit most from this aren't necessarily the most technical ones. They are the ones who take a little time to learn what these tools are actually good at, and how to ask for what they need.

That's exactly what this workshop is for.

Over three hours, including time to arrive, settle in and network afterwards, you'll get a calm, jargon free introduction to what generative AI actually is, what it isn't, and how it fits into the way you already work. There's no assumption of technical knowledge and no pressure to become an expert overnight. The aim is simple: to leave feeling genuinely more confident using AI, with two or three ideas you can put into practice in your own business within the week.

What the session covers

The workshop is built around doing, not just listening. You'll start with an honest, anonymous warm up on sticky notes, marking how comfortable you already are with AI and naming the one task you'd happily never do again. From there you'll get a plain English look at the tools people actually mean when they say AI, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot, what each is good at and where the free versions stop and the paid ones start.

You'll see live demonstrations of AI turning messy notes into a client ready summary, drafting a warm but professional email, and shaping a rough idea into a LinkedIn post, first with a vague request and then with a properly structured one, so the difference is obvious. You'll then work in pairs using a simple, repeatable framework to get better results from any AI tool, before moving into small groups to look at your own business through three lenses: what you could enhance, what you could eliminate, and what new opportunities AI could help you expand into.

The session also covers the questions people are usually too polite to ask in public: concerns around data privacy and GDPR, why AI sometimes gets things confidently wrong, and what is and isn't sensible to share with these tools. We'll close with a look at what's coming next for AI and small business, and there's an optional slot afterwards if you'd like to book a short one to one AI opportunity chat about your own business.

By the end, you will:

• Understand what today's AI tools can and can't do, without the hype or the fear
• Know a simple, repeatable way to write prompts that get useful results
• Have identified two or three practical AI opportunities specific to your own business
• Feel ready to try something new within the next seven days

Who it's for

This workshop is designed for SME owners, managers and professionals, whatever your starting point. Whether you've never opened an AI tool before or you use one occasionally without really knowing why it works, you'll find the pace and content pitched for you. Solicitors and other professionals working with sensitive client information are especially welcome. Their caution is well founded, and the session addresses those concerns directly rather than glossing over them.

Your host

The workshop is led by , , who has spent over twenty years in management consulting, helping global businesses sharpen their strategy, streamline their operations and drive innovation. She is a certified consultant with the world's largest AI development community and writes Maximize Your Minutes, an AI productivity newsletter read by thousands of business owners each week. Selda's view is straightforward: your business comes first, and AI comes second. Every idea in this workshop is judged by whether it solves a real problem, not by how clever the technology is.

Maximize Your Minutes – Time Management and Productivity for Peak Performance in the Modern Age. Weekly actionable productivity tips straight to your inbox: https://seldaseyfi.substack.com/

Places are limited to keep the session hands on and interactive, so early booking is recommended.

10:00am arrival for an 10:30am start.

Ticket Sales for this Event will end at 5:00pm on Friday 9 October.

Bookings must be made and paid-for online ahead of the event.

What's the refund policy? Places are limited, and events are usually oversubscribed. Please give seven working days’ notice via email for a refund* or you’ll be required to pay for your place in full.

*Eventbrite booking fees are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled or there are duplicate charges.

We do hope you will join us, and look forward to seeing you there!

Info: Settle in, meet other attendees and take part in a quick, informal AI confidence check.

Info: Why AI is moving so fast, and what today is really about

Info: What generative AI actually is, how the main tools compare, and honest answers on privacy, GDPR and hallucinations

Info: Watching AI turn messy notes, a client email and a rough idea into polished results

Info: Working in small groups on your own real tasks

Info: Identifying the two or three AI opportunities most relevant to your business

Info: A glimpse of what's possible beyond the basics, and choosing your first step

Info: Share what surprised you and swap notes with other attendees over a drink

Event venue & nearby stays

Fetcham Park House, Lower Road, Leatherhead, United Kingdom

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