One of Eastbourne’s most successful business leaders has been announced as the headline speaker at Eastbourne DigiFest 2026, as organisers encourage businesses from across Sussex to secure their tickets for this year’s event.
Michael Gietzen, CEO of Identity Group, will headline the one-day conference at the Kings Centre, Eastbourne, on Wednesday 14 October.
Eastbourne-born Michael has built Identity into one of the world’s largest experiential and event management companies, delivering major business, sporting and cultural experiences for governments, world leaders and some of the world’s biggest brands.
His keynote, ‘Identity: our journey and the future we’re building’, will explore how businesses can embrace new technology without losing the human experiences and connections that ultimately influence how people feel about a brand and the decisions they make.
Michael’s appearance reflects the wider theme of this year’s Eastbourne DigiFest, ‘Working and Leading in the Age of AI’, but the organisers are keen to stress that the event isn’t just for technology companies.
Now in its fourth year, Eastbourne DigiFest brings together business leaders, managers, entrepreneurs and professionals from across East Sussex and beyond to explore how AI and other emerging technologies are changing the way organisations work.
Among this year’s speakers is well-known employment law solicitor and Partner at Loch Associates, Victoria Regan, whose session, ‘Bots, Bias & The Boss – AI & Employment Law in the Workplace’, will examine some of the very real challenges employers are beginning to face as AI becomes part of everyday working life.
From using AI in recruitment and performance management to disciplinary and redundancy processes, Victoria will look at issues including discrimination, algorithmic bias, GDPR compliance and employee relations. She will also consider the growing phenomenon of AI-generated grievances and complaints and what these mean for employers.
The session aims to give business owners and managers practical guidance on reviewing their own use of AI and putting appropriate policies and governance in place, while ensuring human judgement remains at the heart of workplace decisions.
Leadership in an increasingly automated workplace will also be explored by Rebecca Maher, Corporate Banking Director at MetroBank.
Drawing on more than 26 years of experience in corporate banking and technology-enabled change, Rebecca’s session, ‘Authentic Leadership in the Rise of AI and Automation: Why Human Leadership Matters More Than Ever’, will look at how organisations can balance innovation with empathy, data with judgement and automation with accountability.
Her talk will explore why trust is becoming increasingly important as organisations adopt AI and how businesses can create cultures in which people and technology work successfully alongside one another.
Whether running a small independent business, managing a team, working in HR, marketing or finance, or leading a larger organisation, the event is designed to provide ideas and insights that can be taken back into the workplace and put into practice.
Alongside a packed programme of speakers, visitors will also have the opportunity to meet businesses in the Eastbourne DigiFest exhibition and network with organisations
and professionals from across the region. Over 40 businesses will be on hand, including sponsors such as Switchplane, East Sussex College, Global WealthMap, East Sussex Growth Hub and Lightning Fibre, alongside local creative and digital businesses such as PRG Marketing Communications, Fountain Digital and M-Tech Systems.
Eastbourne DigiFest 2026 takes place at the Kings Centre, Eastbourne, on Wednesday 14 October, with registration opening at 8.45am. Tickets are available now and businesses are being encouraged to book ahead to secure their place. To find out more about Eastbourne DigiFest and book tickets, visit eastbournedigifest.com.