CollabDays Portugal 2026 - Porto Edition

16/10/2026, Centro Histórico do Porto
Porto, Portugal

Developing AI Agents in Practice

Everyone's talking about AI agents these days - but what are they actually good for? In this architecture and development session, I'll cut through the hype and show you how we're building intelligent agents that solve real business problems (not just generate fancy demos 😉). I'll take you through our journey implementing Microsoft Agent Framework and LLMs to develop autonomous agents that actually deliver value. No theoretical hand-waving - we'll dive deep into practical scenarios where agents excel: understanding context, making intelligent decisions, and adapting to user needs in real-time. Through concrete examples from various domains (including our work in event tech with run.events), we'll explore where agents truly shine: * Context-aware recommendation systems that users actually appreciate * Intelligent workflow automation that goes beyond simple if-then rules * Dynamic personalization that adapts to individual patterns * Smart scheduling and resource allocation We'll cover: * The tech stack we chose and why (including spectacular failures along the way) * Architecture patterns for building maintainable agent systems * When to use agents vs. traditional approaches (spoiler: agents aren't always the answer) * Live coding examples - because theory is nice, but seeing is believing You'll learn the difference between "AI agents" as a buzzword and agents as practical problem-solvers. Whether you're writing code, designing systems, or evaluating AI solutions for your organization, you'll walk away knowing exactly when agents make sense - and more importantly, when they don't. Join me for a no-nonsense exploration of what it really takes to build AI agents that users will thank you for, not just tolerate.