---
title: "Smart Data at Taste of IT 2025: Hype or Help? Real-World Lessons from Applying AI"
url: https://www.smartdata.net/blog/taste-of-it-2025
description: "Smart Data joins Taste of IT 2025 as a Bronze Sponsor. Join our session “Hype or Help?” on AI in software projects."
source: "Smart Data (smartdata.net). Markdown copy of the page; the HTML page is canonical."
---

Announcement

# Smart Data at Taste of IT 2025: Hype or Help? Real-World Lessons from Applying AI

Chris St. Amand

Co-CEO October 29, 2025 1 min read

On this page

- Speaking Session
- Visit Our Booth

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A guide from Smart Data

The AI Enablement Guide

Where your data stands, and which AI use cases it can support today.

[A guide from Smart Data The AI Enablement Guide Where your data stands, and which AI use cases it can support today.…](https://www.smartdata.net/ai-enablement)

**Smart Data is proud to return as a Bronze Sponsor for the 2025 Technology First Taste of IT Conference, taking place November 12th at the Sinclair Conference Center in Dayton, Ohio.**

We’re looking forward to connecting with IT leaders, innovators, and technologists across the Miami Valley to share how Smart Data helps organizations succeed with **AI, Data Engineering, Application Modernization, and Snowflake**.

## Speaking Session

### Hype or Help? Real-World Lessons from Applying AI to IT Software Projects

**Session 4 | 2:05–2:50 PM**

**Speakers:** [Chris St Amand](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-st-amand/), Chief Technology Officer & [Justin Smith](https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-smith-it/), Solutions Architect

AI promises faster delivery, higher quality, and simpler workflows. But how much of that actually holds up when you factor in people, budgets, timelines, and legacy systems?

In this session, Chris and Justin share real experiences from projects where AI tools like **Windsurf, Cursor, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude Sonnet** were applied to software delivery. Attendees will learn:

- How to predict when AI projects will succeed (and when they won’t)
- What worked, what didn’t, and what surprised us along the way

## Visit Our Booth

Stop by the Smart Data booth to meet our team and discuss how we’re helping companies across healthcare, manufacturing, and finance become **AI-ready** through better data and engineering. Smart Data was honored to be named **Best IT Services Company in 2023** by Technology First. We’re proud to continue that momentum and contribute to a community that’s driving innovation across the region.

### Event Details

**Technology First Taste of IT Conference**📅 **November 12, 2025**📍 **Sinclair Conference Center, Dayton, OH**🔗 [Learn More & Register](https://www.technologyfirst.org/toit)

Keep reading

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### Smart Data at Dayton AI Day 2026: Getting Verifiable Answers Out of Enterprise Data

Chris St. Amand · Aug 18, 2026

[Smart Data at Dayton AI Day 2026: Getting Verifiable Answers Out of Enterprise Data](https://www.smartdata.net/blog/dayton-ai-day-2026)

### Smart Data Joins the Databricks Partner Network

Chris St. Amand · May 28, 2026

[Smart Data Joins the Databricks Partner Network](https://www.smartdata.net/blog/smart-data-joins-the-databricks-partner-network)

Go further

## Not sure your data is ready for AI?

The guide covers data maturity, use cases by readiness level and industry perspectives, so you can see where your platform stands before you pick a model.