Greater Manchester is set to welcome an international audience of creative, technology and innovation leaders this November, as BEYOND Conference returns to MediaCity, Salford.
Running from 23-25 November, BEYOND 2026 will combine a Festival day on 23 November with two main conference days focused on EXPERIENCE and GROWTH.
It will also be the third consecutive year that BEYOND has chosen MediaCity as its home, following previous editions in Greater Manchester in 2024 and 2025.
For an event with such an international focus, that continued connection with Greater Manchester is significant.
BEYOND attracts speakers and delegates from across the world, with people from more than 35 countries attending last year. Researchers, academics, industry leaders, policymakers, investors and founders come together to explore the latest thinking across the creative industries and the role technology and R&D can play in shaping what comes next.
That international audience also brings opportunities for Greater Manchester.
Visitors coming into the region can help local businesses build new relationships, meet potential partners and showcase the work happening across the area’s creative and technology economy.
The international focus is clear in the 2026 programme too, with speakers confirmed from organisations including Ars Electronica in Austria, Universal Destinations and Experiences in the US and Puy du Fou, alongside contributors from the UK and further afield.
Among them is Veronika Liebl, Managing Director of Ars Electronica, which works across art, technology and society, alongside Gidon Freeman, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Universal Destinations and Experiences, who will discuss the Universal UK Resort investment.
There will also be a British Council-led session looking towards Japan and Korea as emerging markets in the experience economy.
But while BEYOND has a clear international outlook, there is a strong Greater Manchester presence throughout the programme too.
A number of speakers and programme partners are based in the region, giving local businesses and organisations the opportunity to put their own work and expertise into a much wider conversation.
Andy Miah, Chair of Science Communication and Future Media at the University of Salford, will open the Experience programme with Mapping the New Experience Economy, while Garry Crawford, Professor of Cultural Sociology at the University of Salford, will explore games, culture and community, drawing on research involving organisations including Ubisoft and City Football Group.
The GM Business Growth Hub will also co-host the Good Growth Breakfast on the second conference day, covering areas including grants, seed investment, venture capital, debt and accelerator support.
The wider event is being delivered with a number of Greater Manchester partners, including MediaCity, Salford City Council, the University of Salford and GM Business Growth Hub.
There is also plenty in the programme for businesses looking at where the region’s next opportunities could come from.
One of the key discussions will focus on the Universal UK Resort, with senior representatives looking at the investment and its potential impact on infrastructure, transport, skills and talent.
For creative businesses across Greater Manchester and the wider North, major projects like this could create opportunities across areas including design, production, technology, experiences and talent.
Across the three days, BEYOND will bring people from the creative industries, technology, research and business together in the same place, with opportunities to hear from international organisations while also connecting with businesses, researchers and creative practitioners based much closer to home.
The programme covers everything from AI and responsible innovation to gaming, immersive experiences, creative clusters, investment and the future of the experience economy.
It also reflects the growing overlap between creativity, technology and R&D, with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and British Council playing a significant role across the programme.
For Greater Manchester, it is another opportunity to showcase the strength of its creative and technology sectors to an international audience, while giving people visiting from elsewhere the chance to experience the businesses, organisations and ideas shaping the region.
After two years at MediaCity, BEYOND’s return for a third year continues that connection, bringing international ideas into Greater Manchester while putting the region’s own talent and expertise in front of a global audience.
BEYOND 2026 takes place from 23-25 November at MediaCity, Salford.
Find out more about BEYOND 2026 and explore the full programme.
