AI for Retail: Work Smarter, Market Better & Get Holiday Ready

Create custom marketing materials, explore practical AI tips and get your retail business ready for the holiday season. Your holiday to-do list is growing. Your time isn’t. Discover how AI can help you tackle everyday retail tasks, develop marketing content and prepare for the busy season ahead. Join Sofie Andreou, M.Eng., AI Strategist & Educator, for a practical, hands-on workshop focused on the needs of retail businesses. Bring your laptop and create your own custom marketing materials. Through demonstrations and guided exercises, you’ll practice turning your products, promotions and ideas into useful drafts you can refine for your store. What you’ll learn and practice • Create marketing content: Draft social posts, promotional emails and product descriptions using information about your own business. • Prepare for the holidays: Develop campaign themes, gift-guide ideas and a manageable seasonal content plan. • Keep your brand voice: Give AI clear direction about your customers, style and what makes your store special. • Support customer communication: Practice drafting helpful responses to common questions. • Work more efficiently: Explore practical AI tips & tricks and reusable prompts for recurring tasks. • Review before publishing: Check product details, prices, offers and claims, and protect customer information. What you’ll take away Your own custom marketing drafts, prompts and techniques you’ve practiced, and ideas you can continue developing for the holiday season and beyond. Who should attend? Retail owners, managers and team members responsible for marketing, customer communication or seasonal promotions. No AI experience needed. No technical background required. What to bring Bring your laptop and charger. To make the exercises useful for your store, have a few product details, an example of your current marketing and a holiday promotion or business goal in mind. Wi-Fi is available. Use public or non-sensitive business information during the exercises. Date and location October 20, 2026 Arrival: 8:30 a.m. Workshop: 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Venture13 — Lecture Hall 739 D’Arcy St., Cobourg, ON K9A 0H6 About your instructor Sofie Andreou, M.Eng., combines digital marketing experience with practical AI education. She teaches AI micro-credentials at Trent University and helps business owners apply AI to their marketing, communications and everyday work. Come with your laptop and your business ideas. Leave with custom marketing drafts and practical skills to keep creating.