Applied AI Live
A workshop series for people who want to make money by practically applying AI to real-world business problems.
What Is It?
Applied AI Live is a recurring event format. The goal: create a Schelling point for practitioners who are actually making a living helping businesses integrate AI.
Each event features:
- Practitioner talks — Real case studies from people doing the work
- Live problem-solving — A real business owner presents an actual problem, and an engineer architects a solution on the spot
- Networking — Time for attendees to connect and share notes
This isn't a lecture series. It's a working session for people in the trenches.
Who Should Attend?
Three types of people:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Applied AI Engineers | Engineers and developers building a career (or side income) helping businesses implement AI. Includes new grads trying to stand out. |
| Business Owners | People with real business problems who want to understand what's possible and find trustworthy help. |
| Tool Builders | Technical leaders building platforms, frameworks, or infrastructure for applied AI. Looking for practitioner feedback. |
Running an Applied AI Live Event
This playbook is a work in progress. Component guides:
Available Now
| Playbook | Description |
|---|---|
| Finding a Photographer | Sourcing affordable, reliable event photography |
| Recording an Event | Capturing video on a budget |
| Case Study Interviews | Interviewing practitioners to create profiles |
Coming Soon
| Playbook | Description |
|---|---|
| Finding a Venue | Securing the right space for your event |
| Speaker Outreach | Recruiting practitioners to share case studies |
| Event Promotion | Getting the word out effectively |
| Day-of Logistics | Running a smooth event |
| Post-Event Follow-up | Maximizing value after the event ends |
Budget
Applied AI Live events should be cheap to run. The goal is replicability. Any chapter should be able to host one without a huge budget.
Rough estimate for a 50-person event:
| Category | Range |
|---|---|
| Venue | $0 (partner venue) |
| Food | $100–200 |
| Drinks | $10–20 |
| Name tags | $10–100 |
| Photographer | $0–150 |
| Recording | $0 (iPhone + tripod) |
| Total | $120–480 |
If you have a venue partner and do your own photos/video, you can run an event for under $150.
The Human Cost
Ideally, the organizer's time and any volunteer help (photography, registration, etc.) isn't "paid for" in the traditional sense. The value is intrinsic: these are people who genuinely want to network with this community. Running or helping with the event gives them access and credibility.
Find people who want to be there anyway. The photographer who's an aspiring applied AI engineer. The volunteer who wants to meet business owners. That's the model.
On Sponsorship
Sponsorship gives you more flexibility, but it's not a precedent you need to set. The beauty of keeping events cheap is that any chapter can run them without waiting for funding. Sponsorship is a nice-to-have, not a requirement.
Example Run of Show
A typical 2-hour Applied AI Live event:
| Time | Segment |
|---|---|
| 5:30 PM | Doors open. Food out. Networking. |
| 6:00 PM | Welcome + housekeeping (5 min) |
| 6:05 PM | Sponsor remarks (10–15 min) |
| 6:20 PM | Practitioner talk — Case study with Q&A (30 min) |
| 6:50 PM | Live architecture session — Business owner presents problem, engineer architects solution on whiteboard (30 min) |
| 7:20 PM | Open networking |
| 7:30 PM | Wrap |
Adjust based on your speakers and venue. The live architecture session is the signature element. Protect time for it.
Audio/Visual
Keep it simple. You don't need a full AV setup.
The basics:
- A handheld mic or portable speaker so presenters can be heard
- A screen or TV if someone is presenting slides (optional)
- Whiteboard or large sticky notes for live architecture sessions
Many venues provide basic AV. Ask during your venue walkthrough.
If the room is small enough (under 30 people) and acoustics are good, you might not need a mic at all. But for larger groups or noisy spaces, make sure speakers can project.
For recording considerations, see the Recording an Event playbook.
Name Tags: Color-Coded by Role
One small thing that makes a big difference: color-coded name tags.
The goal is to help attendees find each other. An Applied AI Engineer looking for business owners to help should be able to spot them across the room. A Tool Builder looking for practitioner feedback should know who to approach.
The Ideal
Printed name tags with:
- Role at the top: "Applied AI Engineer," "Business Owner," or "Tool Builder"
- Event name at the bottom: "Applied AI Live"
This way people know who they're talking to and remember what event they met at.
The Easy, Cheap Version
Three different colors of blank name tags. Assign one color per role. Announce the color coding at the start of the event.
| Color | Role |
|---|---|
| 🟠 Orange | Applied AI Engineer |
| 🔵 Blue | Business Owner |
| 🟢 Green | Tool Builder |
(Pick whatever colors are available. Just be consistent.)
Where to Get Them
Blank adhesive name tags come in multi-color packs. Check Amazon or any office supply store. A pack of 200 costs ~$10.
Custom Printing
For custom name tags or sticker sheets, local print shops offer fast turnaround (often 2 days). Expect ~$90 for 72 custom stickers. Services like Sticker Mule work well for bulk orders.
Conversation starter stickers are a nice add-on. Small stickers people can add to their name tags like "Ask me what I'm building" or "Open to work" help break the ice.
Food & Drinks
Keep it thrifty and replicable. The goal is programming valuable enough that people come for that, not fancy catering.
The Default: Subs or Pizza
For a 5:30–7:30pm event, people will be hungry. Options:
| Option | Notes |
|---|---|
| Jimmy John's subs | Cut into pieces. Include vegan options. ~$8–10 per sub. |
| Pizza | Classic engineer event food. Cheap. Everyone knows what to expect. |
| Small bites | Cheese, meats, vegetables, small sandwiches. More upscale but pricier. |
How Much?
For free events, expect 50% of RSVPs to actually show up. If you have 100 RSVPs, plan food for 50.
Don't advertise it as a dinner event. Frame it as "light food provided" or first-come-first-serve.
Drinks
- Cases of bottled water (~$5–10)
- Cups for people who prefer using a water fountain
- No need for anything fancier unless the venue provides it
Registration
Setup
- Laptop with Luma (or your registration platform) open
- Name tags sorted by color/role
- One or two people at the desk
Flow
- Attendee arrives
- Check them in on Luma
- Hand them the appropriate name tag based on their role
- Point them toward food/networking area
Having an extroverted "connector" person near registration helps. Someone who can introduce newcomers to each other and break the ice.
Cleanup
Before you leave:
- Collect leftover food (offer to attendees first)
- Gather trash, dispose properly
- Return furniture to original positions
- Check for any personal items left behind
- Thank venue staff
Most venues appreciate when you leave things cleaner than you found them. It helps with future partnerships.
Thanking Partners
Gratitude is key. After an event, take time to thank the people who made it happen:
- Venue hosts
- Speakers and presenters
- Volunteers who helped with registration, photos, or setup
- Sponsors
- Community partners who helped promote
A quick thank-you text is fine. A voice note is better. A heartfelt voice note ecard is memorable.
Tool recommendation: Blessout lets you send voice note ecards. Record a genuine thank-you, pick a visual, and send. Takes 2 minutes. Makes people feel appreciated.
Partnerships compound. The venue that felt thanked is more likely to host you again. The speaker who felt valued will refer other speakers. Small gestures build long-term relationships.
Past Events
Applied AI Live — Austin, TX
Hosted at Antler VC with AITX community. Featured Travis Oliphant (creator of NumPy/SciPy, founder of OpenTeams) and Rostam Mahabadi (AITX x NVIDIA Hackathon grand prize winner).
Start a Chapter
Want to run Applied AI Live in your city? We're building out resources to help you do that. Stay tuned, or reach out on GitHub if you want to get started now.