Put AI To Work With Hands-on AI Workshops
Extend your Applied AI 2027 experience with four premium AI Workshops built for distributors who want to leave with more than notes.
Every workshop is unsponsored, expert-led and capped at 50 seats so instructors can help you build, not just listen.
4 Workshops. Limitless Potential
The AI workshops have been broken into two tracks. You can choose where you need depth: data and security readiness before the show, or agent building that moves from first agent to real automation. These AI workshops are limited to 50 attendees each to allow for instructors to assist in hands-on application of AI.
Pre-Show Workshops
Is Your Data Ready for AI?
Stop guessing. Find out if your systems clear the bar.
Before the conference starts, get a clear definition of “AI-ready data” for a distributor: what has to be true in ERP, PIM, pricing, and transaction history before agents and copilots produce reliable work. You’ll map your current stack against a practical readiness scorecard, spot the gaps that kill pilots, and leave with a short list of fixes that unlock the highest-ROI use cases.
More
You leave with:
- A distributor-specific AI data readiness scorecard you can run with your IT and ops leads
- A ranked gap list (systems, fields, ownership, quality) tied to real use cases
- A 30–90 day fix plan you can take to leadership without another round of vendor demos
Best suited for: CIO/CTO, VP Ops, data/analytics leads, finance leaders who own master data and reporting
Format: Pre-show | Cap 50 | Unsponsored | Laptop optional
Cybersecurity in the Age of AI
AI expands what you can do. It also expands what attackers can do to you
This practical cybersecurity workshop equips distribution-industry leaders to make informed decisions about today’s most consequential digital risks. Participants will explore how evolving threats can affect operations, supply chains, customer trust, and business continuity—and leave with clear priorities for reducing exposure.
More
You leave with:
- Cybersecurity implications of AI
- Ransomware prevention and response
- Phishing and social-engineering risks
- Preparing for the cybersecurity impact of quantum computing
Best suited for: IT and information security leaders, CIOs, ops executives accountable for customer and supplier trust
Format: Pre-show | Cap 50 | Unsponsored | No coding required
Post-Show Workshops
Build your First AI AGent
No coding background required. Walk out with a working agent.
Hands-on build session. You’ll learn what an agent is (and isn’t), where agents beat simple chat or RPA in distribution, and how to stand up a first agent for a real workflow: intake, lookup, decision, and handoff. Sample distribution scenarios (customer questions, order checks, product lookups) so you practice on work that looks like yours.
More
You leave with:
- A working first agent you built in the room
- A simple architecture you can reuse: input, reasoning, tools, output
- A short list of next agents worth building in sales, service, or ops
Best suited for: Ops and technology leaders, IT, sales/service directors ready to build, not only evaluate
Format: Cap 50 | Bring a fully charged laptop | Prerequisites emailed in advance | Unsponsored
Advanced Agent Building — From Agents to Automation
You’ve built basic agents. Now connect them into full workflows that run real distribution processes end to end.
For people past the first agent. Connect agents into end-to-end distribution processes: multi-step handoffs, tool use against real systems, guardrails, and failure handling. Focus on production patterns, not demos: when to keep a human in the loop, how to measure cycle time and error rate, and how to move from a single agent to a small automation stack.
More
You leave with:
- A multi-step agent workflow mapped to a real distribution process
- Patterns for tools, handoffs, and human approval gates
- A take-home build plan for your next automation (owner, data, success metric)
Prereq: Comfortable with basic agent concepts (or complete “Build Your First AI Agent”)
Best suited for: CIO/CTO, IT, technical ops, teams already piloting agents
Format: Cap 50 | Laptop required | Unsponsored
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
These workshops are designed for leaders who intend to act on what they learn at Applied AI 2027, not just observe it.
If you’re in one of these roles, this is your opportunity to get ahead:
- CEOs and Senior Executives
- Operations and Technology Leaders
- IT and Information Security Leaders
- Sales and Customer Service Directors
- Supply Chain, Logistics and Inventory Managers
- Data, Analytics and Finance Leaders
Register Early To Secure A Spot
Applied AI 2026 sold out. Workshop seats are capped at 50 and open only to conference registrants. Every one of these sessions is unsponsored — no vendor pitches, no sales agenda — just expert instruction in a room small enough to get your questions answered.
Waiting has a cost:
- Another year of AI pilots that never reach production
- Competitors building agents while you’re still evaluating
- Data and security gaps that get harder to close the longer they wait.
June 22–24, 2027
Renaissance® Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel
Schaumburg, IL