AI Buildathon Leeds: How hosts can build their own AI agents in one afternoon
Everyone's talking about AI. Almost nobody in short-term rentals is building with it.
On Friday 27 November, Host Planet and Boostly are changing that. The AI Buildathon brings a room full of hosts and property managers together in Leeds to build their own AI agents in a single afternoon. No coding experience needed.
Boostly Founder Mark Simpson joined the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Lodgify – to explain how it works.
Key details about the AI Buildathon in Leeds
What: AI Buildathon, a hands-on workshop for hosts and property managers
When: Friday 27 November 2026, 12pm to 5pm
Where: NatWest Accelerator, Leeds (Google Maps link), a two-minute walk from Leeds station
Who: Hosts and property managers of any AI skill level
Includes: Lunch and group build sessions
Tickets: £50 + VAT. Click here to get yours
What is the AI Buildathon?
Mark has run two similar events in London this year. At the June event, attendees built a revenue management tool, digital guidebooks, and a marketing platform, each in around two hours.
Now it's coming north. "I don't really like leaving the north," Mark joked, "so I thought, let's bring it all up to Leeds."
What will you walk away with?
Mark has two goals for the AI Buildathon Leeds:
1. A personal AI assistant that runs 24/7 and costs nothing.
2. Tools for your business, built individually or in small teams, then presented to the group.
"The only thing stopping anybody from creating anything right now is imagination," Mark said. Time, money and knowledge used to hold people back. AI has removed all three.
Do you need AI experience?
No. At a previous Buildathon, Mark asked attendees to rate their AI knowledge from one to ten. One host, Laura Muse, gave herself minus five.
By the end of the session she'd built an upsell tool. It has since made her close to four figures in revenue.
"Even if you've never touched ChatGPT or Claude, come to this," Mark said. "And even if you think you're a AI rockstar, come along, because it's amazing what we can build when we're in a room together."
How Mark uses AI agents at Boostly
Mark doesn't just talk about AI. He uses it daily.
His latest build is a sales bot. Boostly gets 10 to 20 call bookings a week. Every time a call is booked, the bot researches the prospect, checks their past contact with Boostly, counts their properties and scores them out of ten for fit.
"I've probably saved five hours a week instantly," he said.
He also gives every member of his 20-person team a paid Claude plan and tells them to experiment.
What should hosts automate with AI?
Mark's rule is simple: automate around 80% of your business, then spend the other 20% being a brilliant host.
"We're in the business of making memories," he said. Let AI handle the admin and repetitive tasks. Spend your time on the guest-facing moments that turn a stay into a five-star review, a repeat booking, and a referral.
Why come to Leeds?
Mark's pitch: "Good food, a good pint afterwards, and good company. But most importantly, you'll walk out knowing way more than when you walked in. If you don't, I'll give you your money back."
Spaces are limited and we expect it to sell out.
FAQs
When is the AI Buildathon?
Friday 27 November 2026, from 12pm to 5pm.
Where is it held?
NatWest Accelerator in Leeds, two minutes' walk from Leeds train station.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. The day is designed for complete beginners as well as experienced AI users.
What should I bring?
Your laptop. Lunch is provided.
Who is running it?
🎧 Listen to the full episode of the Host Planet Podcast with Mark Simpson on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.
The Host Planet Podcast is sponsored by Lodgify. Use code HOSTPLANET20 to get 20% off Lodgify. Click here for details.
Comments