Behind the Scenes of AGS: Louis Tanguay on Community, Conversion, and Why AI Isn’t That Smart (Yet)
What do music magazines, movie trailers, and mobile growth have in common? For Louis Tanguay: The founder and managing director of App Growth Summit, they’re all about creating connections.
In the latest episode of Remerge’s Apptivate Podcast (Ep. 215), Louis pulls back the curtain on how AGS went from a scrappy idea to a global community to celebrating its 100th event and beyond. Spoiler: it wasn’t built on scale, it was built on soul.
If you’ve ever wondered why AGS feels less like a typical conference and more like a reunion of your smartest, sassiest industry friends, this episode is your cheat code.
Here’s what Louis shares (and why it matters for anyone trying to grow smarter, not louder):
🧬 AGS Was Never About Scale, It Was About Soul
Louis didn’t launch AGS chasing big numbers. He started it to fill a gap: the lack of authentic connection at mobile marketing events. From the first venue to the first sponsors, every choice was about creating a space where people actually want to talk, share, and grow.
“Community not scale” isn’t just a tagline. It’s the AGS thesis and why the events still feel intimate and meaningful even after 100 shows and counting.
🧠 Marketers Keep Missing the Basics (And It’s Costing Them)
Louis calls out some ongoing blindspots in mobile marketing:
- Custom Product Pages (CPPs) that don’t align with the offer or creative? Wasted spending.
- Marketing and product teams stuck in silos? Missed opportunities everywhere.
- Retargeting that’s just “hey, remember us?” instead of real value? Meh.
“If you match your creative and the offer to the campaign, you’re going to get way more conversions.”
🤖 AI Is Cool. But It’s Not That Smart.
Louis isn’t anti-AI, he’s realistic:
“AI is more ‘A’ than ‘I’ right now… It’s a supercharged research tool, but it’s not going to replace real creative strategy anytime soon.”
In other words: use AI to speed up grunt work, not replace gut work.
🤝🏻 Networking ≠ Sales Pitches
AGS isn’t about chasing deals. It’s about opening doors.
Louis’s blunt advice for getting real ROI from events:
- Don’t cluster with your coworkers.
- Don’t expect a deal by Friday.
- Talk to people you don’t know.
- Open doors that weren’t on your radar.
“If you want ROI from an event, don’t cluster with your coworkers. Talk to people you don’t know, open doors, and don’t expect a deal by Friday.”
🌍 100 Events Later, AGS Is Still Evolving
From Berlin to Austin, Louis shares his favorite cities, dream speakers, and why the 100th event is just the beginning.
The future? More community. More creativity. More ways to make mobile growth less of a grind and more of a movement.
TL;DR:
This episode is not just a behind-the-scenes look at AGS. It’s a masterclass in building real value in your campaigns, your connections, and your career.
🎧 Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and get ready to rethink how you show up, strategize, and scale.
