Kelly's Pro-Tips for WIS 2026

Written By Kelly Perry

Last year was my first ever Asana Work Innovation Summit. I figured I knew how to do a conference by now, but it turned out that a full day with keynotes, practical sessions, hands-on workshops, and demos was a bit more than I had anticipated. By the time I got back to my room, my feet were done and I was running on empty.

Kelly at WIS 2025

Clutching my new Otter plushie (and a drip coffee that I wished was a latte.)

WIS is back in New York on October 14, and I'm doing a few things differently this time. Here's what I learned.

Wear comfy shoes.

I’ll spare you the image of my heels at the end of last year’s conference, but the headline is: Ouch.You'll be on your feet more than you think! There are plenty of seats within the main hall, but you’ll spend a lot of time moving between sessions, wandering the expo hall, walking to get decent coffee (more on that later…) and networking with folks. Break in whatever you're planning to wear well ahead.

Kelly’s Pick: This year I’m going with my tried-and-true black boots over the deceptively treacherous loafers I thought would spare me the blisters last year.

Know where the good coffee is. Trust me.

Not to be that guy, but with a full agenda and a generally low social battery this just about did me in. While the conference had lots of great options for food and snacks, the coffee situation was…bleak. Scope out a solid spot near the New York Hilton Midtown ahead of time so you're not wasting a break scrolling Google Maps for the nearest cappuccino.

Street map of New York City showing a 3 minute walk to Zibetto Espresso Bar and a 2 minute walk to Le Cafe Coffee from the New York Hilton Midtown.

Kelly’s Pick: I loved Zibetto last year, it gave me just enough fresh air between sessions and a quick hit of espresso just when I needed it. 

Review the schedule and plan accordingly

The WIS agenda is built with multiple tracks, so there's curated content whether you're coming in as an executive, a team lead, or a builder. That also means there's more happening than you can see in one day. Go in with a plan: know which sessions are must-attend for you, which ones are nice-to-have, and where you've got flexibility to follow a good hallway conversation instead. Reviewing the agenda ahead of time is the difference between a day that feels intentional and a day that feels like you're just reacting to whatever's next.

Shameless Plug: I will be facilitating one of the Birds of a Feather Community Roundtables from 2:35 PM-3:45 PM! Come say hi!

A room full of people watch a presentation on Asana AI Teammates. There is a large screen that displays the text "Announcing AI Teammates. Collaborative AI agents that deliver real outcomes."

A highlight of WIS 2025 was the announcement of Asana AI Teammates

Take it all in.

One thing that really stood out to me last year were the experiential elements. The Asana team clearly spent a lot of time thinking through curated moments to keep you engaged between sessions. When I had a break between sessions, I wandered into the hall to build my custom keychain or stop by the Community Corner to chat with the team. 

A photo of Asana branded swag, a photo of the Asana team, and a photo of a branded Asana newsletter from WIS 2025.

I also loved being able to stop at the demo station and talk to the product team about my questions, and  try out new features with the people who built them. Last year they also gave out plushies at the end, and I am NOT ashamed to admit that I ran away from a colleague to make sure I got my otter. 

A gif of an Asana branded keychain

Plan how you’ll take notes

When I’m in a session I’m convinced I’ll remember everything that inspired me. That is hardly ever my reality. Here are a few ways you can make sure you walk out of WIS with exactly what you need. One thing I’m thankful to past-me for was that I brought my laptop to every session. If I wanted to try out something a speaker was talking about, I could open up Asana and try it right then and there. 

Just the start of my planning!

If you want to be a real nerd about it, create your own WIS project in Asana. 

  • Add each session you plan to attend as a task

  • Take your notes for that session within the description

  • Link to any test projects you did as a part of the demo

  • Write down the speaker’s name in case you want to connect later.

  • Make yourself subtasks for anything actionable you want to follow up on.

If you’re a bit lower-key, keep it simple. Load your agenda into your Notes app and braindump throughout the day.

I'm not going to pretend I've got it all figured out. I'll probably still end the day with sore feet and way overstimulated. But I hope what I’ve learned last year helps you have a great time this year!

If you're headed to WIS too, DM me on LinkedIn! See you in New York!

Kelly Perry
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Making the Most of Asana's Free Version: 2026 Update