Date & Time
Thursday, October 15, 2026, 08:30–20:30
Location
University of Bath School of Management
Convocation Ave, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AZ, United Kingdom
Registration Fees
- Non‑Member: $140 ($110 without dinner)
- SMS Member: $120 ($90 without dinner)
Event Overview
In rapidly changing and uncertain markets, competitive advantages are increasingly transient, making continuous organizational adaptation essential. Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) provide powerful mechanisms for strategic renewal, enabling firms to access, redeploy, and recombine resources faster than organic development allows, thereby overcoming organizational inertia and time-compression constraints that limit internal capability building.
This SMS Conference Extension will examine how firms leverage M&A to maintain strategic alignment with evolving market conditions. Acquisitions infuse new elements into organizational systems, enabling firms to simultaneously strengthen current competitive positions and explore emerging trajectories. The interest in the role of M&A has intensified as AI technologies increasingly enable more efficient target identification, more sophisticated valuation approaches, and more sophisticated post-acquisition integration processes.
The Extension comprises six sessions examining M&A’s role across different strategic challenges, each connecting to SMS’ Six Big Questions of Strategic Management.
Session 1: M&A Strategies Amid Deglobalization. Fragmented geo-economic landscapes require strategic acquisition portfolios spanning local, regional, and selective cross-border deals. M&A enables firms to maintain market access while mitigating geopolitical risks. Leading academics will analyze how M&As enable firms to balance global scale advantages with regional responsiveness amid protectionism and shifting trade dynamics.
Session 2: M&A for Sustainable Business Models. Firms use acquisitions to rapidly access green technologies, circular economy capabilities, and sustainable practices that would take years to develop internally. Papers will address how M&A can contribute to business model reconfiguration toward environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
Session 3: M&A in the Age of AI Disruption. AI disruption creates urgent needs for rapid capability acquisition through acquiring tech startups and AI ventures. Simultaneously, AI transforms M&A processes themselves, enhancing target identification and integration efficiency. The session focuses on AI’s dual impact: as both driver of acquisition activity and enabler of more effective deal-making and integration.
Session 4: M&A, Diversity, and Organizational Renewal. Targeted acquisitions can introduce diverse talent pools, inclusive practices, and varied governance perspectives that enhance innovation capacity and decision-making quality. However, firms must navigate potential AI biases in target identification and the integration of employees and processes. This session asks how firms can effectively leverage M&A to enhance organizational diversity and performance.
Session 5: M&A for Balancing Innovation and Efficiency. Acquisitions address the core tension between exploration and exploitation by enabling external capability access while optimizing existing systems. This session will focus on how new and emerging approaches to target selection and integration enable firms to pursue innovation without the rigidities and time penalties inherent in organic development.
Session 6: Executive Leadership in M&A-Driven Transformation. Leading M&A requires CEOs and boards to orchestrate complex decisions: which capabilities to acquire versus build, how to sequence deals, and how to integrate acquisitions without creating new rigidities. Papers will investigate how executives can navigate organizational resistance, stakeholder expectations, and market uncertainty while repositioning firms for sustained competitiveness.
Key Takeaways
- Strategic renewal through acquisitions: How firms use acquisitions to adapt to changing competitive environments
- AI in deal-making: Practical applications and challenges of AI in target identification, valuation, and integration
- Building acquisition portfolios: Approaches to balancing global reach with local needs in an era of protectionism and geopolitical uncertainty
- Executive challenges in M&A: How leaders navigate organizational resistance, manage stakeholder expectations, and position their firms for future competition
Agenda
8:30 – 8:45 — Registration
8:45 – 9:00 — Welcome
9:00 – 10:00 — Keynote
10:00 – 11:30 — Session 1 & 2
11:30 – 11:45 — Coffee break
11:45 – 13:15 — Session 3 & 4
13:15 – 14:30 — Lunch
14:30 – 16:00 — Session 5 & 6
16:00 – 16:15 — Coffee break
16:15 – 17:30 — Panel discussion with practitioners & academics
18:30 – 20:30 — Dinner at Bath’s Pump Room Restaurant
Hotel & Travel
International Travel
From Bristol Airport:
This is the nearest airport and is around 45 minutes away via car. Local taxis and Ubers can be booked from the airport.
You can also catch the A4 Air Decker bus from the airport to Bath:
- Tickets cost £17.50 for an adult. Book on the Air Decker website.
- See the Air Decker the bus timetable – depending on the time of day, journeys from Bristol Airport to Bath take between 50 minutes and 1.5 hours.
The best drop-off points to continue your journey to the hotel or to the conference venue are stops BATH Green Park Station or BATH Dorchester Street. From here you can walk to the hotel or get a local bus to the University campus.
From Heathrow Airport:
Take the Heathrow Express from the airport to London Paddington Station. Heathrow Express Tickets cost between £25 and £32 and can be bought from the Heathrow Express website. The journey takes just over 15 minutes.
From Paddington, there is a direct rail service to Bath Spa station. The end destination of the train will likely be Bristol Temple Meads, though do double check this. This journey takes around 1.5 hours. Check timetables here. Bath Spa station is the station you want.
To get to the University of Bath you can catch a local bus or taxi, approximate distance is 1.5miles/3 km. (Note if you choose to walk this includes a very steep hill, allow 50 minutes). For those that enjoy a scenic walk, you can always use the walking app GPS my city.
From Gatwick Airport:
Take the Gatwick Express from the airport to London Victoria Station. A standard single ticket costs £21.50 and can be bought from the Gatwick Express website. The journey takes just over 30 minutes.
From Victoria you can get a National Express Bus. This generally costs approximately £30 return and will take between 3 and 4 hours. Note that you will need to exit Victoria Railway station and walk five minutes across a busy road to get to Victoria Coach Station, where the bus will depart.
If you’d prefer to travel onwards by rail, you will need to get the underground (tube) to Paddington station – Take the Victoria line northbound to Oxford Circus. Change at Oxford Circus and take the Bakerloo line northbound to Paddington. This journey takes around 20 minutes. You can buy a ticket in the station or use contactless payment.
From Paddington, there is a direct rail service to Bath Spa station. The end destination of the train will likely be Bristol Temple Meads, though do double check this. This journey takes around 1.5 hours. Bath Spa station is the station you want.
Getting Around the City
Bath is a very compact city and so is suitable for walking around the town. There is also an excellent and convenient public transport network of buses. Below we detail various ways you can get around. The main railway station in Bath is Bath Spa. There is a taxi rank outside the station, where you can get a taxi to the School of Management on campus. This will take around 10 minutes. It is possible to walk from the city centre to the University. However, be prepared to tackle the very steep hill!
By Bus:
You can get to the campus from Bath city centre on the following public buses:
- U1
- U2
- Service 20
- Service 22
We advise that you use the comprehensive public transport system where possible. The main university bus stop (Arrivals Square) is directly opposite the School of Management building.
During the summer months, buses run every 15 minutes between the centre of Bath and the University. Customers can pay on the bus with a contactless debit card/mobile device, or buy tickets in advance using the First Bus app. Timetables can be found on the FirstBus website, or accessed in the First Bus app.
If you’d prefer to pre-book a taxi you can call V Cars on 01225 46 46 46. Ubers also operate in the city.
Nearest Bus Stops
(Catch the U1 to the University of Bath)
- Railway station: Located opposite the station
- DoubleTree by Hilton: By the Abbey
By Car:
If using a SatNav or Google maps, input the postcode BA2 7AY.
If coming by motorway, take the M4 to Junction 18 and the A46 towards Bath. Then follow signs for The American Museum and the University.
Parking
There are several car parks on campus – The East car park is closest to the School of Management.
- You can pay for car parking using the JustPark app, phone line or SMS service. There is a 10p fee added when you pay using Just Park. Payment for parking should be made within 15 minutes of parking at the University.
- The University’s parking conditions and regulations apply to all visitors. Please take the time to read them before visiting the University.
- Parking is managed by an external company and parking fines will be issued if accurate permits aren’t displayed.
We recommend using public transport rather than driving when travelling around the city and to campus – Bath operates a charging Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in the city centre so you may be charged if your vehicle does not meet emissions standards. Check if charges apply to your vehicle before you travel to Bath. Check if CAZ charges apply to your car by going to the BANES council website.
Accommodations
Bath is a major tourist destination, attracting visitors year-round. As a result, the city offers an extensive range of accommodation, from boutique and luxury hotels to spa properties and budget-friendly options, ensuring ample choice for all conference attendees. For more information, please see the Visit Bath website.
Some hotel options you may wish to consider include: