Innovation Barn Dance 2026 - LCR Innovation Investment Fortnight
Schedule
Wed Jun 10 2026 at 05:00 pm to 07:00 pm
UTC+01:00Location
CENTRAL TECH | Liverpool, EN
About this Event
Welcome to the Innovation Barn Dance 2026!
Now in its second year, we bring you some fascinating innovators in our fireside chat series. There will be an opportunity to socialise and meet other people from the grassroots LCR Innovation Ecosystem with refreshments, drinks and, of course, a live all-vinyl DJ set from the jazzy DJ Copious Notes!
This event is part of the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Innovation Investment Fortnight, an annual LCR Combined Authority-led showcase of the distinctive world-leading assets, partnership-driven approaches, and £2b investment opportunities that put the LCR at the forefront of UK place-based innovation. #LCRinnovation #InnovationBarnDance #DesignInInnovation
Agenda
🕑: 05:00 PM - 05:30 PM
Arrivals, refreshments, networking (with background DJing)
🕑: 05:35 PM - 05:50 PM
Welcome - Jonathan Butters (JAB), Grassroots Innovation Ecosystem
Host: Jonathan Butters
Info: International award-winning product innovation and design mentor and consultant. Studied Mechanical Engineering and Bio-Engineering then Industrial Design at Imperial College and Royal College of Art. Independent consultant for over 27 years working with global brands, Small to Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) and individuals. Cited on or contributed significantly to 23 patents.
🕑: 05:50 PM - 06:05 PM
Fireside Chat #1 - Jason Kingston, Cube Thinking, AI (Actual Intelligence)
Host: Jason Kingston
Info: Over 30 years experience across all sectors, on a journey from bean counter to bean checker to bean grower! With a preference for innovative transformational change, providing consultancy that combines process, people & digital improvements. Founder Director of Cube Thinking, which is an ethically driven & digitally focused business performance practice.
🕑: 06:05 PM - 06:20 PM
Fireside Chat #2 - Coral Grainger, GM Colleges, WTFE!
Host: Coral Grainger
Info: Currently seconded to GMColleges as Innovation Projects Director, Managing the partnership of all 9 GM colleges to deliver the Greater Manchester Further Education Innovation Programme.
Developed the Innovation Literacy Programme as an accessible mechanism to introduce innovation mindset, tools and techniques into business. Further InnovateUK investment secured to scale-up nationally via a 'train-the-trainer' pilot that has introduced Innovation Literacy to a further 13 FE Colleges across England, Scotland and Wales.
🕑: 06:20 PM - 06:35 PM
Fireside Chat #3 - TBC
🕑: 06:35 PM - 06:55 PM
DJ Copious Notes and Networking
Host: DJ Copious Notes
Info: Not only is DJ Copious Notes one of Liverpool's top jazz-spectrum vinyl DJs, she is also an Innovation Partner at LYVA Labs, facilitator and coach for medtech/biomed/AI startups, spin-outs and SMEs
🕑: 06:55 PM - 07:00 PM
Jonathan Butters (JAB), Closing Thanks
Host: Jonathan Butters
Where is it happening?
CENTRAL TECH, 31 Russell Street, Liverpool, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 0.00
