How to get the most out of the AC Innovation Showcase 2026

Founders and exhibitors: turn your table into real follow-ups

You get about 2.5 hours on the showcase floor, and hundreds of people will walk right past your table. Whether you're hunting for your next customer or your next investor, the goal is simple: spend your best minutes with the right people, and leave with follow-ups already booked.

Before: warm up your network

The best conversations on the day are the ones you start before it. Reach out to your network now: the customers you've been chasing, the investors you'd love to show your progress, the partners who could make a great intro. Tell them you're exhibiting on November 10 and invite them to your table after the pitches. A quick "Come see what we've built since we last talked! I'm at my table from 1:30pm" goes a long way, and these are the conversations most likely to convert.

Then prep three or four quick qualifying questions for everyone else. Something like: What brought you to the Showcase? Are you dealing with [the problem you solve] right now? Who makes the call on fixing it?

During: pull people in, then triage fast

Most people wander the floor without a plan, so don't wait for them to come to you. Step out from behind the table, make eye contact and pull people in from the aisle with a quick question.

Then let your qualifying questions do the work. The people you invited get your full attention. Walk-ups are different: it's really easy for a friendly chat to eat 15 minutes and go nowhere, while the perfect customer walks past. If someone isn't a fit, be kind, hand them a card and wrap it up. If they are a fit, book the follow-up before they leave and send the calendar invite while you're still standing together.

Capture every good conversation in 30 seconds

Right after the conversation, open the LifeLong Network app and tap Capture. Type their name or scan their business card, then type or record a quick voice note about what you talked about, including anything you promised to follow up on. LifeLong organizes it all in the background while you turn to the next person, in under 30 seconds. Everyone you capture is tagged with the Showcase automatically, so the whole day is one tap away.

After: follow up while you're fresh in their mind

Message everyone you booked that same evening, and everyone else you met at the Showcase within 3 days. Open the Showcase in LifeLong and your notes are waiting for each person, so every message can mention the exact thing you talked about. That's what turns a nice chat into a customer or a cheque.

A month later, look back: how many Showcase conversations turned into meetings, pilots or investor calls? That number tells you whether a table is worth it next year.

See it in action

Here is how a conversation at the Showcase gets captured. Watch it happen!

Investors: find your next portfolio company

The AC Innovation Showcase is the single best place to meet early-stage and growth-stage companies that are ready for investment, with 40 of them in one room. Whether you've met a founder before and want to see their progress, or you're looking for a fresh company to add to your portfolio, this is your chance to get up close and personal with a potential next unicorn.

Before: know your thesis, then warm up

Get clear on what you're looking for before you walk in: sector, stage and cheque size. That's your filter for the day. Know some of the founders already? Send them a note: "I'll be at the Showcase on the 10th. Can I grab 10 minutes at your table after the pitches?" Then prep the questions you ask every founder, like who their first paying customer is, which number they watch every week and what they'd do with the next 6 months of runway.

During: listen, walk the floor, then go deep

Catch the 7 AC:Studio pitches at 12:30pm and note who stands out. When the floor opens at 1:30pm, do one quick lap of all 40 tables to spot who fits your thesis. Then head straight back to those companies first, ask your questions, and branch out to the rest if you have time.

Capture every founder in 30 seconds

After every booth conversation, open LifeLong and tap Capture. Scan the founder's business card, then record a quick voice note: the company, the stage, the numbers they shared, how they fit your thesis and your gut call, A, B or C. A means book a call this week, B is worth a call later and C you wish well. LifeLong files it all under the founder while you walk to the next table, in under 30 seconds.

After: move on your A's first

Reach out to your A founders that same evening and your B founders within 3 days. Every note is saved under each founder's name and tagged with the Showcase, so every company you met is in one list. Keep your C's close too: early-stage companies move fast, and a C today can be an A by spring.

See it in action

Here is how a conversation at the Showcase gets captured. Watch it happen!

General public: who to meet and how to make it count

You've got 4 hours and 40 companies in one room. Whether you're looking for a job, a mentor, a first customer or just ideas for your own project, a little planning turns a fun afternoon into real opportunities.

Before: pick your goal and your shortlist

Decide what you want from the day. One goal is plenty, and it tells you which tables to visit first. Then check out the companies on the event page and pick five you really want to meet. Know someone who's exhibiting? Message them: "I'm coming on Tuesday. Can I grab 5 minutes at your table after the pitches?"

During: hit your shortlist first

Visit your five companies first while the floor is fresh, then explore. Some chats will be quick hellos, and that's totally fine. When a conversation clicks, ask what the next step looks like and lock it in: "Can I send you an invite for coffee next week?"

Capture every good conversation in 30 seconds

Right after every good conversation, open LifeLong and tap Capture. Type their name or scan their business card, then type or record a quick voice note: what they told you, what they offered and what you promised to send. LifeLong organizes it in the background while you walk to the next table, in under 30 seconds.

After: follow up while they still remember you

Send anything you promised the next day, like that resume, and message everyone else you connected with within 3 days. Mention one specific thing they said, which LifeLong has saved for you, so they know you were really listening. That's how a 5-minute chat turns into a job, a mentor or a friend.

See it in action

Here is how a conversation at the Showcase gets captured. Watch it happen!