Description

AI Workshop with ETERNITY - AI NOW: Foundations, Models & What's New The Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce are hosting a full-day AI Workshop event on June 18 at the Mystic Hilton, designed to help professionals better understand and apply artificial intelligence in their work. The program features introductory sessions on AI foundations, security, best practices, and the latest developments in the field, along with specialized breakout tracks for nonprofits, businesses, and tourism and hospitality organizations. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in one-on-one AI strategy sessions with presenters Mike, Holly, and Sophie from Eternity. The event is supported by regional partners and aims to show participants how AI can save time, improve efficiency, and solve real workplace challenges. Registration includes refreshments, with discounted pricing available for Chamber members.

Chamber - 2026 - AI Workshop Planning

AI NOW: Foundations, Models & What’s New (30 mins)

A fast, practical session that gets people from “I’ve heard about AI” to “I can actually use this today.” Covers how tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini differ, how to prompt them effectively, and what’s changing with AI search (GEO).

Objective — Move beginners from curiosity to confident first use.Participants leave knowing what AI is (and isn’t), how to get useful outputs from different models, and how to stay safe while using it.

Flow

• Welcome + quick poll to surface experience level and top worry.
• Snapshot: what AI can and can’t do with three short industry examples.
• ChatGPT fundamentals + Prompting 101 (a short 4-step micro framework) with one live demo.
• Quick look at model differences: ChatGPT vs. Claude vs. Gemini...what each is best at, where each can struggle, and why it matters.
• Rapid hands-on: two 3-minute exercises.
• Brief intro to GEO: how AI is changing search, visibility, and content strategy.
• Safety & ethics checklist, and final 3 takeaways with resources.
• Communicate to attendees to select their focus track for the next session.
  

Break (20 mins)

Use the break to choose a track and stretch / bathroom

Concurrent Track Sessions (2 hours 30 Mins each)

Each track uses the same rhythm: intro + case study + hands-on workshop + build/share + short wrap. Include a 10-minute mid-session stretch. At the end of the three tracks we run:

Open Q&A Panel (30 minutes)
A final, practical Q&A where people bring real problems and leave with concrete next steps.

Purpose: Open mic for the whole group — troubleshooting, deeper explanations, and signups for follow-up help.

A — AI for Nonprofits (Holly)

Nonprofits leave with a donor-facing AI workflow (grant writing, social media, email management) and a one-page AI usage policy starter.

Learning goals

• Use AI to write donor outreach, program summaries, and grant starters.
• Understand ethical and accessibility concerns.
• Build a low-cost measurement approach for AI outputs.
  
  

B — AI for Business (Sophie)

Businesses leave with an “AI for marketing & ops” playbook: a content calendar generator, an SOP builder, and a plan to put AI in action.

Learning goals

• Rapid content creation across channels.
• Build small automations and SOPs for recurring tasks.
• Understand environmental impact.
  
  

C — AI for Tourism & Hospitality (Mike)

Tourism operators leave with a repeatable itinerary generator and a persona-driven marketing package that converts browsers into bookers.

Learning goals

• Build customer personas and generate tailored itineraries.
• Produce on-brand marketing copy for ads, email promos, and local SEO.
• Prototype a concierge GPT for FAQs and booking nudges.