VIATEC AI Meetup: Business Track

Thursday, April 9, 2026 (11:30 AM - 1:30 PM) (PDT)

Description

Join us as thought leaders & innovators gather to explore the cutting edge of artificial intelligence and its practical applications.

Doors open at 11:30 and presentations start promptly at Noon.

Are you curious about how AI can transform your business and career? Join us at the VIATEC AI Meetup.

Everyone is welcome.

Join us for this fun and engaging session where Ryan Sawatsky leads a session on:

MCP (Model Context Protocol) for Business Users

MCP is a standardized way for AI to connect to your business tools and data. Think of it like a universal plug. Instead of every AI needing custom wiring to talk to your CRM, email, calendar, or databases, MCP creates one standard connection method that works across systems.

You should care about MCP because:

  • It's what separates a chatbot from an AI agent. Without MCP, AI can only talk about your business. With MCP, AI can actually act inside your business, pulling real customer data, updating records, drafting and sending emails, booking meetings. That's a fundamental shift in what you're buying when you invest in AI.
  • You'll be making purchasing decisions around it. When vendors say their software is "AI-ready" or has "native AI integration," MCP compatibility is increasingly what that means. You need to know enough to ask the right questions and avoid vendor lock-in.
  • It determines your AI's actual usefulness. An AI that can only see what you paste into a chat window has limited value. An AI connected via MCP to your Google Drive, your CRM, your inbox is where the real productivity gains live. Understanding this helps you scope what's possible vs. what's hype.
  • Security and governance implications. MCP connections mean AI has access to real systems. Business leaders need to understand this to ask: What does this AI have access to? Who authorized it? What can it do? These aren't IT questions, they're risk management questions.
  • It's moving fast! Anthropic, OpenAI, Microsoft, Google and others are adopting MCP as the de facto standard. The business people who understand even the basics will be far better positioned to lead AI adoption in their organizations rather than just react to it.

Like when web technology arrived, you didn't need to know how the internet works to run a business, but you absolutely needed to understand what it could do and what risks it introduced to make smart decisions. MCP is at that same inflection point right now.


Feel free to grab a bite at the Fort Cafe, located on site.


About the Presenter:

In his capacity as Chief AI Officer at Funnel + Ladder, Ryan's mission is freeing entrepreneurs from administrative hell, outdated systems, and the fear of falling behind.

He does this through AI-powered systems and workflows that scale business operations and lead generation.

About the Organizers:

This event is organized by Robert Cooper, Founder of PlusROI Online Marketing and Steve Harris, Founder of AI4Enterprise, along with the generous support of VIATEC.

This is your chance to connect, learn, and lead in the world of AI innovation.

Spots are limited—RSVP today and be part of Victoria’s AI-powered future!

RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/viatec-ai-meetup-business-track-tickets-1985771315460


Conference Room in Fort Tectoria
777 Fort St
Victoria, BC V8W 1H2 Canada
Event Contact
Robert Cooper
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Thursday, April 9, 2026 (11:30 AM - 1:30 PM) (PDT)
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