May 13, 2026

Shirt Lab announces the upcoming 2026 Shirt Lab AI Summit, a one-day virtual event designed specifically for the decorated apparel industry to help shops understand how to apply artificial intelligence (AI) in practical, profitable ways.

Following in the footsteps of its inaugural event in 2025, this year’s Shirt Lab AI Summit will take place virtually on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, bringing together industry experts and experienced operators to demonstrate real-world AI workflows for screen printers, embroiderers, DTF shops, promotional product companies, and apparel decorators.

The Shirt Lab AI Summit is built around practical implementation, according to a press release. Attendees will see live demonstrations, actionable workflows, and operational systems they can begin using immediately inside their businesses. Shirt Lab has assembled a team of AI experts with Charity Gibson, Brian Piper, Ali Banholzer, Ritanshu Dokania, Jesse Freeby, and Chris Bates.   

“Most decorators are hearing about AI everywhere, but they still don’t know what to actually do with it,” said Marshall Atkinson, co-founder of Shirt Lab, in a press statement. “This summit is about cutting through the noise and showing real workflows, real implementation, and real business applications that help shops save time, improve efficiency, and compete at a higher level.”

The summit follows a structured progression throughout the day, covering strategy, data, sales, marketing, automation, systems, and creative implementation. Sessions are designed to help attendees move beyond experimentation and begin building repeatable AI-driven processes inside their companies.

Atkinson says, “We’ve made it a completely virtual event this year so everyone can attend. No travel required!”

Featured Topics and AI Summit Information

  • Using AI to define ideal customers and identify qualified sales prospects
  • Building AI-powered outreach and sales workflows
  • Marketing automation and content generation
  • AI systems for operational efficiency and workflow improvement
  • Practical automation without requiring coding experience
  • Creative AI applications for decorated apparel businesses

The event is designed for:

  • Shop owners
  • Production managers
  • Sales teams
  • Marketing leaders
  • Customer service staff
  • Operations managers
  • Apparel decorators and promotional product companies

Tickets for the Shirt Lab AI Summit are $97. Every registrant will also receive:
Full access to the event recordings for future review and team training
A companion digital workbook designed to help attendees organize ideas, document workflows, and apply what they learn after the event

“The decorators who learn AI systems now will build a significant advantage over the shops waiting on the sidelines,” Atkinson added in the press release. “AI is quickly becoming operational infrastructure, and the businesses learning how to use it effectively today will move faster, market better, and operate more efficiently tomorrow.”

The Shirt Lab AI Summit is fully virtual and registration is now open. For event information and registration, visit shirtlabtribe.com/events/ai-summit.

The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with Apparelist. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Apparelist.