Scaling DevTools Running Events with Matt Carey from AI Demo Days
12 snips
Oct 3, 2025 
Matt Carey, the brains behind AI Demo Days, discusses his journey organizing developer events in London and San Francisco. He dives into the real costs of event logistics and emphasizes the importance of community-driven formats. With spicy opinions on hackathons, he debates their ROI and critiques immature sponsored tools. Matt reveals how great branding and curation elevate events, sharing anecdotes of unexpected logistical challenges. He also highlights the unique benefits of hosting at big tech venues and argues why community-supported events often outshine company-owned ones.
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How AI Demo Days Began
- Matt started running tech meetups in London after university and for a consultancy, enjoying organising in-person events.
- The first AI Demo Days had 50 people, strong demos and memorable fusion buns that set the tone.
Invest In Quality, Not Ticket Fees
- Raise sponsorship money instead of charging attendees to keep meetups free and welcoming.
- Use budget to secure better venues, filming, photography and food to make events feel conference-quality.
Sponsor Handles Logistics
- SingleStore sponsored the first event and handled venue and costs, allowing Matt to focus on speakers and attendees.
- The food (fusion bao/falafel buns) became a memorable highlight that attendees still recall.