AI Basecamp — Meet Irish SMEs putting AI to work. Tuesday 13 October 2026, HubSpot HQ Dublin. Now complete: highlights, photos and what attendees said.
Thank you to everyone who joined us · the day before Ireland’s National AI Summit
Thank you to everyone who joined us at HubSpot HQ, Dublin. Owners and leaders stood up and shared what they have really deployed: what worked, what didn’t and what it was worth. No lectures. No selling. Just proof.
Hosted by HubSpot for Startups at HubSpot’s International & EMEA HQ, with an opening address from Ambassador Louis Telemachou, the AI Pioneers sharing across sales, operations, HR, finance, product and compliance, and open breakouts to finish.
See the photos →
Feedback from business owners and leaders who were in the room.
“I'm skeptical of these things because of their tendency to become a series of sales pitches, but it was the absolute opposite thanks to great curation and fantastic guests. Took so many little nuggets away and my brain has been abuzz since, already excited for the next one!”
“The biggest thing I took home is that it's okay to be afraid and behind with AI. Most of us are. What matters is being willing to embrace it, one step at a time.”
“What I enjoyed was hearing the experiences of SMEs that are already moving beyond individual AI use and starting to rethink how work actually gets done. There was a lot to take away from the day.”
“After the AI Basecamp event on Tuesday, that's where I started, getting everything set up with the help of Claude. Less time on the things that I find energy-draining and more on the value adding parts of my business, helping my clients.”
“Rather than theoretical hype, the event told a clear story about where enterprise AI is heading.”
“It was the perfect event: a proper learning experience, thoughtfully designed from beginning to end, with a genuinely distinctive feel.”
“It was inspiring to hear how businesses are already putting AI to work, improving efficiency and streamlining their day-to-day operations. The conversations with other business owners after the event were just as valuable as the speakers themselves.”
“A great session at HubSpot ... meeting an impressive group of business owners and innovators, chatting about how they are using AI technology to drive their business.”
“Really enjoyed an excellent AI Basecamp with AI Action, incredible day of peer to peer learning.”
“One of the strongest messages from AI Basecamp was that successful AI adoption is becoming less about the technology itself and more about organisational knowledge, processes and execution.”
“Hugely insightful. Great to learn of examples of AI take-up in the SME sector.”
“This event helped address that major skills gap by showcasing real use cases from innovative AI pioneers deploying solutions to scale efficiency and value.”
Live projects shared by the owners who built them, then hands-on breakouts. 3:00–7:00pm, with the after-party from 7pm.
Barry Fitzpatrick and Conor Moynagh open the afternoon.
A welcome to AI Basecamp from the Ambassador of Cyprus to Ireland.
How real businesses take AI from everyday habit to genuine competitive edge — what changes between using AI and being better because of it. Hosted by Conor Moynagh, HubSpot for Startups.
SME owners and leaders share the AI they’ve deployed in their own companies — what worked, what didn’t, and what it was worth. Across sales, operations, supply chain, HR, finance, product and customer delivery. Each shares for 15 minutes.
I’ll also briefly show how IKEA applied the same principle at scale: its AI chatbot handled routine enquiries while 8,500 customer-support colleagues developed capabilities in remote interior design, digital sales, relationship-building and complex problem-solving.
Refuel with snacks, kindly provided by Kat from oac snacks.
Moderated by the AI Pioneers. This is where you get to ask the questions — work on your own situation with the Pioneers in the room. No lectures.
For owners who haven’t really used AI yet. How to build your first use case.
Already using AI yourself? Get your team using it, run a process without you, and scale across the business.
Whatever stage you’re at, you leave with something to act on. The formal day wraps at 7:00pm.
🎁 Free on the day. Our Pioneers gave every attendee something to keep — including a limited number of signed books. Most events send you home with a lanyard — Basecamp attendees left with something they could use on Monday morning.
Built by an owner, for owners — ten people, eight months, a back office that now runs itself. Six pages each, one template, one thing to do Monday: ✅ Start Secure · ✅ Your First Win · ✅ Build the Business Brain. From Stephen Browne, IO Resource.
Put in your headcount — even from your phone — and get a directional estimate of what the AI skills gap is costing a business your size. Five questions, 60 seconds. From Vanessa Wainwright FLPI, Abodoo.
Complimentary one-time access to the InfoFluence™ AI Human Capabilities Assessment and a personalised report (€50+ value), plus 45 days of digital coaching. From Dr. Elena Alikhachkina.
A limited number of signed copies of AI Oversight: A New Mandate for Corporate Directors and Executives, by Dr. Elena Alikhachkina. First come, first served.
Carry the conversation on — upstairs at The Ferryman, Grand Canal Dock. House DJ, finger food and a private room overlooking the River Liffey. 35 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2.
Business owners and leaders who've deployed AI in their own companies — on stage to share what actually worked, and in the breakouts to help you.
Learn from businesses making the climb.
An afternoon for SMEs who know AI matters but aren't sure where to start — or how to go further. Just business owners who've already put AI to work, showing you what worked, what didn't, and what it was worth. You'll leave with a clear next step for your business and the confidence to take it.
86.2% of Irish SMEs have not yet adopted AI, and just 2% use it extensively across their business (ESRI / Enterprise Ireland, 2026). Not because they don't see the opportunity — but because many are unsure where to begin. AI Action and its AI Pioneers have come together with one mission: to help Irish SMEs survive and thrive in a rapidly transforming, AI-powered world. Because when our SMEs thrive, we all do.
Start here. Basecamp is about preparing SMEs for the climb ahead.
Wherever the work happens, there’s a place AI pays back. Basecamp shows it in action across every function:
No jargon, no assumptions, no prior experience needed — just a practical start and your first real win.
Scaling, governance, and turning AI from a few use cases into real, measurable results across the business.
You'll be in the room with fellow SME owners and operators, experienced AI Pioneers sharing what they've learned, and leaders from larger organisations and government working on the same challenge. Everyone here is figuring this out together.
You'll see how Irish businesses are using AI today — the honest version, from the people who built it.
Basecamp is where you find your footing — and learn from the people a few steps ahead.
The AI Pioneers' own custom-built guides and tools, so you can start straight away. Free for anyone starting or embedding.
Sit down with the AI Action team to work out your single best next step.
Complimentary access to the InfoFluence AI Human Capabilities Assessment — a personalised report and a period of digital coaching. For businesses scaling AI.
HubSpot for Startups works with founders and revenue teams, supporting them to build repeatable, scalable growth — which is exactly what Basecamp is about. We're thrilled to support AI Action Basecamp. hubspot.com/startups
HubSpot House
1 Sir John Rogerson's Quay
Dublin 2, D02 CR67
In the heart of Dublin's Silicon Docks. Kindly hosted by HubSpot for Startups.
Open in Maps →We’re taking the momentum and energy of Basecamp to the Midlands, in partnership with Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Longford County Councils and Local Enterprise Offices.
Register your interest →Venue and registration details coming very soon.
If something you saw at Basecamp made you think “I could do that in my business”, tell us where you are and what you want to tackle. We’ll point you to the right Pioneer, partner or starting point.
Start here →
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