{"id":23257,"date":"2023-11-14T09:51:33","date_gmt":"2023-11-14T16:51:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/?p=23257"},"modified":"2023-11-15T10:08:12","modified_gmt":"2023-11-15T17:08:12","slug":"anatomy-of-llama-lounge-the-ai-startup-event-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/2023\/11\/14\/anatomy-of-llama-lounge-the-ai-startup-event-series\/","title":{"rendered":"Anatomy of Llama Lounge &#8211; The AI Startup Event Series"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>I started an AI event series and it went bananas.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Welcome to the Llama Lounge AI Startup Event! @HanaHaus\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XdF0-UUIbuI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Above <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XdF0-UUIbuI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Drone Video of Llama Lounge Nov 2 Palo Alto at HanaHaus<\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/spacemonkeyfilms.us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Space Monkey Films<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I started an AI event series in 2023, hosted 7 events, and it\u2019s grown to over 1,300 people seeking to attend at the latest event. It\u2019s clear that the bay area is passionate about the AI industry. We\u2019re seeking SF hosts for the 2024 season. A line went down University Avenue to get into Llama Lounge hosted at the iconic HanaHaus Palo Alto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_27-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"23265\" src=\"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_27-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23265\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_27-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_27-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_27-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_27-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_27-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_27-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">A line went down University Avenue to get into Llama Lounge hosted at the iconic HanaHaus Palo Alto. Photo by Alex Yem<br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><strong>The Anatomy of Llama Lounge Nov 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Pre-event, sold out.<\/strong> At 4:30pm, the AI festivities began with a pre-event hosted by our friends at <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/500.co\/\">500 Global<\/a>, focusing on investor and founder networking \u2013 there was <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jowyang\/status\/1720232069316624834\">a line out the door<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Main-Event: Line down the street: <\/strong>At 6:30pm, the Llama Lounge opened its doors, with a line down the street that apparently wrapped around the corner to Cowper Street.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Attendees were eager to meet the 11 AI startups featured on the demo floor. Not one to shy away from the limelight I kicked things off by blowing a conch shell (<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jowyang\/status\/1720527726476730710\">video<\/a>), which could even be heard outside. I then started the opening remarks, expressing gratitude to the startups, volunteers, and our host:<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Collin Sommerhauser, who welcomed everyone to HanaHaus, which he manages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chris Yeh from Blitzscaling Ventures delivered a ten-minute TED-style speech on &#8220;Blitzscaling AI Startups.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Food and drinks were provided by the hospitable HanaHaus, which offers coworking and meeting spaces. I frequently use these spaces for meetings in Palo Alto \u2013 and you should too.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Here\u2019s the original <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/lu.ma\/llamaloungenov23\">registration page<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>After-Party: <\/strong>At 9:30pm those who were still down to socialize gathered at the Rose &amp; Crown, the famous silicon valley watering hole featured in the show Silicon Valley and popular hangout for top tech founders and VCs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Final Numbers:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1,332 registered to attend<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1,300 in the Llama Lounge <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/join.slack.com\/t\/llama-lounge\/shared_invite\/zt-26zz2vx0l-hBJOIsQVoVqlA6i4b9KY~A\">Slack<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>760 approved to attend<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>300+ AI founders and builders<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>50ish social media posts (see below)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>80 investors showed, estimated<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>11 AI startups on the demo floor<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>3 speakers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2 large rooms at Hanahaus and Patio<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 large conch shell blown, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jowyang\/status\/1720527726476730710\">loudly<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_2-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>11 AI Startups were featured on the Demo Floor, Along with a keynote from Chris Yeh of Blitzscaling Ventures<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Origin Story of Llama Lounge the AI Startup Event Series<\/strong><br>I attended the &#8220;Woodstock of AI&#8221; event hosted by Hugging Face in SF on Mar 31st, where 5k people showed up, and someone even brought living llamas. My <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jowyang\/status\/1642162318120476680\">tweet<\/a> went viral about the event, catching even Elon Musk&#8217;s attention.<br><br>It was at that event, while staring eye-to-eye with a non-spitting llama that I realized it was the perfect icon the market needed, far more modern than the outdated unicorns.<br><br>Wanting a catchy name with alluring alliteration, I coined &#8220;Llama Lounge&#8221; (no relation to Meta). Just three days later, I announced the Llama Lounge, and within three weeks post-Woodstock of AI, we hosted our first event with 400 registrants.<br><br>Since then, we&#8217;ve hosted six more events, each seeing an increase in demand, over a thousand people seeking to attend the recent event. Since inception, over 70+ startups have had the chance to demo on the floor, meeting customers, partners, and investors. Today, the Llama Lounge boasts dozens of amazing volunteers, a 1,300-person Slack channel, inbound requests to host, amazing sponsors (big tech, AI startups, law firms, marketing agencies, VCs and more), and over 250 startups seeking to demo.<br><br>Honestly, I can\u2019t take too much credit, I followed Tara Hunt&#8217;s advice from over a decade ago she told me to, &#8220;get in front of a parade,&#8221; which is exactly what I did. Vibe at the Llama Lounge Nov 2 event in Palo Alto: networking and mixing. conversations continue in the slack<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>WHAT THE AI INDUSTRY SAID ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT LLAMA LOUNGE ON NOV 2:<\/strong><br><br><strong>Founders, investors, executives, influencers and more, click each link to see photos, videos and more:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/amy-kelly-aa61a820_llamalounge-activity-7126078307032305664-WBW2?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Amy Kelly, CEO of Miri (featured on demo floor)<\/a>:<br>\u201cthanks for having us demo at #llamalounge! Incredible AI community quite literally building the future. Feeling very inspired\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ronaldmannak\/status\/1720270272190914749\">Ronald Mannak, Founder of PicoGPT<\/a>:<br>\u201cI haven\u2019t seen a line this long in a long time. So many people here in Palo Alto for Llama Lounge\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/emmanuel_2m\/status\/1720296042732958177\">Emmanuel, CEO of Scenario AI (featured on demo floor)<\/a>:<br>\u201cAnother night pitching Scenario to hundreds of people at HanaHaus, Palo Alto. Gotta love ???? the energy that #AI brings back to Silicon Valley!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/pianpiancarolynxu_llamalounge-ugcPost-7126299463530225664-ZVA3?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Pianpian Xu, AI Founder and CEO at Amotions (featured on demo floor)<\/a><br>\u201c&#8230;Thanks everyone who came by our demo booth to see our AI coaching, upskilling, and knowledge management product!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/al-dram_ai-innovation-llamalounge-ugcPost-7126262130978263040-PcSx?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Al Dram. AI Founder and CEO. Blueprints (featured on demo floor):<\/a><br>\u201cDo you aspire to be surrounded by the elite visionaries who are actively sculpting a better future? Llama Lounge is where you need to be! I was incredibly fortunate to present Blueprints AI at this prestigious venue, HanaHaus, among the brightest minds in technology\u2026.Presenting at the Llama Lounge has been a highlight of my journey with Blueprints AI,\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/madananshul\/status\/1720288348013789487\">Video: Anshul Madan, Entrepreneur, AI Product Management, Angel Investor<\/a>: \u201cBlitzscaling first time at Llama Lounge organized by @jowyang, w\/ presentation by @chrisyeh #llamalounge<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DrStarson\/status\/1720252602028609621\">DrStarson, AI Founder<\/a>: \u201cGetting started at the #llamalounge together with an epic group of founders and investors:<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/sawyer-middeleer_we-had-so-much-fun-introducing-aomni-to-dozens-ugcPost-7126310536295649280-KCkj?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Sawyer Middeleer, Chief of Staff, AI startup Aomni (featured on demo floor):<\/a> \u201cWe had so much fun introducing Aomni to dozens of new friends who came by our table at Llama Lounge yesterday. It was an electric atmosphere in Palo Alto surrounded by the brightest minds and builders in AI. As I write this post from my flight back to NYC, I\u2019m energized and inspired by the enthusiasm of the AI community.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/drstarson_llamalounge-ugcPost-7126035952040308736-ycSV?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Dmitriy Richard Starson, Founder and CEO at Passio AI (featured on demo floor)<\/a>: \u201cSharing Passio AI story at the #LlamaLounge in Palo Alto HanaHaus In a great company with several amazing startups and founders\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/rashidrifai_its-always-exciting-to-be-part-of-such-meaningful-ugcPost-7126073181735378944-tHbu?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Rashid Rifai, CEO &#8211; Co Founder @ Knowtify AI<\/a>: \u201cThe synergy created from these events is truly transformative, creating a vibrant hotspot for AI in the Bay Area. I&#8217;m eagerly looking forward to more such brilliant opportunities to come together and form stronger bonds in the AI community. The capital of AI is here! \u201c<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/karolyn-zeng-90012_once-again-llama-lounges-temperature-was-ugcPost-7126221528265834496-fu4M?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Karolyn Zeng, Founder, GenAI startup 5th Universe<\/a>\u201cOnce again, Llama Lounge\u2019s temperature was boosted a few notches up \u2014 thanks to the enthusiastic participants who lined up on the streets of downtown Palo Alto waiting for the Grand Debut to start!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/jayabandyopadhyay_llamalounge-aicommunity-activity-7126307284334317568-x32O?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Jaya Bandyopadhyay, Founder &amp; CEO at RevSpacer<\/a>: \u201cSuper like to experience the high energy at Jeremiah Owyang\u2019s latest Llama Lounge AI meetup at Hanahaus in Palo Alto last night. We need more of these here. And yes, with conch shell blowing! Bumped into my founder buddies from SF and met a few new ones.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/chriskenton_i-went-to-jeremiah-owyang-s-latest-llama-ugcPost-7126264650408595456-PU4F?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Chris Kenton, Founder, Social Rep<\/a><br>\u201cHanahaus in Palo Alto last night, and was once again blown away by the caliber of people and startups. I met a few incredibly smart people currently working in AI in healthcare, finance, infrastructure and marketing. I\u2019ll definitely be calling on them for feedback on what we\u2019re working on with AI\u201c<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jeffr_yyy\/status\/1720574689255587914\">Jeffrey, Cofounder of confident-ai.com<\/a>:<br>\u201cwas incredible last night at LlamaLounge.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/tkanzaveli_ai-ugcPost-7126241037932535808--_wP?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Tatyana Kanzaveli, Founder and CEO of Open Health Network<\/a>;<br>\u201cthe valley is back!!\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/briansolis_siliconvalley-llamalounge-ugcPost-7126223802316836864-MMRX?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Brian Solis, Influencer, Speaker, Head of Global Innovation SuccessForce<\/a><br>\u201cMany of us attended Jeremiah Owyang #llamalounge AI event. Hundreds of investors, founders, and luminaries. The line went down the block.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7126451221753655296\/\">Julie Liao, VC, Yes VC<\/a><br>\u201cNever thought I\u2019d be lining up on University Ave to attend an AI event but the energy last night was Fire\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/billnbarry_llamalounge-ugcPost-7126036260313272323-71Pt?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Video: Bill Barry, CEO Ignite GTM&#8221;<\/a><br>\u201cWhere is the end of this line?!? Absolutely nutso energy here at #llamalounge!\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/charliehinojosa_ai-llamalounge-ugcPost-7126216175385989120-YjA0?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Charlie Hinojosa, Founder of Sightbox<\/a><br>\u201cLlamaLounge continues to be the catalyst event for bringing all these amazing people together. I haven\u2019t seen this kind of vibe here since 1999.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/chrisguest_being-at-last-nights-llama-lounge-ai-meetup-ugcPost-7126256857580544001-RKrQ?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Chris Guest: Founder<\/a>.<br>\u201cBeing at last night\u2019s Llama Lounge AI Meetup in Palo Alto felt like like being part of a great moment in tech history. Hundreds of attendees lined up around the block, interesting entrepreneurs and investors at every turn and a sharp presentation from Chris Yeh of Blitzscaling fame.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/gehm_you-know-its-2023-when-the-local-borders-activity-7126232025514070016-EZ-g?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">George Hurn-Maloney, Investor at EnvisionX Capital<\/a>:<br>\u201cYou know it\u2019s 2023 when the local Borders bookshop you grew up next to turns into an AI hype-house filled with excited entrepreneurs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/ugcPost-7126212208522371072-fnXG?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Murray Newlands, VC, event host<\/a>:<br>\u201cHad a great time at the lama lounge event last night.\u201c<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/kevin36524_llamalounge-aiinnovation-startupevent-activity-7126681429731680256-w4o0?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Kevin Patel: Senior Principal Software engineer<\/a>:<br>\u201clike the Rock concert of the AI industry. The pace at which AI is advancing is nothing short of breathtaking, and it&#8217;s gatherings like these that fuel my inspiration<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/scalewithtony_llamalounge-techtrends-healthai-ugcPost-7126295445491875842-FGCy?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Anthony Gonzales, Founder<\/a>:<br>\u201cLlama Lounge was LIT From health to gaming AI, the magic unfolded at the beautiful HanaHaus in Palo Alto. It&#8217;s all about the power of community and innovation\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/opeksoy\/status\/1720277526197735903\">Ozlem Peksoy Bishop<\/a>:<br>\u201cBlitzscaling live from HanaHous Palo Alto\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dshiao\/status\/1720273748442640573\">Dennis Shao:<\/a><br>\u201cKick-off of the Llama Lounge event for AI startups\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Greencognito\/status\/1720310762206629894\">Rich Schwerin<\/a>:<br>\u201cGreat to see @Content_Meetup founder @dshiao and long-time community member @beth_mccullough tonight at #LlamaLounge!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/I_Am_GKennedy\/status\/1720269995308163393\">Gregory Kennedy<\/a>:<br>\u201cHoly AI! What a turnout in Palo Alto.#llamalounge\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheTimHayden\/status\/1720250241713389789\">Tim Hayden Photo<\/a>:<br>\u201cIn line for #LlamaLounge\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/gregorykennedy_last-nights-llama-lounge-was-at-full-capacity-ugcPost-7126226688773926913-ViL8?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Gregory Kennedy, CMO, Part 2<\/a><br>\u201cLast night&#8217;s Llama Lounge was at full capacity! I attended every one of these this year and feel lucky to have watched, over nine short months, interest in AI startups go from: &#8220;It&#8217;s so over.&#8221; ? to &#8220;We are so back!&#8221; ?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/passio_ai\/status\/1720489075214577981\">Passio AI<\/a>:<br>\u201cWe are insanely grateful to be a part of the amazing #AI community! An epic event, amazing energy and great people!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PaddenGuyMurphy\/status\/1720503197767495981\">Padden Guy Murphy, Startup Growth Leader<\/a>:<br>\u201cLlama Lounge AI founder &amp; VC mixer last night amazing turnout and group of humans. I haven\u2019t seen energy like this since early days of sharing economy. You are amazing. \u201c<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/megbear_ai-ugcPost-7126274307894235137-4W5t?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Meg Bear, Board member, Executive.<\/a> \u201cLast night was a really special reminder of why in-person events are so important\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/billj_i-was-in-the-bay-area-this-week-for-customer-ugcPost-7126591498074148864-t07r?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Bill Johnston, CEO<\/a>, \u201cOne highlight was spending some time in Palo Alto on Thursday night for Llama Lounge at Hana House.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/benbtu_llamalounge-ai-networking-ugcPost-7126228707744108544--i7i?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Benjamin Tu, AI CEO<\/a><br>\u201cHad a great time yesterday attending Llama Lounge &amp; 500 Global&#8217;s event last nite at HanaHaus:<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/blakemenezes_kudos-tojeremiah-owyangfor-bringing-together-activity-7126370254552784896-VOaI?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Blake Menezez, Head of Marketing <\/a>\u201c\u2026bringing together a fantastic event with several hundred builders, investors, and operators in the AI space last night.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/delbourgdelphis_congratulations-to-jeremiah-owyang-and-chris-ugcPost-7126070417458376704-R0o8?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Marylene Delbourg-Delphis, Serial CEO. Board Member.<\/a><br>\u201cHuge crowd and many remarkable companies demoing their products \u2014 with one that is very dear to me, Scenario. Lots of good friends around\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/vijayarajendran_reflecting-on-a-fun-week-one-of-the-highlights-ugcPost-7127038046423715840-HVHv?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Vijay Rajendran, Investor:<\/a><br>\u201cReflecting on a fun week, one of the highlights was Llama Lounge AI meetup.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/tranc_some-events-just-leave-you-buzzing-thats-ugcPost-7126299246986727424-r3El?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Christine Tran, Product Marketer:<\/a><br>\u201cIt was a full house, with a wait list, and a line at the door. Felt like it was Friday night at the club but instead I&#8217;m twice as old and getting pitched by a dozen AI startup founders\u201d (JKO: haha love that Christine, thanks for coming out)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/michaelknych_llama-lounge-sponsored-by-sap-and-hosted-ugcPost-7126225778224037888-XA8t?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Michael Knych: Investor:<\/a><br>\u201cWhat a terrific mix of new ideas, interesting people and presenting startups.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GPTDAOGLOBAL\/status\/1720478817620541850\">GPTDAO:<\/a><br>\u201cThe line was 200+ in front of the venue. A huge successful gathering. cannot argue about how much ppl love to come to Palo Alto to discuss about #GenAI:<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/emersonleusch\/status\/1721429586125443346\">Emerson Leuschke<\/a>:<br>\u201cAI enthusiasts gathered at Llama Lounge in Palo Alto, eagerly waiting for the doors to open. The energy and excitement were palpable as hundreds of startups applied for a demo slot. Who would make the cut?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/saddleup_llamalounge-ai-ai-ugcPost-7129958236803239936-2693?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Tim Hayden:<\/a><br>\u201cThe trip was capped with a visit to #LlamaLounge\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ainewsandtrends\/status\/1720293715204542593\">AI News Trends Video:<\/a><br>\u201cInside the Llama Lounge AI event\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/scalewithtony\/status\/1720986621028581434\">Video: Anthony Gonzalez on Twitter:<\/a><br>\u201cLlama Lounge was LIT. 750+ registered. 11 AI start-ups on the demo floor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/hanahaus_llamaloungerecap-paloalto-ugcPost-7128127555471081472--sQR?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">HanaHaus Video:<\/a><br>\u201cLast week\u2019s Llama Lounge in Palo Alto was truly electrifying!\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hanahaus\/status\/1722360732333776902\">HanaHaus on Twitter X:<\/a><br>\u201cLast week\u2019s Llama Lounge in Palo Alto was truly electrifying! The line stretched down the block, and the buzz of AI innovation filled the air!\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/danielzimmerca_llamalounge-ai-ugcPost-7126057241199136768-EGJ3?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Daniel Zimmer: Sr. Director, SAP Labs US:<\/a><br>\u201cI\u2018m amazed and proud tonight after attending the #Llamalounge event at HanaHaus. Amazed how the#AI community has taken over the Silicon Valley by storm and created a post-pandemic renaissance for the entire region, ready to change the world\u2026 Tonight was the biggest event ever after 8 years of HanaHaus!\u2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/collin-sommerhauser_llamalounge-llamalounge-ai-ugcPost-7126331223915802624-FfTG?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop\">Collin Sommerhauser, our host, and Head of HanaHaus Palo Alto<\/a><br>\u201cBreaking records and rewriting history! The energy in the room last night was absolutely electric and I had the unique opportunity to give opening remarks on behalf of SAP and HanaHaus, a moment in my career that will forever be etched in my memory.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jowyang\/status\/1720254391280922898\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">My Twitter Video of the Llama Lounge Line<\/a> (40k views)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_70-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_70-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_70-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_70-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_70-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_70-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/AlexYem_HanaHaus_LlamaLounge_70-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Vibe at the Llama Lounge Nov 2 event in Palo Alto: networking and mixing. conversations continue in the <a href=\"https:\/\/join.slack.com\/t\/llama-lounge\/shared_invite\/zt-26zz2vx0l-hBJOIsQVoVqlA6i4b9KY~A\">slack<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Special Thanks<\/strong><br>The welcome team included volunteers: Shirley O, Irina P, Martin B, Victor T, Karolyn Z, Blake M, Minh D, Jeremie GP, Ishmeet S, John H, Jessica O, and others. Thank you.<br><br>The Llama Lounge logo was designed by <a href=\"https:\/\/sightbox.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sightbox<\/a>, a premium marketing agency with whom I&#8217;ve partnered multiple times.<br><br>A heartfelt thank you to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sunsetsquares.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sunset Squares<\/a>, who have hosted us numerous times throughout the year. We are always grateful for your partnership and the amazing food.<br><br>Thanks also to those who flew in from all over the United States (Montana, Colorado, LA, San Diego, New York, Boston, Austin, Seattle) and around the globe.<br><br><strong>Llama Lounge 2024 Schedule<\/strong><br>Next Year, Llama Lounge will host six events, We\u2019ll have our first Q1 event in SF, with a focus on Autonomous Agents (<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/1zw4T57FaqsxOi3hZFqENrFv2J9hqxapKVlkniCIjCWQ\/viewform?edit_requested=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AI startups can apply to be featured on the demo floor<\/a>). Seeking SF venue hosts for next year, DMs are open<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I started an AI event series and it went bananas. Above Drone Video of Llama Lounge Nov 2 Palo Alto at HanaHaus by Space Monkey Films. I started an AI event series in 2023, hosted 7 events, and it&rsquo;s grown to over 1,300 people seeking &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/2023\/11\/14\/anatomy-of-llama-lounge-the-ai-startup-event-series\/\" class=\"more-link\"><span>Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Anatomy of Llama Lounge &#8211; The AI Startup Event Series<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23260,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[246,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ai","category-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23257","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23257"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23257\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web-strategist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}