🤖 | How to Make AI Your Conference Wingman

Source: Author | Animal Health Nutrition, Technology & Innovation, POSSIBLE, HIMSS, Beauty Connect, VMX, Connected Health & Fitness, Outdoor Retail, The Lead Summit, Expo West, HITEC, ANAs, InsurTech Hartford, NAB, PGA Show, Women’s Health Innovation, Global Pet, Consensus, Pet Connect, & Superzoo

Everyone knows I go to conferences.

You might even say I collect conference apps like some people collect sneakers… I collect them too.

But why do I do it? How do I get the most out of my investment?

Here’s the thing: I don’t go just for the swag or the open bars. I go because nothing—and I mean nothing—beats the magic that happens when you meet someone IRL. Not a Zoom call. Not a LinkedIn DM. Real-life, eye-contact, “Oh wow, you're much more handsome IRL” moments. 😉

Hard stop.

Cool, cool… but you said this post was about AI. What gives?

Glad you asked.

AI can squeeze the juice out of every single conference, keynote, panel and conversation.

Here’s your AI-powered Conference Game Plan:

🔊 #1 - Sit Up Front (Like the Teacher’s Pet You Are)

Channel your inner Hermione Granger. Get there early. Grab a front row seat.

Why? Because you’ll get the best audio for your AI-powered note-taker. I use Fathom, but you do you.

Open that app. Hit record. Capture every talk. Trust me, your future self will thank you.

🧽 #2 - Be a Data Sponge

You’re not just there for the tiny sandwiches.

Scoop up everything: reports, case studies, charts, whitepapers, whispered gossip in the hallway—whatever’s relevant. Even scrape contact details that you have access too, it helps.

Don’t ignore the conference app either. It’s like a digital treasure chest. People drop decks, PDFs, and content that (sometimes) slips passed corporate compliance (personas, LTVs, CACs, etc.)

🗂️ #3 - Fire Up a Google NotebookLM

This is your digital HQ.

Align on a content taxonomy that you can scale with. One you understand and ensure all assets are tagged accordingly.

Create a list of assets you’ve gathered both pre, during & post event. You can add up to 50 data sources. You will NOT run out of space as you can import something like 500,000 to 600,000 words in each Notebook LM instance.

📸 #4 - Dump All the Content In There

Slides? Upload them. Talk tracks, add them. Photos of slides? Toss 'em in.

That weird but genius framework someone scrawled on a napkin? Snap a pic.

Remember, add specific details around each piece of content. Context is everything. Future-you needs breadcrumbs.

🧠 #5 - Use AI to Work the Magic

Now it’s time to let AI earn its keep.

Use your beefed-up Notebook to:

1. PRESSURE-TEST new ideas before going to market

2. CONSOLIDATE thought leadership at scale

3. BUILD content for your brand (bonus when you version for personas)

4. CREATE original thought leadership (blogs, podcasts, infographics, etc.)

5. IDENTIFY unmet needs within your business + vision

6. DECODE the patterns within an industry; read between the lines.

7. SHARE what you learn w/others who will find value

8. DEVELOP a learning module you can “feed” overtime; one you can trust whole heartedly

9. IMAGINE how a digital twin might behave (note: may be far reaching, but try it)

10. PREPARE for the next year; so you come with ideas to build on what you learned

You’ve basically created your own proprietary research lab. You are now that person who somehow always knows the latest trends before the trendsetters.

That’s it. No secret handshake. No elite pass required. Just show up, soak it in, and let AI help you turn those IRL moments into long-term value.

Oh, and drink water. I never (well rarely) drink at events. Stay on your game. You spent $$$ + time… maximize your investment!