Join us at the UK's largest manufacturing festival, Smart Manufacturing Week, hosted by The Manufacturer.
Speakers
Stand location
Hall 5, Stand C80Details
Smart Manufacturing Week is the largest UK festival of advanced manufacturing and engineering, welcoming industry professionals from across the country for two days of exhibits, summits, showcases and expert speaker sessions.
Come and say hi!
- Two speaker sessions from Columbus about key themes in the industry
- Visit our stand to speak directly with our experts
Where: NEC Birmingham, United Kingdom
When: 3rd-4th June 2026
Stand location: Hall 5, C80
Register: Book your free pass here
We look forward to seeing you there!
Our speaker sessions
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11:00 | 3 June | Digital Transformation Stage
Speakers:
Toby Mankertz, Manufacturing Industry Director, Columbus
Andy Juarez, VP Opertions, Litehouse FoodsManufacturers are under increasing pressure from tariffs, rising raw material costs, workforce challenges and aging systems. So how do you deliver transformation that actually sticks? In this session, Andy Juarez from Litehouse Foods and Toby Mankertz from Columbus share the story behind Litehouse Foods’ long-term transformation journey and why sustainable success comes from consistently applying the right principles over time, not searching for a “secret sauce”.
Key themes include:
- The challenges facing modern F&B manufacturers
- Aligning purpose, values and operational principles
- Building culture through leadership and change management
- Investing in people through development and onboarding
- Strengthening competitive advantage through quality and service
This session will provide practical insights for manufacturers looking to build resilient organisations capable of adapting, growing and succeeding over the long game.
Find out more about this topic by reading our recent case study here.
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10:30 | 4 June | AI & Industrial Data Stage
Speakers:
Jack Binnall, Power Platford Lead, Columbus
Sarah Le Gresley, Michelmersh Brick Holdings PLC, Group Innovation & Sustainability DirectorMichelmersh, Britain’s premium clay brick specialist, joins Columbus to demonstrate how one of the UK’s most traditional industries is being transformed through AI-driven intelligent manufacturing. This session explores how real-time data, connected systems and AI-enabled insight are creating a new model for operational decision-making.
By integrating data across production, energy, quality and maintenance, Michelmersh is shifting from reactive processes to predictive, data-led performance that can improves efficiency, enhanced product quality and measurable ESG outcomes.
Through practical examples, discover how intelligent manufacturing is delivering real-time visibility, enabling faster decisions and empowering teams by showing how technology, data and people are combining to reshape the future of sustainable manufacturing.
There's No Secret Sauce: How Litehouse is Transforming by Playing the Long Game
11:00 | 3 June | Digital Transformation Stage
Speakers:
Toby Mankertz, Manufacturing Industry Director, Columbus
Andy Juarez, VP Opertions, Litehouse Foods
Manufacturers are under increasing pressure from tariffs, rising raw material costs, workforce challenges and aging systems. So how do you deliver transformation that actually sticks? In this session, Andy Juarez from Litehouse Foods and Toby Mankertz from Columbus share the story behind Litehouse Foods’ long-term transformation journey and why sustainable success comes from consistently applying the right principles over time, not searching for a “secret sauce”.
Key themes include:
- The challenges facing modern F&B manufacturers
- Aligning purpose, values and operational principles
- Building culture through leadership and change management
- Investing in people through development and onboarding
- Strengthening competitive advantage through quality and service
This session will provide practical insights for manufacturers looking to build resilient organisations capable of adapting, growing and succeeding over the long game.
Find out more about this topic by reading our recent case study here.
Turning Data into Decarbonisation: the Digital Factory Story
10:30 | 4 June | AI & Industrial Data Stage
Speakers:
Jack Binnall, Power Platford Lead, Columbus
Sarah Le Gresley, Michelmersh Brick Holdings PLC, Group Innovation & Sustainability Director
Michelmersh, Britain’s premium clay brick specialist, joins Columbus to demonstrate how one of the UK’s most traditional industries is being transformed through AI-driven intelligent manufacturing. This session explores how real-time data, connected systems and AI-enabled insight are creating a new model for operational decision-making.
By integrating data across production, energy, quality and maintenance, Michelmersh is shifting from reactive processes to predictive, data-led performance that can improves efficiency, enhanced product quality and measurable ESG outcomes.
Through practical examples, discover how intelligent manufacturing is delivering real-time visibility, enabling faster decisions and empowering teams by showing how technology, data and people are combining to reshape the future of sustainable manufacturing.