12:10 PM - 1:15 PM Lunch / Networking / Review of Exhibits

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12:30 PM - 12:50 PM

Session #242, Tuesday January 14

Case Study: Chatting with Your Data

Mike Rossetti (Director of Sales, Conversight.AI)

Natural Language Understanding (NLU) technology - interpreting speech or text - is a major breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence. It allows automated conversations with customers or employees to deliver information or take action. It can improve sales, customer service, employee efficiency, and more. ConverSight.ai’s AI companion, Athena, empowers enterprise users and customers with real-time data insights. Come see how MAVPAK, a packaging material distributor, is getting real-time insights, saving them $1 million in four months.

 

12:50 PM - 1:10 PM

Session #243, Tuesday January 14

Case Study: Voice + AI + Customer Care

John Ball (Founder, Pat.AI), Beth Carey (CEO, Pat.AI)

How good would it be if intelligent assistants and chatbots could understand human language? Come and see how new meaning-based conversational AI technology enhances the customer care experience. OR, said another way for the “nerds” ... Come and see how symbolic AI augments Deep Learning conversational AI solutions and platforms. We’ll showcase recognition of language in machine-readable form, conversation, and translation.

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1:15 PM - 2:45 PM WORKSHOP

Session #250, Tuesday January 14

Voice Prototyping: Using Voiceflow To Chart The User's Journey

Emily Lonetto (Head of Growth, Voiceflow)

Braden Ream (CEO, Voiceflow)

Voiceflow makes it easy to design, prototype, and build voice apps for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, without coding. To date, Voiceflow has powered over 60 million end-user interactions across the 5,000+ voice apps hosted on their platform. Come learn how to use Voiceflow to prototype amazing conversational interfaces easily, and quickly, across multiple platforms.

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1:15 PM - 2:45 PM Breakout Tracks (continued):

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ALEXA + MARKETING:

1:15 PM - 1:45 PM

Session #251, Tuesday January 14

Improving Customer Retention for your Alexa Skill

Anna Van Brookhoven (Alexa Evangelist, Amazon)

For your Amazon Alexa skill to be successful, it’s critical that you are able to retain your customer base. Retention indicates people are using and enjoying your skill, which is a key factor to understanding the short- and long-term value of your skill. In this session, learn the retention mechanisms you can use to keep your customers coming back for more. 

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1:50 PM - 2:20 PM

Session #261, Tuesday January 14

Alexa Hearables & Multi-Modal: Breaking Down New Opportunities for Marketers

Dave Kemp (BD Manager, Oaktree Products); Katherine Prescott (Founder and Editor, VoiceBrew)

With multi-modal smart displays starting to go mainstream and Echo earbuds picking up early adopters, 2020 will be the year when Alexa decisively expands beyond the smart speaker -- and beyond the home. Join our session to learn about new ways users will engage with Alexa in these new modalities and how brands can capitalize.

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2:25 PM - 2:55 PM 

Session #271, Tuesday January 14

Flash Briefings: Engagement vs. Exploitation

Amy Summers (Owner, Pitch Publicity)

Engaging audiences before pushing and promoting services and self has powerful and sustainable benefits. Learn the strategic skill of developing a relationship first through voice by using best practices of public relations before turning your flash briefing into a marketing machine.

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ALEXA + HEALTHCARE:

1:15 PM - 1:45 PM 

Session #252, Tuesday January 14

PANEL: Alexa and Its Impact on Health and Wellness

Moderated by Harry P. Pappas (Intelligent Health Association); Teri Fisher, M.D. (Alexa In Canada / Voice First Health); David Metcalf, Ph.D. (UCF Institute for Simulation & Learning); Bianca Phillips (Author, Making The Digital Health Revolution); Ken Sakal (Director, Product Management, AireHealth)

Join our panel of Voice thought leaders to hear how, even at this very early stage of adoption, Voice Virtual Assistants / Smart Speakers are transforming the delivery of educational information -- not only to both the patient and the clinician in the hospital, but also to the caregiver and the consumer in their home. You no longer need a PC, laptop, or a tablet to access Health and Wellness information; all you need is your VOICE.

 

1:50 PM - 2:20 PM

Session #262, Tuesday January 14

Alexa and Longevity: Aging In Place Today

Mark Gray (President and CTO, Constant Companion)

This session will share effective solutions from the voice industry that are having a positive impact in the lives of older adults, US military veterans and other adults living alone.  See how empathy, data, and voice solutions can create engaging experiences both for users and for their caregiver networks. 

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2:25 PM - 2:55 PM  

Session #272, Tuesday January 14

Bringing Healthcare Home Through Alexa

Oskar Kiwic, M.D. (President, CEO, and Founder, CardioCube)

Rodney Anderson, M.D. (President, Family Care Network)

This session discusses ways healthcare providers can use voice to transform the relationship patients have with their doctors. This is valuable for patients, who must develop trusting relationships with their physicians. It's just as valuable for physicians as they strive to provide high-quality patient care while keeping burnout at bay. CardioCube supports physicians in maximizing the time they spend with patients while relying on our voice-based AI platform to support patients - in their homes - with check-in, medication reconciliation, and chronic condition management.

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ALEXA + STORYTELLING:

1:15 PM - 1:45 PM

Session #253, Tuesday January 14

Speak Up America: Using Alexa To Engage With Government

Joaquin Beltran (CEO - Community Empowering Organizer, Speak Up America)

Being civically engaged shouldn't be a challenge, it should be a choice. Hear how Speak Up America has made it easier for people across America to make their voices heard on important issues they care about just by using their voice! See how change is created and the impact Speak Up America is having in empowering people to bring the changes they care about to their communities. Learn from the perspective of an entrepreneur whose previous experience includes working on successful presidential and local political races and in advocacy to create policy changes.

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1:50 PM - 2:20 PM

Session #263, Tuesday January 14

How I Got Thousands Of People A Day To Listen To My Flash Briefing

Adrian Simple (Editor, The Gaming Observer)

The Gaming Observer has become an essential part of morning routines across the world. How did Adrian Simple make that happen, and what has he learned along the way? There are no easy answers to creating a successful flash briefing, but there are certainly building blocks that will put you in the best position possible.

 

2:25 PM - 2:55 PM 

Session #273, Tuesday January 14

PANEL: Podcasting In The Voice-First World

Moderator: Bradley Metrock

Steven Goldstein (CEO, Amplifi Media)

Podcasters, already riding the wave of a new media frontier, have a unique opportunity to ride an entirely new wave: the growth of podcast listenership through voice assistants and smart speakers. As voice-first technology makes the shift from being merely reactive to becoming more proactive, podcast discoverability will change completely, creating a new landscape. This panel will explore that future, which is heading in our direction sooner rather than later.

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ALEXA + SMART HOME:

1:15 PM - 1:45 PM

Session #254, Tuesday January 14

Voice 2.0: True Success Needs Compelling Consumer Experience

Cal Lai (CEO, Ask.Vet)

Join Ask.Vet CEO Cal Lai as he discusses how AI + voice must create a compelling customer experience to be truly successful. Many of the world's first round of voice solutions have been focused on improving efficiency and corporate metrics. This does little to meet the needs of, or inspire, consumers. Voice 2.0 must focus on meeting the consumers where they are -- phone, app, smart speaker, computer -- and on creating a true consultative experience. Learn how Ask.Vet used 250K pet owner and veterinarian conversations to understand the needs of the market and to feed the AI + voice engine that drives two-way conversation, providing expertise and actionable insights that consumers crave. Cal will share the story of how heuristic AI + natural language voice technology is radically changing the delivery of animal health care today.

 

1:50 PM - 2:20 PM

Session #264, Tuesday January 14

Chatbots, Prototyping, and Voice

Obaid Ahmed (CEO, Botmock)

Rapid-prototyping can help you find the right solution in the quickly changing landscape of voice platforms. In this talk we will explore how you can use rapid-prototyping to build the experience that your users would enjoy. From helping thousands of designers design conversational experiences across multiple platforms and mediums, Botmock will share what it’s learned, and outline an iterative design method that can help your team stay ahead of the curve.

 

2:25 PM - 2:55 PM 

Session #274, Tuesday January 14

Got Data? The Role of Analytics in Conversational Interfaces

Arte Merritt (CEO, Dashbot)

Come learn about the role of analytics in conversational interfaces - how they differ from traditional web and mobile analytics; how to use analytics to increase engagement, user satisfaction, and monetization; as well as insights and learnings from the data Dashbot is capturing, having processed over 80 billion messages.

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ALEXA + EDUCATION:

1:15 PM - 1:45 PM

Session #255, Tuesday January 14

Alexa & English Language Learners (ELL): Some Remarkable Findings

Dorothy Daniels (Ed.D Candidate, Northeastern University)

Nationwide, the number of students learning to speak English is increasing rapidly. Since English is crucial for these students to achieve academically, this issue must be addressed. Can speech recognition devices help? Speech recognition is one of the newest tools in education to access information from the internet and promises to engage and motivate students to learn (Mitchell, 2017). Research shows a variety of ways to use ASR devices to motivate English language learners to practice and improve their speaking skills. Come discover potential solutions to help English Language Learners use Alexa to learn!

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1:50 PM - 2:20 PM

Session #265, Tuesday January 14

#Alexa4Edu: How Alexa Can Re-shape The Modern Classroom

Rebecca Dwenger (Instructional Technology Consultant, Hamilton County ESC)

Alexa is reshaping the modern classroom. Learn how educators are using Alexa in their classrooms right now, as well as its future potential. As an educator, coach, and Alexa enthusiast Rebecca Dwenger has observed and influenced the use of Alexa in many classrooms across the country. This session will delve into the educational applications including time-management, supporting students with special needs, differentiation, English Language Learners, productivity as a teaching assistant, student engagement, and more. Alexa really is a game-changer in the classroom. Come find out how!

 

2:25 PM - 2:55 PM 

Session #275, Tuesday January 14

Developing an Alexa Skill Voice Interface for the Moodle LMS

Michelle Melton (Developer, Appalachian State University)

With the rapid growth of voice technology in the past decade, voice interfaces have become significantly more important for modern applications. Both Blackboard Learn and Canvas by Instructure have Amazon Alexa skills that provide basic course information such as announcements, assignments, and grades. In the past year, Michelle Melton developed the first distributed Amazon Alexa skill for Moodle that can be integrated with any instance as a Moodle plugin. Learn about the process of developing the Alexa skill, including voice interface design, Alexa Skills Kit front-end development, and Moodle plugin back-end development.

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ALEXA SPECIAL SESSIONS:

1:15 PM - 1:45 PM

Session #256, Tuesday January 14

The Ethics of Designing for Voice in Cars

Bradley Metrock (Mod); Brooke Hawkins (Senior Conversation Designer, Myplanet); Jeremy Wilken (Host, Design For Voice)

Voice in the automobiles is considered one of the ideal use cases, but it also requires considerations that are unique to drivers. Join us for a panel talking about the ethics involved in building voice experiences for the car, why it is different from building voice experiences in other contexts, and how you can think through ethical considerations in your work.

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1:50 PM - 2:20 PM

Session #266, Tuesday January 14

Marketing for Voice: Discoverability and Repeat Usage

Daniel Hill (IT Project Manager, Columbia University Medical Center)

You've just created a skill - now what? How can you let people know your skill exists, and gently remind them to keep coming back? In this session, we'll review case studies of other voice brands successfully continuing to keep their audiences engaged.

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2:25 PM - 2:55 PM 

Session #276, Tuesday January 14

Searchable Audio in the Voice-First Era

Rachel Batish (VP Product, Audioburst)

With over 100 million active monthly users of Voice in the U.S. and 121 million consumers listening to an average of 2 hours of talk audio daily, it would only be natural for talk audio to be available via voice assistants.

 

But it isn't.

 

In this session, I will share how we saw an opportunity to change the poor state of content discoverability by capturing audio, indexing it, and making it searchable. A process that unlocks access to millions of hours of broadcast content and makes it available for voice assistants as well.

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2:55 PM - 3:45 PM Coffee / Networking / Review of Exhibits

 

3:00 PM - 3:20 PM

Session #281, Tuesday January 14

Case Study: The Making Of More Than Just Weather And Music

(Lauren Helmer, editor; Bradley Metrock, author; George Otvos, illustrator)

In this case study, hear from the three-person team behind the hit book More Than Just Weather And Music: 200 Ways To Use Alexa. Why was the book created? What was the process the team used to produce it? What insights about Alexa were gleaned in the process? All that and more will be covered.

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3:20 PM - 3:40 PM

Session #282, Tuesday January 14

Case Study: Voice Tech and Utilities: How to Win Work and Power Progress

Laura Frantz (Lead IT Project Manager, ICF)

Want to help build a greener future? Beyond just smart device control and bill payments, voice can help utility customers use less energy, learn about carbon alternatives, and more -- but voice for utilities remains a largely untapped market. In this session attendees will learn what's happening currently in the voice for utilities space, will hear innovative use cases that seed ideation and imagination, and will hear do's and don'ts of pursuing and working with highly regulated utility clients.

3:20 PM - 3:40 PM BOOK SIGNING

Session #283, Tuesday January 14

More Than Just Weather And Music: 200 Ways To Use Alexa (Bradley Metrock)

 

3:45 PM - 4:15 PM

Session #284, Tuesday January 14 MAIN STAGE

PANEL: VC Investment in Voice

Moderator: Bradley Metrock; Jon Bradford (Partner, Dynamo Ventures); Daniela Braga (Founder & CEO, DefinedCrowd); Marc Ladin (General Partner, VoicePunch); Jeff McMahon (CEO, Voicify)

Venture capital, slow at first to move into voice, is now heating up. This panel will explore how investors look at this new, emerging space, dotted by tech behemoths but full of opportunity for enterprising startups to carve out meaningful positions of added value.

 

4:15 PM - 4:30 PM

Session #285, Tuesday January 14 MAIN STAGE

Change the Wake Word: Alexa Is A Human Being

Lauren Johnson (Alexa Is A Human)

Amazon's decision to name its voice assistant a human name came with consequences, according to Lauren Johnson, who started the "Alexa Is A Human" campaign. Describing how her daughter, also named Alexa, has been regularly bullied in school as a result of Amazon's naming decision, Ms. Johnson seeks to have Amazon change Alexa's name for good. This fireside chat, moderated by Project Voice executive producer Bradley Metrock,will unpack this prickly issue and examine a human cost to this technological movement.

 

4:30 PM - 4:45 PM

Session #286, Tuesday January 14 MAIN STAGE

Awesome Aariv: How a Fifth-Grader Changed the Game

Aariv Modi (A Fifth-Grader Who Loves Alexa)

Aariv Modi began developing Alexa skills in 5th grade, and now, as a 6th grader, he has a number of well-regarded voice experiences under his belt. Aariv will share why he initially was drawn to Amazon's Alexa ecosystem, what he's learned in the process of developing skills, and what he's looking forward to doing next!

 

4:45 PM - 5:00 PM 

Session #287, Tuesday January 14 MAIN STAGE

Best Practices with Flash Briefings

Teri Fisher, M.D. (Host, Voice First Health; Founder, Briefcast.FM)

With flash briefings quickly becoming the hottest new distribution platform for short-form audio, now is the time to start creating your own briefcast! A flash briefing is one of the best ways to build your audience, grow your business, promote your non-profit, or share your passion, but what are the best practises today? In this session, Dr. Teri Fisher will share his experiences of creating the top-ranked flash briefing in Canada for almost 700 consecutive days, and talk about what works (and what doesn’t work!) to create the best briefcast possible. Consider this a crash course on how to get the most out of your own flash briefing!

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5:00 PM - 5:30 PM 

Session #288, Tuesday January 14 MAIN STAGE

#AlexaDevs: Developer Ethics Roundtable

Moderator: Bradley Metrock

Steven Arkonovich (Professor, Reed College); Emily Binder (Founder, Beetle Moment Marketing); Nick Schwab (Alexa Champion); Bob Stolzberg (Alexa Champion); Mark Tucker (Alexa Champion); Sarah Andrew Wilson (CCO, Matchbox.io)

From voice developers using unscrupulous means to get users to leave five-star reviews, to creating copycat skills designed with no regard to user confusion in mind, to several other landmines along the path of evolution in the voice-first realm, this panel of voice developers will share their views on how Amazon can make Alexa's ecosystem a better and fairer place.

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5:30 PM - 8:00 PM PROJECT VOICE AFTER-HOURS EVENT

Session #291, Tuesday January 14 , Meeting Room 12

Put Voice in Your Mobile App

Mike Tatum (CEO), Noel Weichbrodt (Principal Engineer), and Josh Ziegler (Principal Engineer), Spokestack

Come learn how to use Spokestack's open source libraries and TTS service to add voice to your app! This is a hands-on workshop led by the developers who built Spokestack. By the end of the workshop, you will have the tools to add voice to your mobile app.

 

After the workshop, developers are invited to compete to win $500 (1st), $300 (2nd) and $200 (3rd) for apps that best integrate voice into their existing, demo, or new apps using Spokestack. Judging and awards will take place on Thursday evening after the last presentations at Project Voice. All participants will be invited to participate in the last day of Project Voice and attend the social hour where prizes will be awarded.

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6:00 PM - 7:30 PM PROJECT VOICE AFTER-HOURS EVENT

#SkillSetters Presents Skill Flash Networking at Project Voice

Public House Restaurant

1110 Market Street - easy walking distance from Chattanooga Convention Center

#SkillSetters is honoring Bradley Metrock, founder of Project Voice and author of More Than Just Weather & Music: 200 Ways To Use Alexa

 

You’ve heard of speed dating? Get ready for Skill Flash Networking! Increase the discoverability of your Alexa Skill or Flash Briefing live at #SkillSetters premiere event at Project Voice! 

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This VIP event will be limited to 50 seats. Cost: $35 (includes appetizers, welcome cocktail, signed copy of Bradley Metrock’s Alexa book). Register at: bit.ly/flashmeet

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