Artificial intelligence (AI) is being billed as a transformative technology set to take event planning to new heights. According to the Amex GBT Global Meetings and Events Forecast for 2026, AI is expected to reshape the industry and significantly enhance its capabilities, with planners around the world already adopting it across a variety of use cases.
“AI certainly does help event planners to streamline planning, generate creative concepts and presentations, write proposals and prepare reports faster,” says Celeste Whitaker, Founder and Director of Fizz Marketing. “It enhances digital tools we have used for years and is becoming vital for data-driven tasks like tracking trends, particularly at major events with thousands of attendees.”
AI is also proving especially valuable for recurring events, such as annual conferences that engage the same community over time. By analysing large volumes of data, these tools can support more targeted communications and improved planning outcomes. For brands hosting such events, AI offers powerful insights to inform marketing strategies, sales initiatives, and enhancements to the attendee experience.
In the exhibition space, emerging AI capabilities are enabling exhibitors to capture and interpret conversations with visitors, helping brands better understand leads and determine appropriate follow-up actions.
Internally, tools such as Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT are being used to support the development of creative proposals, including visual mood boards that allow clients to better conceptualise event décor and layout.
Despite these advantages, AI is unlikely to fundamentally change the nature of events, which remain deeply human-centric. Events are experiential by nature, engaging the senses and requiring a level of human understanding that technology cannot fully replicate.
“Venue selection, for example, is best left to experienced event planners,” Whitaker explains. “You can’t rely on AI to do that research - you have to see the venue in person to get a sense of whether the space aligns with the event’s objectives and is suitable in terms of the numbers, the structure and flow of the event.”
While AI can enhance event experiences with features such as digital concierges or avatar-based assistants, it does not replace meaningful human interaction.
“This is not the same as having a friendly chat with a person, who can quickly answer multiple questions at once,” adds Whitaker. “Meaningful and empathetic human interaction remains essential at key points throughout the event experience.”
Ultimately, while AI continues to evolve as a valuable tool for improving efficiency and enabling data-driven decision-making, human creativity and problem-solving remain at the heart of successful events. As the industry embraces innovation, the balance between technology and human insight will continue to define exceptional event experiences.
