Speaker: Erica Salm Rench 

Speaker: Amith Nagarajan

This AI Agents keynote explores the shift from AI as a tool to AI as a teammate, systems that can take on meaningful work, not just generate outputs. It offers a clear, high-level picture of what agents are (and aren’t), why they matter now, and how they will reshape the way associations serve members and run their organizations. Using a simple “today vs. tomorrow” lens, the talk highlights the strategic choices leaders need to make around trust, governance, and organizational readiness.

Speakers: Ben Lee, Mark Patterson, Rob Barnes

Building on the opening keynote, AI Agents in Action is a fast-paced, demo-driven session that shows what “agent-powered” work can look like inside an association, without the hype. You’ll meet three Blue Cypress agents: Izzy (member services) handling real inquiries end-to-end, Betty (knowledge assistant) finding and applying trusted answers from your content, and Skip (data assistant) turning questions into insights you can use immediately. Each agent will be showcased through practical, association-ready scenarios that highlight how they collaborate, when humans stay in the loop, and how guardrails keep outcomes reliable. Attendees will leave inspired: where do agents fit today? Which workflows to pilot first? What does it take to deploy agents responsibly?

Speakers: rasa.io

Member attention is scarce, and one-size-fits-all messages are easier than ever to ignore. This session shows how AI-powered personalization can tailor newsletters, updates, and campaigns to each member’s interests while preserving your voice, priorities, and governance. You’ll see a live demo of the technology in action, including how content is selected and assembled using AI and how teams can review, steer, and measure outcomes. Attendees will leave with a clear, realistic playbook for piloting personalization quickly and scaling it responsibly across channels.

Speaker: John Huisman

Most AI projects fail not because of the technology, but because nobody planned for the people side. This session gives you a change management playbook for getting your board, staff, and volunteers ready before you deploy AI agents. You'll learn how to build executive sponsorship, create space for experimentation without fear, and head off the "we weren't consulted" resistance. I'll also show how AI itself can help, including drafting internal comms, building FAQ docs, anticipating objections before they surface. You'll leave with a readiness checklist and conversation starters you can use immediately.

Networking Lunch & Sponsor Tables Open

Panel: Association Leaders

Moderator: Linda Tomczynski

Join industry leaders as they explore how associations are using AI to impact change at their organizations and lead the cultural shift that must accompany AI transformation.

Speakers: Association Leaders

This high-energy demo panel brings together three marketing leaders who are using AI to drive measurable results, not just experiment. Each panelist will showcase one or two examples of “highly effective AI in action,” walking through what they did, the workflow behind it, and the impact on speed, quality, engagement, or revenue. You’ll hear practical lessons on what made the use case work (data, prompts, tools, team adoption) and what they’d do differently next time. Attendees will leave with a shortlist of proven ideas to pilot immediately and a clearer sense of how to operationalize AI in a modern marketing team.

Speaker: Jason Marchese

Watch as a pre-event crowd-sourced AI agent idea is put into action and built before your very eyes. Participants are invited to follow along and build themselves!

Speaker: Erica Salm Rench

College of Surgeons meeting space

Cap off an inspiring day with continued discussions and connections. Enjoy stunning views of Chicago while networking with speakers, industry leaders, and fellow innovators in the association space.