Meet Interview Inez – Conference Persona #001
Part of the LTSP26 Conference Persona Experiment
Most conferences begin when the first session starts.
This one begins with a conversation.
As part of LTSP26, we’re experimenting with conference personas—interactive experiences designed to spark new thinking before the conference begins.
Interview Inez is the first prototype. She’s an expert in pre-retreat interviews.
A Question:
What if the most important strategy retreat conversations happen before the retreat begins?
Many leaders, facilitators, consultants, and board members assume that retreat success depends primarily on what happens during the retreat itself.
Your chat with Interview Inez explores a different possibility:
Preparation shapes participation.
Participation shapes outcomes.
And some of the most important strategic conversations may begin long before people gather in the same room.
What To Expect
✓ About 10 minutes
✓ No preparation required
✓ No right answers
✓ No expertise required
✓ A different perspective
A Glimpse Of the Conversation
Inez:
> “Many people assume the success of a retreat depends primarily on what happens during the retreat itself.
> I’m not sure that’s true.
> I’ve become increasingly interested in what happens before people ever enter the room.
> What’s your reaction to that idea?”
Participant:
> I suppose preparation matters, but the retreat itself is where the real work happens.
Inez:
> Perhaps.
> But what if participation begins long before people walk into the room?
Ready?
This experiment helps us explore a simple question:
Can a conference persona create a useful insight before the conference even begins?
We’d love your help finding out.
Before You Begin
Interview Inez is an experimental conference persona.
Unlike a typical chatbot, she won’t try to provide answers, recommendations, or advice.
Instead, she’ll help you explore assumptions, tensions, and possibilities that can emerge before strategic retreats if the right discussions take place.
Interview Inez is intentionally curious. Why? Her goal is not to teach or advise you, but to help you discover ideas you may not have considered before.
Many conference participants finish a conversation with Interview Inez saying:
“That’s not where I started.” > That’s exactly the kind of experience LTSP26 is exploring.
Most retreats focus on solving problems. Is there something we’re missing?
Can an interview create insight that wasn’t there before?
I’ve never understood why pre-retreat interviews matter.
What can emerge in a conversation that wouldn’t emerge in a survey?
People in my organization already know the facts. What else should we be looking for?
How do important strategic conversations begin before a retreat starts?
Our biggest challenge isn’t gathering information—it’s…
Ready?
Start anywhere.
You can use one of the suggested conversation starters above, or simply respond to Interview Inez’s opening question below.
Coming Next
Interview Inez is the first of several conference personas currently under development for LTSP26.
She’s a bit different from actual conference personas being crafted for our September 15-17, 2026 event because she’s not expert in using AI tools directly.
Future personas may explore challenges in strategy creation such as: technology assumptions, AI skepticism, PESTER uncertainty, managing background data, competitive benchmarking, jobs to be done, storytelling, future scenarios and more.