AI Opener Botcamp 2026

Connect the Bots

Edinburgh Futures Institute · 17–18 September 2026

HELLO BOTCAMPERS!

We can’t wait to spend two packed, inspiring and playful days with you at the beautiful Edinburgh Futures Institute. This year we’re exploring next steps with AI and here are the dots we will attempt to connect:

Many of us have tested tools, run pilots and slowly built AI confidence. Now the challenge is to move from individual use and isolated experiments towards AI that is connected and integrated across our teams, organisations and destinations.

We will explore what it looks like to connect the bots in practice - from tools to insights, data, processes and people. And what it takes to make AI part of the way our destination organisations actually work.

Expect a whirlwind of use cases, hands-on challenges, big visions and cascading failures, fun tools, and plenty of opportunities to learn from one another.

Scroll further down and you’ll find the programme, practical details and everything you need for our days together.

There will be dots to join, people to meet - and a few ghosts appearing along the way ;-)

Programme

Each ghost is a session. Hover to wake them, drag to shuffle the day, click to open the details.

08:45Doors open
09:00Welcome to Botcamp 2026
09:40Kickstarter keynote
10:003 big AI shifts for destinations
10:35Workshop: Understanding the disconnects
Coffee
11:50Bring your own & Let's get real
?
12:45Lunch
13:30Intro: Diving deeper into the hive
13:40Kickstarter & demo: How2Hive
14:30Lovable x AI Opener: Mini Hive Hack
16:30Pitches, Glitches and Dilemmas
20:00Dinner in the sky

You are the experts!

BotCamp is about bringing our experiences and lessons learned together, sharing and getting inspiration from each other in figuring it all out.

Participating Destinations & BYOs

VisitScotlandScaling AI With Stronger Governance
VisitAarhusMaking AI Learning Fun for Tourism
Höga Kusten / High CoastProtecting Authenticity in AI Marketing
amsterdam&partnersFrom AI Use Cases to Bigger Ambitions
Visit Sydsjælland & MønDeveloping an AI visual universe
Ministry of Economy, Tourism, LuxembourgConnecting Claude to Tourism Intelligence
Visit BrugesBuilding Specialist Agents for Local By-Laws
City of MalmöVibe Coding a GDPR Consent Tool
Visit LinkopingAutomating Translation with GPT and Team Project Management Tool
Arctic SwedenCreating the Arctic Hivemind for AI
VisitNordvestkystenFrom Chatbot to Intelligent Service Layer
Luxembourg City Tourist OfficeBuilding an AI Trip Planning Experience
Norwegian Travel ClusterIntegrating MindTrip to 29 Norwegian Destinations
Visit BerlinBuilding Email Automation for Customer Service
Göteborg & CoUsing AI for Strategic Foresight
Visit SkåneManaging Visitor Crowds with Prediction AI
Smålands TurismMapping AI Maturity Across Businesses
Innovation Norway / Visit NorwayCreating Norway’s AI-Powered Trollfluencer
Tourism IrelandMeasuring Destination Visibility in AI Search
Marketing ManchesterBuilding an Intelligent Destination Website
Wonderful Copenhagen
Helsinki PartnersScaling Branded Presentations With Claude
Destination Östersund
Slovenia Tourism
Destination Jönköping
Visit TallinnDesigning a Personalised AI Trip Planner
Destination FynHelping Guests Find Better Accessibility Information
Visit StockholmMaking Destination Content Ready for AI
Visit DenmarkEscaping Excel With Vibe Coding
MarketingOostMonitoring Destination Visibility Across AI Search
Arctic Norway Tourist Board
Dansk Kyst- og Naturturisme
Fáilte IrelandWinning AI Visibility + Conversational AI Search for Visitors
AI Governance, Trust & Responsible Use
AI-Powered Internal Tools & Organisational Intelligence
Visitor Services & AI Products
AI for Destination Management, Strategy & Industry Development
AI for Marketing & Destination Discovery
Participating Destinations (BYOs to come)

Supported by

Darren DalrympleIndustry Director — CreateFuture
Lynne CraigDirector of Innovation — Edinburgh Futures Institute
Caterina MoruzziChancellor's Fellow — University of Edinburgh
Ellison FellersProgramme Innovation Manager, Group NAO
Sam WestonHead of AI & Marketing — 80 DAYS
CA ClarkVice President of AI — Miles Partnership
Lani WatsonAuthor, Philosopher, and Founder - The Questions Doctor
LovableBotCamp Mini Hive Hack Partner
Signe JungerstedCEO and Co-Founder of Group NAO
Jannette RoushChief AI Officer and SVP of Innovation — Brand USA
Junanto XuCreative & Tech Lead, Group NAO
Julian TroubridgeIntrapreneur — Amadeus Innovation Studio
Joshua Ryan SahaDirector of Travel Tech — Edinburgh Futures Institute
Peter Rømer HansenCSO and Co-Founder of Group NAO

Find out who is the most exciting expert of the 2026 botcamp

YOU!

Venues

Illustrated Edinburgh Futures Institute building with a giant eye on its clock tower

Main venue

Edinburgh Futures Institute

Lauriston Place 1, Room 2.55 — both days, main entrance at Lauriston Place.

Illustrated beer tankard made of hops and leaves with a single eye

Welcome drink · 16 Sept, 20:00

Brewhemia

1a Market Street, private room. Light nibbles only, so come full. Not registered but want to join? Just let us know.

Illustrated dinosaur skeleton with a single large eye

Dinner · 17 Sept, 20:00

National Museum of Scotland — Rooftop

Chambers Street, EH1 1JF
Enter through the Tower Entrance where the museum team will escort you up by lift or stairs.

Find us on the map

QUESTIONS?

Need help with the programme? Reach out to us if you have any questions or doubts.

Connect the dots

One number at a time, and see what shows up.

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
Reference illustration of a ghost with a single large eye

Click dot 1 to start, then follow the numbers.

AI Opener for Destinations Initiator

Group NAO

Programme partners

European Travel CommissionMiles PartnershipThe University of Edinburgh — Edinburgh Futures Institute

Supported By

Lovable

© Group NAO 2026. All rights reserved.

Edinburgh Futures Institute · 17–18 September 2026