KC AI Expo 2026 · walkthrough

Next meetup · Tue Sep 22

Human-First AI

Garmin HQ, Olathe. Eventbrite header ready.

Flagship · Tue Nov 10

KC AI Expo

Walkthrough, countdown, budget, kit. Venue has 10 tables. We rent the other 20. Quote is $390 for one day.

Sep 22 · Human-First AI

Tuesday, September 22. Garmin HQ, Olathe. $20. No walk-ups. Eventbrite headers below. Expo headers are in the kit.

Sep

5–7:30

PM CDT

$20

All-in

Walk-ups

Garmin Corporate Headquarters

1200 E 151st St, Olathe, KS 66062. Doors 5:00. Networking 5:00 to 5:30. Keynote, panel, and Q&A 5:30 to 6:45. Ends 7:30. Free garage parking. Ticket required. Garmin security cannot take walk-ups.

Listing: Eventbrite · kansascity.ai

Sep 8 to 9promo

Eventbrite header

Choose A, B, or C for the Sep 22 Eventbrite header CK JG
Put the chosen PNG on the Sep 22 Eventbrite listing CK

Eventbrite listing copy

# Sep 22 Meetup — Eventbrite listing (house template)

Existing listing to update: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1997416121388
Header image: `sep22/headers/B-split.png` (2160 × 1080)

---

## Title (64 / 75)

Kansas City AI Club Meetup | September 22, 2026 | Human-First AI

## Summary (138 / 140)

Kansas City AI Club | September 22, 2026 | Keynote, panel, and Q&A on human-first AI design. Hosted by Garmin in Olathe. $20, no walk-ups.

## Date and time

Tuesday, September 22, 2026 · 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM CDT

## Ticket type

Attendee / $20 / absorb fees so $20 is what attendees pay / on sale through Sep 22 / no walk-ups

---

## Description

Don't miss the next [**Kansas City AI Club**](https://kansascity.ai) meetup on **Tuesday, September 22, 2026**. This one is a keynote, panel discussion, and Q&A on designing AI that puts people first, with plenty of time for networking. Thanks to [**Garmin**](https://www.garmin.com) for hosting. Doors open at 5:00 PM and we look forward to seeing you there!

🎟️ A ticket is required for entry. Garmin security cannot accept walk-ups, so please register in advance.

📅 **Date:** Tuesday, September 22, 2026
⏰ **Time:** 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM CDT
💲 **Cost:** $20 (taxes & fees included). A ticket is required for entry.
📍 **Location:** [**Garmin Corporate Headquarters**](https://www.garmin.com) (1200 E 151st St, Olathe, KS 66062)

Free garage parking is available.

✅ **Event Overview**
Most AI conversations start with the model. This one starts with the person using it. A keynote and expert panel on what human-first design actually requires — where AI should get out of the way, where it should speak up, and how product teams make that call. Hosted at Garmin, a company that has spent decades building technology people wear on their bodies and trust in the places it matters.

**🎤 Expert Panel Discussion**

**Speakers and panelists to be announced.** We'll update this listing as names are confirmed.

**🗓️ Agenda**

- **5:00 PM:** Doors open
- **5:00–5:30 PM:** Open networking
- **5:30–6:45 PM:** Keynote, panel discussion, and Q&A
- **6:45–7:30 PM:** Open networking
- **7:30 PM:** Event ends

**👥 Who Should Come**
This event is built for people doing the work. Founders and early-stage teams building with AI, engineers and practitioners shipping real systems, and the executives and leaders driving AI inside their organizations. If you're deploying, building, or leading AI, you'll be in good company.

**Cancellation Policy:** 100% refund (minus Eventbrite fees, which are not refundable) up to 3 days prior to the event.

The [**Kansas City AI Club**](https://kansascity.ai) connects AI enthusiasts, students, and professionals across the region. Visit [**https://kansascity.ai**](https://kansascity.ai) for upcoming events and community resources.

---

Three art versions

Eventbrite header size 2160 by 1080. Type is Space Grotesk. Download the PNG.

A · Signal

Download A PNG · dark field, blue 22, one lockup

B · Split

Download B PNG · facts panel, time / place / ticket

C · Paper

Download C PNG · cream poster, Hosted by Garmin

Notebook versions

Made in NotebookLM / Gemini Notebook. Not the Space Grotesk lockup. Facts match: Tue Sep 22, 5:00 to 7:30 PM, Garmin HQ, $20, no walk-ups.

Doodle

Paper cut

Grid

Social 4:5

1080 by 1350. Blue (A) and white (C). Speaker cards use Mychal Shaw’s photo.

Eventbrite Draft is live. Open: eventbrite.com/e/2001680808181. Tue Nov 10, 4:00–8:00 PM. Plan 500 · $10 then $20 · no BOGO. Site packet: listings/expo-eventbrite-packet.html. Confirm venue in writing before publish. No second-room keynote. Sep 23: do not mention a Pitch-Off in public copy. Chris is revising the overview and will send it for Justin to improve. Tables not curated: $150 founding / $200 standard.

Where we stand

Tuesday, November 10, 4:00 to 8:00 PM. Target 500 through the door. Chris paid Nadia and believes the date is held. Confirm in writing. Do not call the room Chateau Avalon. Venue supplies 10 tables and linens. We supply 20. One-day quote is $390. $10 early bird then $20.

Done

In progress

Up next

Venue

Done: Aug 25 meetup · Budget locked at 500 tickets ($10 then $20, no BOGO) · Eventbrite listing drafted at e/2001680808181 · club email drafted for Mailchimp (copy). Open: book the extra 20 tables on Reventals (venue confirmed 10 tables and 10 linens on Sep 24; 8' × 30" banquet at $11.50 and 8' spandex linen at $8 = $390 for one day, delivery not included), July floor outreach at $150, Expo on kansascity.ai, LinkedIn post draft. Sponsorship ladder locked October 6, 2026: Premier $7,500, Platinum $5,000, Gold $2,500, Silver $1,500, Bronze $500. See Sponsorships. Posting is its own set of boxes and still open: publish Eventbrite after Chris sign-off, send the club email, post on LinkedIn. Membership pricing is not on this page.

Sponsorships

Locked October 6, 2026. What they pay and what they get. Photographer: Simon Kuo. Every sponsor is tagged in every post. Every seat gets a stage welcome. Simon's photos are included for Premier and Platinum. Everywhere else the photo pack is a $250 add-on, not part of the seat.

	Premier $7,500	Platinum $5,000	Gold $2,500	Silver $1,500	Bronze $500
Slots	1	2	3	4	Up to 6
Table size	Double	Double	Double	Standard	Standard
Guest passes	15	10	5	5	5
Presented by	Yes	—	—	—	—
Exclusive lounge	Yes	Shared if no Premier	—	—	—
Name in lockup	Yes	Yes	—	—	—
Stage welcome	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Logo on stage slides	Yes	Yes	Yes	—	—
Every email	Yes	Yes	Yes	—	—
Week-of email	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	—
Vendor list	Yes	—	—	—	—
Attendee list	Yes	Yes	—	—	—
Shared signage and site	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tagged in every post	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Simon Kuo photo pack	Included	Included	Add-on $250	Add-on $250	Add-on $250

The exclusive lounge is a premium room with food and beverages. Premier has it. Platinum gets it only if there is no Premier sponsor, and the two Platinum sponsors share it. The photo add-on is $250, bought separately, and it is not a sponsor tier. A sponsor table is one of the 30. Do not also sell them a $150 or $200 table ticket. No judge seat and no named prize.

Opensponsors

Fill the ladder

Fill Premier $7,500, one seat CK
Fill Platinum $5,000, two seats CK
Fill Gold $2,500, three seats CK JG
Fill Silver $1,500, four seats CK JG
Sign off this package list before outreach CK
Put these numbers on Eventbrite and the one-pager JG
Fill Bronze $500, up to six seats CK JG

Who does the work

Venue, exhibitors, sponsors, and the Pitch-Off: Chris. Marketing and day-of production: Justin. Public copy needs a sign-off before it goes live.

Lead

Chris Kovac

Venue contract. Host and Pitch-Off. Exhibitor and sponsor conversations. Sign-off on public copy.

Producer

Justin Gardner

Site, Eventbrite, emails, listings, graphics. Floor, insurance, DJ, recap. Day-of with Chris. Exhibitor auto-emails every two days. Photographer is Simon Kuo.

A table

Not curated. Thirty tables. Eventbrite. No table sales at the door. One-pager (opens in a new window).

Sep 24, from the venue: they have 10 tables and 10 linens. We supply the other 20. Reventals cart, not booked. 8' × 30" banquet table $11.50/day × 20 = $230. 8' spandex linen $8/day × 20 = $160. Estimated total $390 for one day. Delivery and pickup are not in that total. Confirm one rental day covers Nov 10 load-in at noon before paying.

	Founding $150	Standard $200	Sponsor table
When	Through Sep 30	Oct 1 to Oct 25	With the sponsor package
6-foot table, two chairs	Yes	Yes	Double-size on Premier, Platinum, and Gold. Standard on Silver and Bronze.
Power and exhibitor Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes	Yes
Floor map	Yes	Yes	Yes
Guest passes	5	5	Premier 15, Platinum 10, Gold Silver and Bronze 5
Load-in 12:00. Floor 4:00 to 8:00	Yes	Yes	Yes
Logo on exhibitor list	Yes	Yes	Yes, plus sponsor marks in that package
Two posts and one email	Required	Required	Required
Simon Kuo photo pack	Add-on $250	Add-on $250	Included on Premier and Platinum. Add-on $250 on Gold, Silver, and Bronze

A sponsor already has a table. Do not also sell them Founding or Standard. Sep 23: Pitch-Off is off the public launch.

July 21 floor

July 21 exhibitors. July yes = they had a table. Founding rate for November 10 is $150 through Sep 30.

Name	Company	Email	July	Nov 10	Last contact
David Komar	Executive Development	dkomar@executivedevelopment.com	yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Rob Voss	Voss AI Consulting	robvoss@vossaiconsulting.com	yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Jennifer Smith	Methodical Technologies	nerdslovecoffee@gmail.com	no	not contacted	2026-07-21
Marcus Lima	Torus	marcus@usetorus.com	waiting	not contacted	2026-07-21
Joey Gross	918 Studio	joey@918studio.com	yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Gharib Gharibi	archia.io	gharib@archia.io	yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Nathan Hall	Lefty Media Co.	lefty@leftymediaco.com	yes	ready to buy · email Thu Sep 24	2026-09-23
Ryan Riggin	LocalBase	ryan@localbase.com	yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Alexandria Hamilton	Orinyx	alexandria@orinyx.io	yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Maliha Khan	Khanectthedots.com	Info@khanectthedots.com	waiting	not contacted	2026-07-21
Leslie Welner	Steps	leslie.welner@stepsconsulting.com	yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Ben Ahn	Linkplus Marketing	ben.a@linkplus.marketing	yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Hunmble Adnan	Vaxen Labs	hadnan@vaxenlabs.com	yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Zikomo Fields	ViaSight	zikomo@viasight.ai	yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Jeff Weiner	Pivot Forge	jeff@pivot-forge.com	yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Blake Hodgson	KC Proto		yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Ryan Koziol	SOAR AI		yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Brian Olson	Fuel Labs		yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Herc	HeftIQ		yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Bill	Bluesunrise AI	bill@bluesunriseai.com	yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Angie Pedersen	Marketing	angie.pedersen@gmail.com	yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Patrick Hogan	Celbridge Science	Patrick.Hogan@celbridgescience.com	waiting	not contacted	2026-07-21
Garrick Bridges	BotPhone	garrick@botphone.tel	yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Harshana Fernando	AIPub		yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
Mychal Shaw	Uwazi.ai		yes	not contacted	2026-07-21
James	—		too early	not contacted	—

Already in motion

Name	Company	July	Nov 10	Last contact
—	Alois	—	waiting	2026-09-03
Simon Kuo	Photography	—	yes	2026-09-03
—	MashMetrics	—	not contacted	—
—	Next Level Performers	—	not contacted	—

The countdown

Check items off as they land. CK = Chris. JG = Justin. Day-of is the two of us unless we add check-in help.

Starting up…

Sep 2 to 6this week

Lock the foundations

Chris signs the venue for Tuesday, November 10, 4:00 to 8:00 PM, load-in from 12:00. The contract must say whether tables, chairs, stage, AV, and exhibitor Wi-Fi are included CK
Write a one-page exhibitor sheet together: what a table includes, $150 founding / $200 standard, five guest passes, and that they post twice and email their list CK JG
Keep the Floor list current: name, company, last contact, status CK JG
Get the Expo on kansascity.ai this week or next: date, hours, ticket prices, and a way to request a table JG
Draft the Eventbrite page with attendee tickets and exhibitor table tickets JG
Eventbrite Draft Chris packet Paste sheet Markdown
Tables are not curated. One $150 Eventbrite table ticket. Swipe and they are in CK JG
Every two days: pull new table buyers from Eventbrite and send the club auto-email JG
Group sales: 50 tickets at $10 in the early-bird window. Chambers and community orgs on the Group sales list CK JG
No second-room keynote. Floor first, Pitch-Off at 6:30 CK JG

Sep 7 to 13

July expo companies, then Sept 11

Email companies from the July expo. Founding table rate $150 through Sep 30 CK JG
Start calling and emailing new vendors using the one-page exhibitor sheet CK JG
Make the first graphics: wordmark, Eventbrite header, and a blank social post exhibitors can drop a logo into JG
Sept 11 strategy lunch. Bring this page. Expo is on the agenda CK JG
Start conversations with the first sponsor prospects. Send the one-pager CK JG

Sep 14 to 20

Venue and a live page

Sign the venue contract. Record who pays the deposit CK
If the Expo is not on kansascity.ai yet, get it live this week: date, hours, prices, table request JG
Book whoever the club already uses for stage and sound, for November 10 CK
Buy event liability insurance. Most venues ask for a certificate JG

Sep 21 to 27

Club list first, Pitch-Off open

Draft the club-list email for Mailchimp. Created, not sent. JG
Copy on this page HTML import Plain text
Post: send the club-list email. Early bird $10, cap 150. Replace PASTE_PUBLIC_URL first. JG
Draft the LinkedIn post JG
Announcement lines in the kit. Not a sendable post yet.
Post: publish the LinkedIn post JG
Publish the Pitch-Off application. It is a prize, not an investment. Have someone read the terms before it goes live CK JG
Count founding-rate table yeses. If it is slow, keep $150 open one more week CK JG

Sep 28 to Oct 4

Go public

Public announcement. Early bird $10, cap 150 JG
Post: publish the public Eventbrite and Meetup listings JG
Lock four Pitch-Off judges: one investor, one operator, one technical, one community CK JG
No named prize and no judge seat on the sponsor ladder CK JG

Oct 5 to 11

Partners and $10 early bird

Send ready-to-paste copy to KC Tech Council, KCSourceLink, Digital Sandbox, chambers, and campuses JG
Submit the event to Startland, KCBJ, KCUR community calendar, Visit KC, and Silicon Prairie JG
Last $10 early bird emails before Oct 5. Cap 150 JG
Oct 9 check: how many tables are sold and how much sponsor money is in. Adjust if we are behind CK JG

Oct 12 to 18

Price up, floor drawn

Switch to $20 regular tickets on Oct 5. Say so in the email JG
Pick the eight Pitch-Off finalists and email them by Oct 18 CK JG
Draw the floor plan: load-in door, stage, table numbers, power. Send it to exhibitors JG
Order signage and badges after sponsor logos are final JG

Oct 19 to 25

Exhibitors help fill the room

Send every exhibitor and sponsor two pre-written posts, one email, and graphics, with due dates JG
Close exhibitor sign-ups Oct 25. Then send booth numbers. No more table negotiations after that CK JG
Announce the Pitch-Off finalists to the club list on Oct 26 JG

Oct 26 to Nov 2

Crew and the clock

Name eight day-of volunteers and send each a one-page job sheet (check-in, floor, stage) CK JG
Book the DJ, $500, 4:00 to 8:00 JG
Lock a minute-by-minute run of show, including who speaks and when the Pitch-Off starts CK JG

Nov 3 to 9

Rehearse

Email each exhibitor their booth number, load-in time, parking, Wi-Fi, and how guest passes work at the door CK JG
Send Pitch-Off finalists the rules: five minutes, slide format, what judges score, and that the mic cuts at five CK JG
Call the venue, AV, and DJ to confirm JG
Send a last-chance ticket email Nov 8. Online sales stay open until doors on Nov 10 JG
Walk the venue together. Stand where the stage will be CK JG
Run $400 of LinkedIn ads aimed at Kansas City JG

Nov 10show day

Doors at 4

Load-in 12:00. Floor ready 3:15. Doors 4:00. Check-in and exhibitor floor JG
Welcome, Pitch-Off, and close from the stage (Chris). Exhibitor issues during the Pitch-Off go to Justin CK JG
Announce the 2027 date before doors close. Date on a slide and in the follow-up email CK JG

Nov 11 to 30after

Follow through

Send a short survey to attendees and exhibitors JG
Send each sponsor a recap: photos, attendance, and who stopped at their table JG
Close the books against this page, line by line CK JG
Board retro: what we keep, what we cut, who produces 2027 CK JG

Chips: CK Chris · JG Justin.

Run of show

Tuesday, November 10. Working window 4:00 to 8:00 (Chris: 3:00 or 4:00, close about 8:00). After-work floor. No second-room keynote. Sep 23: the Pitch-Off is off the public launch. A side room is still a maybe for Elios. The full Pitch-Off moves to a later downtown date. The 6:30 line below is internal. Do not paste it.

Time	Segment	Owner	Notes
12:00	Exhibitor load-in	Justin	Booth numbers on tables. Power strips. Wi-Fi sheet.
2:30	AV and stage check	Justin + AV	Two handhelds, one lav for Chris, countdown clock visible to pitch teams.
3:15	Floor freeze	Justin	Check-in: two laptops, badge stock, guest-pass list.
3:40	Huddle	Chris + Justin	Door, floor, stage. Plan is 500 — check-in help is in the day-of plan.
4:00	Doors	Chris + Justin	Badge, guest-pass check, floor map. No walk-up table sales.
4:00 to 6:30	Expo floor open	Justin on floor	Tables only until Pitch-Off.
4:00	DJ on	DJ	Under conversation until 6:30, down for the Pitch-Off, back after the winner.
4:15	Welcome from the floor	Chris	Five minutes. Pitch-Off at 6:30. 2027 date at 7:30.
6:30	Pitch-Off, eight teams, five minutes each	Chris hosts. Justin runs the clock and the floor.	Four judges. Mic cuts at five minutes. Exhibitor issues go to Justin. No Shark Tank on a slide, banner, or badge. No second-room keynote.
7:30	Judges confer, floor stays open	Judges + Justin	Attendees keep walking tables.
7:40	Winner, thanks, 2027 date	Chris	Prize handed. Date announced.
7:45 to 8:00	Last floor time	Justin	Last minutes on the floor.
8:00	Doors close	Justin	Exhibitors pack.
9:00	Out	Justin	Walk the venue contact through the space before anyone leaves.

Day-of is Chris and Justin. Plan is 500 tickets, so budget check-in help. Justin on the floor until 6:30, then the clock.

Budget

Costs

Line	Amount	Notes
Venue, evening 4:00 to 8:00 plus load-in	$2,500	Estimate until the contract lands. Confirm tables and chairs.
Stage and AV for the Pitch-Off	$1,800	Two handhelds, one lav, mixer, two speakers, one screen, a tech.
Exhibitor Wi-Fi	$400	A dedicated drop or SSID so 30 demos do not share guest Wi-Fi.
Signage, badges, table numbers, floor map	$550	Print after logos lock Oct 18.
Photography, 6 hours plus selects	$500
Event liability insurance	$350	Bind in September.
Pitch-Off prize	$1,000	Not a sponsor benefit. No named prize and no judge seat on the ladder.
Paid LinkedIn, KC metro	$400	Kansas City metro.
DJ	$500	4:00 to 8:00. Down during the Pitch-Off.
Event production	$2,000	Walkthrough, floor, day-of, recap.
Contingency	$1,000
Total	$11,000

Tickets

Net is after Eventbrite or Stripe fees (about 6.6% + $2.09). $10 early bird cap 150. Then $20 regular (one ticket, one person). No BOGO. Chambers: blocks of 50 at $10 in the early-bird window.

Window	Dates	Price	Net each
Early bird	First two weeks, cap 150. Sep 21 to Oct 4	$10	$7.25
Regular	Oct 5 to Nov 10	$20	$16.59

Exhibitor tables, 30

Tier	Detail	Count	Price	Total
Founding	Through Sep 30	15	$150	$2,250
Standard	Oct 1 to Oct 25	15	$200	$3,000
If 30 tables sell				$5,250

Tier	What they get	Slots	Price
Premier	Presented by, lockup, stage welcome, exclusive lounge, double-size table, 15 passes, vendor and attendee lists, Simon included	1	$7,500
Platinum	Lockup, stage welcome, double-size table, 10 passes, attendee list, Simon included. Lounge only if no Premier, and shared	2	$5,000
Gold	Stage welcome, stage slides, every email, double-size table, 5 passes. Simon is a $250 add-on	3	$2,500
Silver	Stage welcome, week-of email, standard table, 5 passes. Simon is a $250 add-on	4	$1,500
Bronze	Stage welcome, shared signage and site, standard table, 5 passes. Simon is a $250 add-on	6	$500

Profit and loss

	Plan	Strong
People in the door	500	500
Ticket mix	150 × $10 + 350 × $20	150 × $10 + 350 × $20
Ticket net	$6,894	$6,894
Tables	30 = $5,250	30 = $5,250
Sponsors	$2,500	$12,000
Revenue	$14,644	$24,144
Costs	$11,000	$11,000
Profit / loss	+$3,644	+$13,144

Filling the room

Plan is 500 through the door. Strong is the same headcount with more sponsors sold. Group sales: 50 tickets at $10 per org, early-bird window only, counts toward the 150 cap.

Group sales

Offer from the Sep 3 call. One block per org. $10 each, 50 tickets. Sep 21 to Oct 4. After Oct 4 they buy $20 regular tickets like everyone else.

Org	Type	Offer	Owner
Greater Kansas City Chamber	Chamber	50 at $10	CK + JG
Overland Park Chamber	Chamber	50 at $10	CK + JG
Kansas City Black Chamber	Chamber	50 at $10	CK + JG
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City	Chamber	50 at $10	CK + JG
KC Tech Council	Community	50 at $10	JG
KCSourceLink	Community	50 at $10	JG
Digital Sandbox KC	Community	50 at $10	JG
Keystone CoLAB	Community	50 at $10	CK + JG

When	Who	The move
Sep 7	July expo companies	Personal email. $150, closes Sep 30.
Sep 14	New vendor conversations	One-pager and a call. Uncurated $150 swipe.
Sep 14	Chambers and community orgs	50-ticket blocks at $10. List under Group sales.
Sep 21	Club list	$10 early bird, cap 150.
Sep 28	Club list, social, partners	Public. Still $10 early bird. Pitch-Off applications open.
Oct 5	Partner channels	Newsletters and calendars, copy already written.
Oct 4	Full list	Last day at $10.
Oct 5	Full list	$20 regular through Nov 10.
Oct 19	Exhibitors and sponsors	Amplification kit.
Oct 26	Full list	Pitch-Off finalists.
Nov 3 to 8	Paid and organic	$400 LinkedIn. Exhibitor spotlights. Last-chance Nov 8.

Who we are talking to

Channel	Notes
Club email list	$10 early bird first, then $20.
30 exhibitor tables	Five guest passes per table.
Eight pitch teams	Each team brings people.
Group sales	50 tickets at $10 per org, Sep 21 to Oct 4.
Partners, door	Newsletters and walk-ups after early bird.

Channel list

Already ours

Club email list
kansascity.ai
Club LinkedIn and Chris's feed
Eventbrite and Meetup
Board networks

Kansas City partners

KC Tech Council
KCSourceLink
Digital Sandbox KC
Enterprise Center in Johnson County
Plexpod Westport Commons
Greater KC and Overland Park chambers
Keystone CoLAB

Press and calendars

Startland News
Kansas City Business Journal
Silicon Prairie News
KCUR community calendar
Visit KC

Campuses

KU Edwards
UMKC / Bloch
Rockhurst
Johnson County Community College

Name and the Pitch-Off

KC AI Expo 2026. The Pitch-Off is the stage program.

KC AI EXPO 2026

Space Grotesk. Black, white, #2458FF.

The Pitch-Off

Eight teams, four judges, five minutes each.

Public name is Pitch-Off. Do not use Shark Tank on banners, applications, slides, or badges.

NotebookLM

Working notes from the Sep 3 call, generated in NotebookLM / Gemini Notebook. Not Expo brand. Public graphics stay Space Grotesk, black, white, #2458FF. Facts below are aligned to the Otter, not to the graphic where they disagree.

Notebook title card. Circuit-board look. We do not use this as an Eventbrite header.

Notebook roadmap. Useful as a map of the call. Corrections vs Otter and this page:

Notebook graphic	This page / Otter
Shark Tank	Pitch-Off. Do not print Shark Tank.
$100 exhibitor ticket	$150 founding on Eventbrite. Not curated.
Close at 6:00 PM	Close about 8:00. Working window 4:00 to 8:00.
Community $500, logo only	Bronze $500 includes a standard table. Up to 6.
Partner $1,500–$2,500 as one band	Premier $7,500. Platinum $5,000. Gold $2,500. Silver $1,500. Bronze $500.
Regular ticket	$20 after early bird. One ticket, one person. No BOGO.
Oct 8 Women in AI on this Expo timeline	Chris owns Oct 8. Not on this countdown.
William on Expo day-of	Connectors, when he is back. Day-of is Chris and Justin.

What we took from it: 500-person target, uncurated table swipe, exhibitor email every two days, chamber blocks of 50 at $10, 4-hour evening window.

Marketing kit

Paste-ready copy and Eventbrite headers. Space Grotesk, black, white, #2458FF. Sign-off before anything public goes live.

Headers

Eventbrite 2160 by 1080. Preferred for the Expo listing is the cityscape creative. A/B/C Signal lockups are archived options only.

Preferred · Cityscape

KC AI Expo 2026 cityscape Eventbrite header

Download cityscape PNG · JPG

A · Signal (archive)

Download A PNG

B · Split (archive)

Download B PNG

C · Paper (archive)

Download C PNG

Notebook brand

Made in NotebookLM / Gemini Notebook. Different look from the Expo lockup. Two of these still say Shark Tank or Oct 15–17. Do not use them as public copy. As of Sep 23, public copy also does not mention a Pitch-Off.

Bento

Doodle

City

Hall

Panels

Says Oct 15–17 and Shark Tank. Do not use as public copy.

Sharks

Says Shark Tank. Do not use as public copy.

Sep 23. Do not paste a Pitch-Off. Chris pulled it from this launch. A side room is still a maybe for Elios. The full Pitch-Off moves to a later downtown date. Application copy below is parked.
Eventbrite listing

Title, summary, and body. Venue line stays TBA until the contract is signed. Ticket types match the Budget (500 · $10 then $20 · no BOGO). Soft-launch is attendees first.

Chris packet Paste sheet Markdown

Title
KC AI Expo 2026 | Tuesday, November 10 | Kansas City AI Club

Summary
Kansas City's annual AI expo. 30 tables, tickets $10 early bird then $20.

Description
Kansas City AI Club presents KC AI Expo 2026 on Tuesday, November 10, 4:00 to 8:00 PM.

Thirty exhibitor tables. Five hundred tickets. The floor stays open from 4:00 to 8:00.

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM (exhibitor load-in 12:00 PM)
Cost: $10 early bird first two weeks, cap 150. Then $20 through November 10.
Tables: $150 founding through Sep 30, $200 Oct 1 to Oct 25
Location: Kansas City (venue named here once the contract is signed)

Agenda
4:00 PM  Doors. Expo floor open.
4:15 PM  Welcome.
4:00 to 8:00 PM  Tables.
8:00 PM  Doors close.

Who should come
Founders, operators, engineers, students, and anyone buying or shipping AI in Kansas City.

Tables
Founding $150 through September 30. Standard $200 through October 25. Sold on this page. No table sales at the door.

The Kansas City AI Club has met since 2023. Visit kansascity.ai.

Ticket types to create
Attendee / Early bird / $10 / Sep 21 to Oct 4 / cap 150
Attendee / Regular / $20 / Oct 5 to Nov 10
Exhibitor / Founding table / $150 / through Sep 30
Exhibitor / Standard table / $200 / Oct 1 to Oct 25

Emails

Subject line, then body. Send order matches the countdown.

Sep 7 · July expo companies · table ask

Subject: KC AI Expo 2026, November 10. Founding table $150 through Sep 30.

Hi [Name],

KC AI Expo is Tuesday, November 10, 4:00 to 8:00 PM. Thirty tables.

You were on the floor in July. Founding tables are $150 through September 30, then $200.

Reply yes and we will send the Eventbrite table ticket. Five guest passes, two posts, and one email to your list will be on the one-pager.

Chris Kovac and Justin Gardner
Kansas City AI Club

Sep 14 · new vendors · table ask

Subject: A table at KC AI Expo, November 10.

Hi [Name],

KC AI Expo is the Kansas City AI Club's annual floor: 30 tables, target 500 tickets, Tuesday, November 10, 4:00 to 8:00 PM.

A table is $150 through September 30, $200 after. Sold on Eventbrite. No walk-up tables.

If you want in, reply and we will send the link and the one-pager.

Justin Gardner, for Kansas City AI Club

Sep 21 · club list · $10 early bird

From: Kansas City AI Club · Subject: KC AI Expo, Nov 10. $10 early bird.

KC AI Expo
2026

10 Nov · $10 early bird

Tuesday, November 10. 4:00 to 8:00 PM. Thirty tables.

Tickets are $10 for the first two weeks, cap 150. Then $20 through November 10.

Tables are $150 through September 30 if you want to exhibit.

Link: [Eventbrite]

Subject: KC AI Expo, Nov 10. $10 early bird.

Tuesday, November 10. 4:00 to 8:00 PM. Thirty tables.

Tickets are $10 for the first two weeks, cap 150. Then $20 through November 10.

Tables are $150 through September 30 if you want to exhibit.

Get a ticket: [Eventbrite]

Kansas City AI Club

Sep 21 · club list · Mailchimp draft

Created Sep 22. Not sent. Import the HTML into Mailchimp, or paste the plain text. Replace PASTE_PUBLIC_URL after the Eventbrite listing is published. Sending is the separate "Post: send the club-list email" box under Sep 21.

HTML import Plain text

Subject: KC AI Expo, Nov 10. $10 early bird.
Preview: Tuesday, November 10. 4:00 to 8:00 PM. Thirty tables.
From name: Kansas City AI Club

KC AI Expo 2026
10 Nov · $10 early bird

Tuesday, November 10. 4:00 to 8:00 PM. Thirty tables.

Tickets are $10 for the first two weeks, cap 150. Then $20 through November 10.

A ticket is required for entry. Taxes and fees are included in the sticker price.

Get a ticket:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/PASTE_PUBLIC_URL

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: Kansas City (venue announced when the contract is signed)

Founders, operators, engineers, students, and anyone buying or shipping AI in Kansas City.

Tables are $150 through September 30 if you want to exhibit.

Kansas City AI Club
https://kansascity.ai

Sep 28 · public announcement

Subject: KC AI Expo 2026 is on the calendar. November 10.

KC AI Expo is Tuesday, November 10, 4:00 to 8:00 PM, Kansas City.

30 exhibitor tables.
Target 500 tickets.
Floor is open 4:00 to 8:00.

Tickets: $10 early bird first two weeks, cap 150. Then $20 regular through Nov 10.
Tables: $150 through Sep 30, $200 through Oct 25.

Tickets and tables: [Eventbrite]

Kansas City AI Club · kansascity.ai

Oct 4 · last day at $10

Subject: Last day at $10. KC AI Expo.

Early bird for KC AI Expo ends October 4. $10 now, cap 150. Then $20.

Tuesday, November 10, 4:00 to 8:00 PM.

[Eventbrite]

Oct 5 · $20 regular

Subject: Expo tickets are $20.

Early bird is over. KC AI Expo tickets are $20 through November 10.

Tuesday, November 10, 4:00 to 8:00 PM.

[Eventbrite]

Oct 19 · exhibitor amplification (they paste this)

Post 1 (LinkedIn)
We have a table at KC AI Expo on Tuesday, November 10. Come find us on the floor, 4:00 to 8:00 PM. Tickets: [Eventbrite]

Post 2 (LinkedIn)
We will be at table [number]. KC AI Expo, November 10, 4:00 to 8:00 PM. [Eventbrite]

Email to their list
We will be at KC AI Expo on Tuesday, November 10, 4:00 to 8:00 PM, table [number]. If you are in Kansas City, come by. Tickets: [Eventbrite]

Oct 26 · Pitch-Off finalists

Subject: Pitch-Off finalists for KC AI Expo.

Eight teams will pitch at 6:30 PM on November 10, five minutes each, four judges.

[Team names]

Expo floor is open 4:00 to 8:00. Tickets $20.

[Eventbrite]

Nov 8 · last chance

Subject: KC AI Expo is Tuesday. Tickets still open.

Tuesday, November 10, 4:00 to 8:00 PM. 30 tables.

Online tickets $20 through Tuesday.

[Eventbrite]

Nov 11 · recap

Subject: KC AI Expo 2026, in the room.

Thank you for Tuesday. Photos: [album]
Pitch-Off winner: [name]
2027 date: [date]

If you met someone on the floor, write them today.

Kansas City AI Club

Announcement
KC AI Expo is Tuesday, November 10, 4:00 to 8:00 PM. 30 tables. Target 500 tickets. $10 early bird, then $20. [link]

Tables
Exhibitor tables for KC AI Expo are $150 through Sep 30, $200 after. Thirty tables. Eventbrite only. [link]

Pitch-Off open
Eight teams. Four judges. Five minutes. Apply for the KC AI Expo Pitch-Off, November 10. [form]

Early bird 48 hours
$10 Expo tickets through Saturday, cap 150. Then $20. November 10. [link]

Day-of
Doors at 4:00. See you on the floor.

Recap
[Photo] KC AI Expo 2026. Next year: [date].

Group sales · chambers and community orgs

Send Sep 14. $10 each, 50 tickets, through Oct 4. Counts toward the 150 early-bird cap.

Subject: 50 Expo tickets at $10 for your members. Through Oct 4.

KC AI Expo is Tuesday, November 10, 4:00 to 8:00 PM.

We can hold a block of 50 tickets at $10 for your members through October 4. After that, tickets are $20.

Thirty tables.

Reply with a yes and a contact. We will send the Eventbrite code.

Kansas City AI Club

Partner paste (newsletters and calendars)

KC AI Expo 2026
Tuesday, November 10, 4:00 to 8:00 PM
Kansas City (venue TBA)
Kansas City AI Club's annual expo: 30 exhibitor tables, target 500 tickets.
Tickets $10 early bird, then $20.
Tables $150 founding / $200 standard.
Details and tickets: [Eventbrite]
kansascity.ai

Pitch-Off application, short

KC AI Expo Pitch-Off. Tuesday, November 10, 6:30 PM.

Eight teams. Five minutes. Four judges. A prize, not an investment.

Apply by [date]. Finalists named October 18, announced October 26.

You will need: team name, one-sentence product, who is pitching, a deck in 16:9.

This is not Shark Tank. The public name is Pitch-Off.

Human-First AI

KC AI Expo

Sep 22 · Human-First AI

Eventbrite header

Three art versions

A · Signal

B · Split

C · Paper

Notebook versions

Doodle

Paper cut

Grid

Social 4:5

Blue

White

Blue · speaker

White · speaker

Where we stand

Sponsorships

Fill the ladder

Who does the work

Chris Kovac

Justin Gardner

A table

July 21 floor

Already in motion

The countdown

Lock the foundations

July expo companies, then Sept 11

Venue and a live page

Club list first, Pitch-Off open

Go public

Partners and $10 early bird

Price up, floor drawn

Exhibitors help fill the room

Crew and the clock

Rehearse

Doors at 4

Follow through

Run of show

Budget

Costs

Tickets

Exhibitor tables, 30

Sponsors

Profit and loss

Filling the room

Group sales

Who we are talking to

Channel list

Already ours

Kansas City partners

Press and calendars

Campuses

Name and the Pitch-Off

NotebookLM

Marketing kit

Headers

Preferred · Cityscape

A · Signal (archive)

B · Split (archive)

C · Paper (archive)

Notebook brand

Bento

Doodle

City

Hall

Panels

Sharks

Sep 23. Do not paste a Pitch-Off. Chris pulled it from this launch. A side room is still a maybe for Elios. The full Pitch-Off moves to a later downtown date. Application copy below is parked. Eventbrite listing

Emails

Sep 7 · July expo companies · table ask

Sep 14 · new vendors · table ask

Sep 21 · club list · $10 early bird

KC AI Expo2026

Sep 21 · club list · Mailchimp draft

Sep 28 · public announcement

Oct 4 · last day at $10

Oct 5 · $20 regular

Oct 19 · exhibitor amplification (they paste this)

Sep 23. Do not paste a Pitch-Off. Chris pulled it from this launch. A side room is still a maybe for Elios. The full Pitch-Off moves to a later downtown date. Application copy below is parked.
Eventbrite listing

KC AI Expo
2026