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Events Programme 2025 – 2026 Hertfordshire 51st Year Anniversary Conference
Hertfordshire 51st Year Anniversary Conference
Wednesday, 15 October 2025, 9:00am - 5:00pm
Welcome to the First BCS Hertfordshire Community Conference
Welcome to the very first BCS Hertfordshire Community Conference — part of our 51st anniversary celebrations! For over five decades our branch has brought IT professionals, students, and innovators together across Hertfordshire. This year, for the first time, we’re hosting a full-day conference experience that showcases the best of our community.
Our story began in 1973 as the Watford Sub-Branch, later becoming the West Herts Sub-Branch before gaining full Branch status. Since then, we’ve hosted talks and events across the county, partnered with the University of Hertfordshire, and welcomed speakers who shaped the profession — from Sir Edwin Nixon (IBM UK) to Neville Lyons (J. Lyons & Co.), Professor Mark Maslin (UCL), and past Presidents of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.
This new conference marks a fresh chapter — bringing together CTF competitions, thought-provoking talks, a hands-on Mainframe Workshop, and all-day networking under one roof. It’s our chance to celebrate our heritage while creating a new tradition for the next 50 years.
Hosted at SPECTRA – A Flagship for the School of Physics, Engineering & Computer Science
We are proud to host this first conference at Spectra, the University of Hertfordshire’s brand-new, £100m School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science. Opened in 2024, Spectra brings together state-of-the-art labs, collaborative spaces, and some of the most advanced STEM facilities in the UK — from cybersecurity systems rooms and robotics labs to flight simulators and wind tunnels.
As a hub for innovation, research, and enterprise, Spectra reflects our conference vision: bridging academia, industry, and the professional community to inspire the next generation of IT leaders while showcasing cutting-edge technology in action.
We are proud to call this our community conference — open to the wider BCS community, local partners, and the next generation of IT professionals. Whether you are a student, an early-career professional, or an established leader, we invite you to be part of our first-ever conference and help us shape the future together.
Who can attend?
This event welcomes the wider BCS community and partners:
- Students – all students are welcome
- Early-career professionals new to the industry
- Professionals looking to upskill and advance
- Mid-career practitioners sharing expertise and growing influence
- Experienced professionals who want to promote the industry, network and collaborate
- Subject-matter experts and leaders who are the voice of the profession
Speakers
- Meena Chand,Technical Solutions Architect at Essist — The UK Dream: Technology, Research & Leadership
- Snekha Ravichandran,Cybersecurity Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft — The Human Side of Cybersecurity
- Kitty Hung,Committee Member at BCS London Branch & Amazon #1 Best Sellers Book Author — AI’s Impacts on Roles, Decisions, Workplace
- Renuka Kelkar,Co-Founder at ARNA Genext Solutions — Accelerating Flutter App Development with AI
- Mike Ryan, Chairman at IBM I-UG Group & CEO at Essist — A Vital Link Between Academia and Industry
- Chris Scorer, Director of Education at Koru Education — How to Engage Luddites with Tech
- Innocent Paul Ojo, Lead Security specialist at CreditCliq — Demystifying AI for All
- Stephen Bowes-Phipps,Vice President, EMEA Data Centres and Cloud at State Street — Sustainable Data Centres
Event schedule
| Time | SP1004 — Speaker Sessions | SP1030A — CTF / Workshop | Level 1 Connect — Networking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 – 10:30 | – | – | Registration & Networking |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Opening Ceremony & Welcome Keynote (All Attendees) | ||
| 11:00 – 11:30 | The UK Dream Meena | CTF Kickoff | Open |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | The Human Side of Cybersecurity Snekha | CTF Ongoing | Open |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | AI’s Impacts on Roles, Decisions, Workplace Kitty | CTF Ongoing | Open |
| 12:30 – 13:15 | Lunch & Networking — CTF Paused | ||
| 13:15 – 13:45 | Accelerating Flutter App Development with AI Renuka | CTF Ongoing | Open |
| 13:45 – 14:15 | A Vital Link Between Academia and Industry Mike | CTF Final Play | Open |
| 14:15 – 14:45 | How to Engage Luddites with Tech Chris | CTF Ends — Scoring | Open |
| 14:15 – 15:30 | – | IBM Mainframe Workshop | Open |
| 14:45 – 15:00 | Coffee / Networking Break | ||
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Demystifying AI for All Innocent | IBM Mainframe Workshop | Open |
| 15:30 – 16:00 | Sustainable Data Centres Stephen | IBM Mainframe Workshop | Open / Transition to SP1006 |
| 16:00 – 17:00 | Awards & Closing Ceremony (SP1006) | ||
CTF bonus: Speaker sessions 1–6 include a bonus challenge — attend the talk to get the clue and earn extra points. (No bonus after the CTF closes.)
Exhibitors & Partners
Event Partners:
- University of Hertfordshire
- BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT (Central Office)
Exhibitors:
- Hertfordshire Branch with BCS Central
- BCS Student Chapter
- UH IBM Z Club & IBM UK
- UH Careers
- UH Robot House
- Eastern Cyber Resilience Crime Unit
- Department for Education
- Catering Partner Priya Kitchen
- Sidma Events & Entertainment
Prizes & recognition
🏅 CTF — Top 3 on the leaderboard
🎖️ Best All-Round Participant
📜 Certificates of participation
Want to Exhibit at the Conference?
We’re inviting companies, innovators, student groups, and tech enthusiasts to take part in the Computing Fair at the BCS Hertfordshire Community Conference 2025. This is your chance to showcase your technology, projects, or ideas to students, early-career professionals, and the wider BCS community.
Exhibits can include careers stands, demonstrations of cutting-edge products, retro computing (last year we had: ZX Spectrum, Commodore, BBC Micro, classic consoles), hands-on projects like robotics, and even experimental builds like drones. If you’re passionate about it, we want you there!
Stand space is completely free this year (tables and power provided). In return, we welcome optional donations such as prizes for raffles or competitions — a great way to raise your profile during the day and support the community.
Can I sell things at my stand?
Yes — you’re welcome to sell items if relevant, though you’ll need to bring your own sales infrastructure (e.g. card readers, signage).
How to Reserve Your Stand
Email with a short description of what you’d like to exhibit and how many tables you require. Space is limited, so we encourage you to book early.
Spaces are limited — please register early. For accessibility requests or queries, please contact the Branch Committee at .
Location
College Lane Campus, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield
Level 1, SPECTRA Building, College Lane Campus, University of Hertfordshire, AL10 9AB
Cost
£20 non-members, £15 members, £5 students.
