DRD 57: How I Used AI To Run A Conference?

Organising a conference teaches one uncomfortable truth very quickly:

No matter how experienced the team is, the cognitive load can become overwhelming if everything is carried in people’s heads.

Meetings blur into each other.

Messages need different tones for different audiences.

Emails get delayed because “we’ll draft it properly later.”

And there is a constant fear of missing something important.

While organising a full-scale academic conference, we decided to do one thing differently.

We used AI—not as a shortcut, not as a replacement for people—but as a thinking and coordination assistant.

This is not a story about hype.

It’s a practical account of how AI helped us actually run a conference.

First, an important clarification

AI did not:

• Replace the organising committee

• Replace site visits or vendor negotiations

• Replace judgement, relationships, or accountability

We still did:

• Venue visits

• Phone calls

• Budget discussions

• Real-time problem-solving

What AI helped with was something most organisers quietly struggle with:

👉 cognitive overload and invisible work

Click here to read more about using AI for Personal productivity.

1. Turning messy discussions into clarity

Most organising meetings—especially informal calls—don’t end with clarity.

They end with “we’ll sort it out.”

AI helped us consistently convert discussions into:

• Clear meeting minutes

• Actionable to-do lists

• Committee-wise task allocation

This prevented duplication, confusion, and the classic “I thought someone else was handling it.”

2. Communication without burnout

Conference organisation is communication-heavy.

We had to draft:

• Formal emails to hotels, sponsors, and vendors

• Clear instructions for delegates and speakers

• Flyers and announcements for different stages of the event

• WhatsApp messages—reminders, updates, and clarifications

AI helped us generate:

• Flyers for the programme

• Emails with the right tone for different stakeholders

• Short, clear WhatsApp messages

• Follow-ups and acknowledgements

Same information.

Different audiences.

Clear communication—without emotional fatigue.

3. Contextual memory that reduced mental load

One of the most underrated advantages was context retention.

We didn’t have to repeatedly explain:

• Conference background

• Decisions already taken

• Constraints and sensitivities

• Roles and responsibilities

AI remembered the context, not just the text.

This continuity reduced:

• Rework

• Second-guessing

• Decision fatigue

For a team balancing clinical work, academics, and administration, this made a real difference.

4. A thinking partner, not just a typing tool

Beyond drafting content, AI helped us:

• Brainstorm programme ideas

• Structure session flow

• Prepare speeches

• Draft formal reports

• Design feedback forms

• Reflect on what worked and what could improve

Often, we weren’t looking for answers—we were looking for clarity.

AI acted like a calm, always-available colleague that helped us think through decisions.

5. What AI actually reduced

AI did not reduce responsibility.

It reduced:

• Mental clutter

• Repetitive drafting

• Follow-up overload

• The constant feeling of “something is slipping”

That gave us space to focus on:

• People

• Relationships

• Quality decisions

• Being present during the event

Ironically, using AI made the process feel more human, not less.

Click here to read more about prompt engineering.

6. What else AI can be used for in similar situations

Beyond conferences, AI can support teams in:

• Project planning and tracking

• Academic writing and reviews

• Policy drafting and SOP creation

• Training material development

• Leadership communication

• Event feedback analysis

• Institutional documentation

Used correctly, AI becomes a second brain, not a shortcut.

A Step-by-Step Workflow: How We Used AI to Run a Conference

This is the exact mental workflow, not a technical one.

Step 1: Set the Context Once

What we did

• Clearly explained:

  • The conference name, dates, venue

  • Our role in the organising committee

  • Committees involved

  • Constraints (budget, timelines, sensitivities)

Why it mattered

• AI retained context across weeks of planning

• We didn’t have to re-explain basics repeatedly

👉 Think of this as onboarding your AI like a team member.

Step 2: Convert Every Meeting into Clarity

Input

• Raw notes from WhatsApp calls or discussions

AI output

• Clean meeting minutes

• Action points

• Responsibility allocation

• Deadlines

Result

• Fewer follow-ups

• Clear ownership

• Less confusion

Step 3: Maintain a Living To-Do List

What we used AI for

• Create master checklists

• Break tasks committee-wise

• Track what’s pending vs done

Why this helped

• Prevented last-minute scrambling

• Reduced mental load

Step 4: Draft All Communication in One Place

AI helped generate

• Emails (delegates, faculty, sponsors, hotel)

• WhatsApp messages (instructions, reminders, updates)

• Formal letters and acknowledgements

Key advantage

• Same content → different tone → different audience

• Professional, consistent communication

Step 5: Create Flyers and Announcements

What we did

• Gave AI:

  • Programme details

  • Target audience

  • Tone (formal / friendly / emotional)

What we got

• Flyer text

• Call-to-action messages

• Short social posts

This saved time and avoided repetitive drafting.

Step 6: Programme & Content Structuring

AI support

• Session sequencing

• Time flow optimisation

• Speaker order refinement

Outcome

• Balanced academic intensity

• Smooth transitions

Step 7: Prepare Speeches & Scripts

Used for

• Opening remarks

• Instructions for delegates

• Closing messages

Benefit

• Clear, warm communication

• Reduced anxiety before speaking

Step 8: Reports & Documentation

Post-event

• Event report

• Financial summary emails

• Sponsor acknowledgements

• Feedback requests

AI advantage

• Professional tone

• Faster turnaround

• Reduced fatigue

Step 9: Reflection & Learning

After the event

• Reviewed what worked

• Identified gaps

• Documented lessons

AI helped structure reflection into learning—not just memory.

What Made This Workflow Work

Three rules we followed:

1. AI assisted thinking, not decisions

2. Humans owned accountability

3. AI reduced friction, not responsibility

The real takeaway

AI doesn’t run conferences.

People do.

But AI can:

• Hold structure when things get chaotic

• Maintain continuity across months of planning

• Reduce invisible cognitive labour

And cognitive labour is the most expensive, least acknowledged part of leadership today.

If you are a clinician, academic, or administrator

Don’t think of AI as:

❌ A replacement

❌ A content factory

❌ A shortcut

Think of it as:

✅ A thinking assistant

✅ A cognitive buffer

✅ A silent co-organiser

Used wisely, AI doesn’t make teams less involved.

It helps them stay clear, calm, and present.

And that is what good leadership looks like.