OX1 | Manchester
A hands-on workshop and evening for brand-side operators
There has never really been a space for back-office operators of fast-growing brands to get together. Not properly. Every event in this industry is built around agencies, platforms, and vendors; people with something to sell. The people actually running operations inside brands are an afterthought, if they’re invited at all.
That changes now. And AI gives us the perfect reason to start.
The pace of change hitting back-office functions right now is unlike anything most brands are prepared for. The operators who figure it out early, together, in the same room, without a sales pitch in sight, are going to be miles ahead. That’s what Operator Experience is built for. And OX1 Manchester on 16th April is where it begins.
What’s Happening
12:30 – 17:00 | Hallé St Peters, Manchester M4 6BF
The afternoon is structured around a single, practical question: what if your brand challenged itself to automate 30% of all operational tasks by 2030?
Working in small squads, you’ll map end-to-end processes, hunt for automation opportunities, and identify the highest-value targets, prioritising quick wins you can actually take back to the office on Monday. You’ll leave with a concrete initiative in hand, not a deck to file away.
The session opens with AI Essentials and How to Use It Safely, covering real-world use cases across product, ecom, finance and ops, alongside risk, governance, and compliance guidance you can apply immediately. Special guests will share AI-era org structures and practical safety frameworks.
What you need to bring: a charged laptop. We’ve got everything else.
17:00 – Late | The Castle, 66 Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LE
After the workshop, the evening continues at The Castle, a proper pub, a proper crowd. Strictly brand-side operators. No selling, no pitching. Just the kind of honest conversations you rarely get to have when everyone else in the room has a commercial agenda.
And fashion photographer Nathan McDowell will be capturing the day, so you’ll get professional shots afterwards.
You’re in Good Company
The brands already confirmed are ones you’d know; fast-growing, operationally serious, and brand-side through and through. But more than the names, it’s the people in the room that matter. Directors and heads of function dealing with the same challenges you are. No hierarchy, no agenda. Just people who get it.
Who Is This For?
If you’re a director, head, or senior leader in:
Operations or supply chain
Finance and back-office technology
Ecommerce
Merchandising or buying
Product data or tech
...and you work brand-side at a fast-growing fashion, apparel, or consumer brand, this is for you.
The agenda has been built by the community itself: Lauren, Robbie, Ewan, Robin, Roberta, Kya, Paul and Luke. People who’ve sat in your seat and know exactly what’s useful and what’s a waste of time.
Made Possible By Our Partners
OX1 Manchester is free to attend for brand-side leaders and operators. That’s only possible because of our partners, who are here to support the community, not sell to it.
Headline: Dema
Event: Emfas, Loop, Torque
Community: Whanau, Vervaunt, Commerce Thinking, Centra, High Cohesion, Resourced
They’ve committed to making this a no-promotion, no-posturing environment. If you’re here, it’s because someone thought you’d fit.
How to Join
Places are limited. This is a curated event, size is deliberately kept small so the conversations are real and the workshop actually works.
To register or express interest in joining the Operator Experience community:
If you want to know more about what Operator Experience is building, a peer community for brand-side operators, events across the UK, and a space where the people doing the work can actually learn from each other, that’s the place to start.
Save the date: 16th April 2026. Manchester. See you there.