The Markus AI Team is always pleased to go support our customers and be on-site to help. Here's where live events have taken us this fall.

The Markus AI team packed up and headed to the show floor. First Chicago, then Chennai, then Houston. Three very different industries, three very different crowds, and one thing in common: we were there in person to help.

We offer incredible remote support but sometimes our customers ask us to come join and work the front desk or App Help Desk or the hosted buyer lounge - and we never say no.

Here's why, and what we saw along the way.

Why we go on-site

Software can do a lot. But when an attendee is standing in a hallway with five minutes before their next session and a question about their agenda, they want an answer now. When an exhibitor needs help finding the right meeting, they want a person nearby who knows the product inside out.

That's our job on-site. We set up the help desk, walk the floor, and make sure every attendee, exhibitor, and organizer gets value from Markus AI from the minute they arrive.

It also makes us better. We see how people actually use the product: on their phone, between meetings, coffee in hand. We spot small friction before it becomes big friction. And everything we learn goes straight back to our product team.

Plus, honestly, it's just fun. Every show has its own energy, its own community, its own inside jokes. Getting to be part of that is one of the best parts of this job.

Stop 1: Chicago, DTECH Reliability & Resiliency

August 25 to 27, 2026 | Marriott Marquis Chicago

Our first stop was DTECH Reliability & Resiliency, part of the DTECH family of events for the power and utilities industry.

The topic couldn't be more timely. Keeping the lights on used to be the whole definition of grid reliability. Today, utilities are also planning for wildfires, hurricanes, cyber threats, and the integration of distributed energy resources, all at the same time.

DTECH Reliability & Resiliency brings utility executives, engineers, regulators, policymakers, and technology innovators together to work through those challenges. The program is built around utility-led case studies, closed-door roundtables, and hands-on workshops, covering everything from storm restoration to cyber defense.

This is a serious, focused crowd. They come to learn from peers and leave with a plan. Our role was to help ensure the pre event experience, the Gameplan, and the appointment and meetings flowed smoothly and the conversations that mattered most - all happened. So they could spend less time searching and more time with the right people.

Stop 2: Chennai, ASME IMECE India 2026

September 3 to 5, 2026 | Chennai Trade Centre

Next, we flew halfway around the world to Chennai for IMECE India 2026.

A little background on the host. ASME, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, was founded in 1880, partly in response to dangerous steam boiler failures of that era. Nearly 150 years later, it's one of the most respected engineering organizations in the world. ASME's codes and standards, including the well-known Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, are used in more than 100 countries. The association also runs training, publishing, research programs, and some of the most important technical conferences in engineering.

IMECE, the International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, is ASME's flagship congress. It's where research leaders from academia, government, and industry meet across disciplines. The India edition launched in 2025, and this year's theme was Engineering a Sustainable Future, focused on four sectors: energy, mobility, manufacturing, and digitalization.

Our team ran the Markus AI help desk right by registration, and every attendee got a personalized game plan for the congress:

• Before the event: a curated agenda built around their goals

• During the event: always knowing what's next, with meetings, exhibitors, and notes captured for them

• After the event: a Wrapped recap of who they met and what comes next

With so many tracks running at once, from additive manufacturing to robotics to AI/ML, that kind of guidance makes a real difference. We loved watching engineers stop by the desk with a question and walk away with a clear plan for the day.

Stop 3: Houston, h+h americas Fall Edition

October 1 to 2, 2026 | Houston, Texas

Our final stop was a brand-new show: the very first h+h americas Fall Edition.

The organizer, Koelnmesse, is one of the world's leading trade fair companies. Founded in 1924 and based in Cologne, Germany, it celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024 and runs around 80 trade fairs and events every year, in Cologne and in key markets around the world. Its North American team, Koelnmesse North America, is based in Chicago.

In the craft world, h+h is a big name. h+h cologne is the leading international trade fair for textile handicrafts, and h+h americas brings that same energy to North America every spring, bringing together the knitting, quilting, crochet, sewing, and wider creative industries.

The new Fall Edition in Houston adds a second moment in the year, under a motto we love: spring inspires, fall delivers. It's a B2B marketplace where retailers and brands connect, place orders, and plan their seasons.

Being on-site for a first-year show is special. Everyone is building something new together, and you can feel it. Our team stayed late, got up early, and enjoyed every minute.

Houston was also a great example of tech partners working as one team:

• Registration: Swoogo

• Floorplan: ExpoFP

• Attendee personalization, coach and concierge, and clear action items: Markus AI

When integrations work smoothly, attendees don't think about the tech at all. They just find the right booths, have better conversations, and leave with a clear list of next steps.

What we took home

Three events, three very different worlds: grid engineers, mechanical engineers, and the creative craft community. But the people on the floor all wanted the same thing. Less time figuring out where to go. More time in the conversations that matter. A clear plan for what happens next.

That's what we're here for, and showing up in person is how we make sure it happens.

It's also a little wild to look back at the TSNN article that first introduced Markus AI in December 2025. Less than 10 months later, our team is on show floors across the US and India, helping attendees, exhibitors, and organizers have a more personalized experience.

Thank you to the DTECH, ASME, and Koelnmesse teams for having us. We're already looking forward to what you can achieve in 2027!

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Planning your next event or expo? Explore our products or visit dearmarkus.ai to see how it works.