From first call to five stars
How AI conversations are rewriting the customer journey
AI-powered conversations are transforming the way businesses engage, serve, and win customers at every stage.
At Vendasta Connect, explore how this shift is redefining customer acquisition and why businesses that adapt will grow faster than ever.
The future of customer acquisition is conversation.
At Vendasta Connect, learn how AI‑powered conversations capture leads, accelerate revenue, and transform the way local businesses grow.
See real results
How Neighborly, the world’s largest home services franchisor, boosted lead‑to‑revenue conversions by 372%.
Explore AI in action
Discover how Vendasta’s latest AI capabilities are streamlining and scaling local business workflows.
Learn from the experts
Join live demos, Q&A sessions, and success stories from Vendasta product experts and top partners.
Event insights: featured presentations
Conversations are the new clicks
Presentation by Bryan Larson
AI Workforce in Action
Presentation by Jon Neher
Agenda
The Silent Threat: Why Local Businesses Are Losing Millions Without AI
Speaker: Luke Stanton, Neighborly
Most local businesses don’t realize how much revenue they’re missing. In this session, Neighborly’s Luke Stanton reveals the hidden costs of slow response times, missed leads, and disconnected customer journeys—and why failing to adopt AI could quietly be costing millions.
Learn how Neighborly turned things around using Vendasta’s AI-powered customer journey—building a scalable system to capture more leads, win more customers, and unlock sustainable growth.
Conversations Are the New Clicks: The New Reality of the Customer Journey
Speaker: Bryan Larson, Vendasta
Bryan Larson breaks down how AI-powered, real-time engagement is replacing static marketing funnels, changing how local businesses capture leads and drive growth.
In this session, you’ll learn why instant, AI-driven conversations are now the key to customer acquisition—and how agencies and SMBs can adapt to win in this new landscape.
AI Workforce in Action: From First Call to Five Stars
Speaker: Jon Neher, Vendasta
In this session, Jon Neher walks you through how Vendasta’s AI-powered customer acquisition and engagement platform supports the entire customer journey.
You’ll learn how AI-powered employees work across voice, text, and chat to capture leads, book jobs, answer questions, and secure five-star reviews. This is the playbook for turning conversations into customers, and customers into loyal advocates.
Real Agencies, Real Results with Vendasta’s AI Workforce
Panel: Nykea Behiel, Vendasta, Michael Klabon, The Xcite Group, Nick Prentice, Blue River Digital
Want to know what it really takes to thrive in the AI-powered local market? Hear directly from the agencies who are already doing it. Our exclusive panel brings together Vendasta partners successfully leveraging our AI-powered customer acquisition and engagement platform. This is your chance to gain invaluable real-world validation and actionable insights from peers mastering the AI momentum.
Workshop: The AI Employee Go-to-Market Blueprint
Learn how to turn AI-powered employees into a service your clients will want to buy. This workshop will guide you through packaging, pricing, and positioning strategies that help you sell AI as a solution to real business problems. Walk away with a clear, actionable approach to driving revenue with AI.
Workshop: Unlocking Custom Capabilities
AI employees can do more than you think. In this session, you’ll explore how to customize AI-powered workflows to solve specific business challenges and unlock new use cases. Discover practical ways to deliver greater value to your clients by expanding what your AI employees can handle.
From missed leads to 24/7 growth: how Live 360 Marketing boosted ROI by 70% with Vendasta’s AI Receptionist
Speakers
Luke Stanton
Neighborly
Luke Stanton
Luke Stanton is SVP of Franchise Support Services at Neighborly, where he leads customer experience innovation across the company’s portfolio of home service brands. With over a decade of leadership at Neighborly and ProTradeNet, Luke has played a key role in driving franchise growth, operational excellence, and the adoption of AI to modernize local service delivery.
Bryan Larson
VP of Strategy, Vendasta
Bryan Larson
Senior Product Marketing Manager, Vendasta
Bryan Larson has been instrumental in shaping Vendasta’s strategic initiatives and future vision. Known for aligning teams and elevating product direction, his impact on the company’s growth is significant. Since joining in 2013, Bryan has championed design excellence and brand leadership. Outside Vendasta, he mentors startups, lectures at post-secondary institutions, and speaks at tech events. He previously held roles at Yardi and Point2, holds a B.Ed. from the University of Saskatchewan, and is certified in scrum and UX management.
Jon Neher
Senior PMM, Vendasta
Jon Neher
Senior Product Marketing Manager, Vendasta
Jon Neher transforms complex product stories into clear, inspiring experiences for Vendasta users. A former teacher and skilled musician, he brings empathy, creativity, and structure to product marketing. Jon is known for distilling ambiguity into clarity, pairing strategic thinking with a people-first approach. Whether translating code into meaning or orchestrating messaging, he fosters connection. Outside work, Jon curates transformative experiences—and once had a record mastered by ambient Japanese composer Chihei Hatakeyama.
Nykea Behiel
Dir. Brand & Experience, Vendasta
Nykea Behiel
Director of Brand and Experience, Vendasta
Nykea Behiel is Director of Brand and Experience at Vendasta, leading brand, content, PR, social, web, and production teams. A storyteller and strategist, she champions bold, clear communication in an AI-driven world—where great writing still reigns. Nykea blends creativity with innovation, using AI to enhance output while keeping humanity at the core. She shapes Vendasta’s voice from strategy to execution and frequently speaks on how brands can build meaningful connections through storytelling and technology.
Michael Klabon
Partner, The Xcite Group
Michael Klabon
Partner, The Xcite Group
Michael Klabon is a Partner at The Xcite Group, a Denver-based digital marketing agency that’s been a Vendasta partner for over a decade! Michael is truly a visionary, and recognized the importance of the AI revolution early, leading the charge on solving problems with AI. Equal parts outdoorsy mountain man and Google algorithm nerd, Michael leads Xcite’s sales team with a focus on strategy, relationships, and innovation. Under his leadership, the agency has driven over $745K in recurring revenue and has achieved great retention with Vendasta’s AI tools.
Nick Prentice
Blue River Digital
Nick Prentice
Blue River Digital
Nick Prentice is the Sales & Marketing Manager at Blue River Digital, a full-service agency based in Indiana. With nearly 20 years of marketing experience, he started his own social media business before joining Blue River to help scale its reach. Since then, the agency has quadrupled in size, driven over $3.9M in total revenue, and now serves clients in 35 states. Nick’s focus is simple — use smart tools, stay people-first, and help businesses grow with confidence.
Jeff Tomlin
Host, Vendasta Co-founder
Jeff Tomlin
Host, Vendasta Co-founder
Jeff Tomlin, co-founder of Vendasta, is a marketing visionary with over two decades of experience. He has helped grow several companies through strategic leadership and digital expertise. Before Vendasta, he worked at Point2, where he grew a real estate platform to serve over 165,000 agents globally. Tomlin holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Saskatchewan.
Thanks for helping us have the most amazing and powerful platform and tools to help us build our dream businesses.”
Richard H.
Who should attend?
If you’re a marketing agency with 10+ clients, this event is for you. Learn how agencies like yours are leveraging AI to optimize operations and exponentially grow their clients’ customer bases. Whether you’re aiming to acquire new clients, strengthen existing relationships, or both — Vendasta Connect will provide you with the AI-driven knowledge, tools, and strategies to propel your growth.
Don’t miss out!
Let’s unlock the future together.
This is your opportunity to discover the future of SMB success.
