After a hugely popular debut at Accountex London, the FD Show is expanding north for the very first time, joining Accountex Summit Manchester on 15 September 2026 at Manchester Central.
Finance directors and senior finance professionals across the North will now get the same dedicated space and tailored programme that’s proven such a hit with FDs in the capital – a theatre built entirely around the priorities of senior finance leaders.
This year’s line-up puts AI adoption front and centre, with sessions exploring how agentic AI, Copilot and cloud ERP platforms are reshaping day-to-day finance work, alongside practical guidance for fractional CFOs looking to grow their own businesses.
Caroline Hobden, Portfolio Director, said: “It felt like the natural next step to bring the FD Show to Manchester. This programme is built around what finance leaders have told us they want – practical sessions that they can actually use. “
A closer look at the programme
Finance joined up: Business Central and AI for growing businesses
Microsoft’s Elliott Poulter (SMB Business Lead UK&I – AI Business Process) shows how tools like Dynamics 365 Business Central bring finance, sales, purchasing and operations together — with Copilot and automation doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes.
Fractional CFOs: Getting your sales process running – selling to SMEs and start-ups
Momentum CFOs’ Elliott Gaspar shares the exact sales process that took his fractional CFO business to a seven-figure valuation, using the SPICED framework and practical, ready-to-use templates.
Putting the customer first in a digital world
Speakers from HM Revenue & Customs — John Swift, Kathleen Rawlinson, and Natalie Gillson, will discuss how HMRC is putting a customer-centred approach at the heart of its digital transformation. With an ambition for most tasks to be achievable through digital self-service by 2030, HMRC’s Customer Experience team is investing in user-focused design to ensure its products are accessible and deliver real value to taxpayers — freeing up phonelines for more complex queries and those who need extra support. The session will explore how HMRC is balancing its digital-first ambitions with a continued commitment to customer experience.
Copilot & Agents in Finance: Automating the admin, freeing up the analysis
Daniel Booth, Mhance, demonstrates how Copilot and AI agents are cutting down reconciliation and reporting admin — all within tools finance teams already use, like Excel, Teams and Dynamics.
Cloud ERP + AI in action: Reimagining Finance and HR together
Seidor’s Derek Byrne and SAP’s Sneha Achar look at how cloud ERP and AI can eliminate manual processes across finance and HR alike, unlocking productivity gains on both sides of the business.
Hype to hands on – Practical AI for Finance today
Peter Beard, GenFinance.AI, moves past the theory of AI in finance to show agentic AI that actually works autonomously — processing invoices, catching errors and reconciling books without manual input.
Explore the full FD Show seminar programme here.
Accountex Summit Manchester incorporating the FD Show 2026 takes place on 15 September 2026 at Manchester Central.
