AI, kitchen digitalisation, sustainability and changing consumer expectations will take centre stage at the GUEXT Forum, taking place in Madrid from 15 to 17 October.

Hospitality businesses are being challenged to improve operational efficiency, manage resources more effectively and respond to consumers whose expectations continue to evolve. At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence, connected equipment and space design are creating new possibilities for professional kitchens, restaurants and foodservice operators.

These questions will form the focus of the GUEXT Forum, part of the second edition of GUEXT, the International Exhibition of Suppliers and Services for the Hospitality Industry, organised by IFEMA MADRID in collaboration with FELAC, the Spanish Federation of Associations of Manufacturers of Machinery for Hospitality, Catering and Related Industries. The event will take place at the IFEMA MADRID Exhibition Centre from 15 to 17 October, with the forum programme hosted in Hall 12.

Moderated by food journalist Sara Cucala, the sessions will explore the practical implications of technological innovation, emerging foodservice business models, sustainability and the relationship between physical environments and customer experience.

The opening day will address both the social role of gastronomy and the changing economics of foodservice. Cooking with a Humanitarian Conscience will examine the sector’s social impact, while New Business Models in Foodservice will consider how operators are adapting to evolving market conditions. Contributors include Óscar Manresa of Fundación Catalina, Carlos Maldonado of Semillas, and representatives from Devoramos luego ardemos by Montagud, Ansón y Bonet and Grosso Napoletano.

Technology will be another central theme. In The Connected Kitchen Is Already Here, industry representatives and consultant chef Juanma López will discuss connectivity, digitalisation and intelligent management in professional kitchens. A separate session, Designing the Dining Area: When Space, Tableware and Experience Speak the Same Language, will examine how interiors, furniture and tableware contribute to the overall dining experience.

Artificial intelligence will also feature through the presentation of the Cooking Workbench project by GOe Tech Center, the Basque Culinary Center’s gastronomy technology centre. The AI-powered digital workspace is designed to help culinary teams develop, organise and reuse recipes and culinary knowledge, incorporating data such as ingredient flavour profiles and nutritional values.

The programme on 17 October will turn to contract catering, workplace design and convenience-led foodservice. Smart and Sustainable Contract Catering will explore developments in the sector, while Designing Kitchens to Work Better will consider how kitchen layouts influence efficiency, productivity and staff wellbeing. The session Foodvenience: Eating Quickly Without Compromising on Quality will address the challenge of meeting demand for speed without sacrificing food quality.

Alongside the forum, the Sobremesas de MAB roundtable discussions, organised by MAB Hostelero magazine and moderated by Sandra Rodríguez, will focus on equipment, operations and design across the HoReCa sector. Topics include automation and energy efficiency in professional kitchens, the factors behind profitable equipment investment, and how functional design can improve customer experience and business performance.

GUEXT will also recognise professional achievement during the exhibition. On 16 October, Miguel López of Pilsa will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Hospitality Distribution, while the winner of the FELAC Professional Career Award will be announced. The day will also feature the final of the first National Competition for the Best School Menu, alongside live demonstrations of equipment and technology at KitchenXperience by Dimasa.

Across the three days, the programme will bring together manufacturers, operators, chefs and industry specialists to examine how technology, business strategy and design are influencing the future of hospitality. The central challenge is not simply to adopt new solutions, but to make them work in the operational and commercial realities of the sector.
 

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EventsAir research finds that 72% of event professionals consider artificial intelligence valuable or essential, while 26% have yet to use it, with knowledge gaps and data security concerns among the main barriers.

Artificial intelligence is gaining recognition across the business events industry, but its practical application remains uneven. New research from event management software provider EventsAir suggests that while most event professionals see value in AI, a significant proportion have yet to incorporate it into their work.

The survey of 380 event professionals across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), and North America found that 72% consider AI valuable or essential for improving event outcomes. However, 26% reported that they were not using the technology at all.

The findings feature in AI in Events: Practical Guidance for Professional Event Planners, a guide examining current applications, the obstacles slowing adoption and approaches to implementing AI responsibly.

Marketing leads current applications

Among respondents using AI, event marketing emerged as the most frequently reported application, cited by 62.4%. Data analysis and reporting followed at 37.8%, while 15% said they used AI for logistics and operations.

Other applications included attendee engagement, reported by 14.5% of respondents, and attendee personalisation, at 13.2%.

The figures suggest that AI is already finding a place in activities such as marketing and reporting, while its application to operational planning and more personalised attendee experiences remains less widespread among those surveyed.

For event teams, the potential extends beyond content generation. AI tools can help process information, support routine administrative tasks and make event data more accessible, potentially allowing planners to devote more time to programme development, stakeholder relationships and participant experience.
 

Mehdi Khalili (cover photo), Chief AI & Technology Officer at EventsAir, identifies productivity and personalisation as two principal areas of opportunity.

The first involves using AI as an assistant for tasks such as retrieving information from event management systems, preparing post-event reports and adjusting agendas. The second concerns the ability to analyse attendee interests and use that information to develop more personalised agendas, networking opportunities and communications.

The latter could help planners address personalisation at a scale that would be difficult to achieve through manual processes alone. Its effectiveness, however, depends on the quality of the available data and how responsibly that information is used.

Knowledge and security remain barriers

Despite the perceived benefits, the research points to practical challenges that continue to limit adoption.

A lack of knowledge or expertise was identified as a barrier by 62.7% of respondents, making it the most frequently cited obstacle. Data privacy and security concerns followed at 52.9%. Cost or budget constraints were reported by 31.4%, while 24.1% cited resistance to change among staff or leadership.

The results indicate that wider adoption is not simply a question of making AI tools available. Event professionals also need the skills to assess where the technology is useful, understand its limitations and integrate it into established workflows.

Privacy and security are particularly relevant in an industry that handles registration details, attendee preferences, payment information and other potentially sensitive data. The research identifies these concerns as a significant barrier, although it does not establish which specific security issues respondents consider most pressing.

Khalili argues that the next stage of adoption should focus on developing AI literacy, identifying practical use cases and testing applications that can demonstrate meaningful value, rather than introducing the technology across every aspect of event delivery at once.

EventsAir's guide includes a beginner's playbook with role-based experiments and example prompts intended to help event professionals explore potential applications.
 

From experimentation to event operations

The findings come as event technology providers increasingly incorporate AI into management platforms. EventsAir has introduced Planner Assistant as part of its Air Intelligence suite, allowing users to interact with live and historical event data through natural-language questions.

The tool is designed to help planners retrieve information and identify operational insights without manually building reports or navigating multiple dashboards. Examples provided by the company include reviewing revenue by registration type and payment status, identifying sessions approaching capacity and, where requested, taking action such as moving a session to a larger room.

Such applications illustrate how AI could move beyond generating text or supporting marketing tasks to assist with decisions within the event planning workflow. The extent of that contribution will depend on the capabilities of individual tools, the data available and the level of human oversight retained.

For event professionals, the immediate challenge is therefore twofold: identifying tasks where AI can make a practical difference and building the expertise required to use it with confidence.

The EventsAir research also points to a distinction between recognising AI's potential and being ready to deploy it. With knowledge gaps and privacy concerns still prominent, progress may depend as much on training, governance and carefully selected use cases as on the technology itself.

EventsAir has also opened its 2027 State of Events survey, inviting event professionals worldwide to share information about their programmes and working practices. The survey is in its third year, with participants offered early access to the findings and entry into a draw for a US$200 gift card.
 

The AI in Events: Practical Guidance for Professional Event Planners guide is available free of charge from the EventsAir website.
 

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

Of 1,200 people reviewed across business conferences held between April 2025 and June 2026, 92% had no public record of what they can speak about, in what format, or for whom. Nick Zhuchkov, SpeakUp CEO, asks what that says about how congress programmes are built, and about the expertise the industry never gets to see.

We reviewed 1,200 people who appeared on the published programmes of 84 business conferences in the United States, the United Kingdom, India and the United Arab Emirates between April 2025 and June 2026, and asked how many could be found by a stranger looking for exactly what they know: not a LinkedIn page, which almost everyone has, but a structured public profile anywhere stating topics, formats, fee range and evidence of past talks.

Ninety-seven had one. The other 92 per cent existed, as speakers, only as a name in a programme and a line on LinkedIn. Every one had already stood on a stage and been judged worth an hour of a delegate's time; for the next organiser they were as good as invisible.

The review is a manual check of one sample, not a census. But the result raises a broader question about how the industry finds its speakers.
 

How Congresses Source Speakers Today

An association's education programme is assembled in layers. The call for abstracts and its peer review fill most of the parallel sessions with members' own work, and that route already surfaces practitioners.

The invited sessions and plenaries, where the committee's judgement is most exposed, are filled differently. A chair may start with names carried over from the previous programme, suggestions raised in committee calls, last year's evaluation scores, a bureau's list or a talk that a board member happened to see.

Every session must earn its place against learning outcomes and, increasingly, CPD accreditation, and the committee answers for those choices to a board and to members. A plenary that falls flat is the chair's problem at the next board meeting. That helps explain why invited-speaker searches tend to begin with people who already come with evidence, and why filling those slots can take weeks.

A senior programme curator in the Gulf put it plainly: “We are not short of experts, we are short of ways to find them. Every year I know there is someone in a member company who has actually solved the problem we want to discuss.” The challenge, she said, is knowing who that person is.
 

What the Data Shows

Part of that gap can be measured. In the year to August 2026, SpeakUp, the platform where I am chief technology officer, published 7,214 briefs from associations, congress organisers and corporate event teams.

A brief is a written speaker request setting out the topic, format and budget, opened to speakers once it has passed moderation. Patterns held across all three groups. Speed is useful, but it is not the most interesting part of the data. Among briefs that received a qualified reply -one from a speaker with a complete profile, within budget where one was set and not automatically rejected  the median wait for the first was 38 minutes.

Across all briefs, 80 per cent drew a reply within 24 hours and 11 per cent drew none. The median time to a booking accepted by both sides was 4.2 days. The distribution of those bookings tells us more. Of 2,386 confirmed bookings, the top 10 per cent of speakers took 38 per cent, so familiar patterns of concentration remain. But 32 per cent of bookings were the speaker's first through the platform, and 6 per cent went to people who said at registration that they had never spoken in public.

Demand was narrow: 13 expertise areas accounted for 84 per cent of it. Some categories were much harder to fill than others. A brief in data analytics drew an average of 1.4 qualified replies, compared with 7.4 for software architecture.
 

The Invisible Pool

Speakers themselves tell a similar story. Of 2,905 who registered during the year and answered the onboarding question, 90 per cent had no profile with any bureau or marketplace. The sample is self-selected, but it describes people who consider themselves speakers and who, until then, could usually be found only by someone who already knew their name.

The geography is revealing too. Forty-six per cent of bookings crossed a border; 94 per cent of bookings of Indian speakers came from abroad.

Making expertise visible does not only mean reaching the practitioner three time zones away. It can also reveal the equally qualified person forty kilometres from the venue: someone who needs no flight and whose experience may be much closer to the audience in the room.

That distinction matters because programme quality is not always tied to prominence. Some of the most useful sessions come from practitioners who are not established conference names but who have direct experience of the problem delegates are being asked to solve.

For a programme committee, that kind of speaker is difficult to choose if there is no practical way to discover them in the first place.

 

What This Changes for Programme Committees

None of this is an argument against known names. Committees choose familiar speakers because accountability sits with them, not because they are unwilling to search more widely. A known speaker carries evidence: previous talks, references, audience feedback and often a track record that can be checked. That makes the decision easier to defend internally.

The more useful question is whether the committee had enough information to know what alternatives existed. Bureaux, likewise, provide curation and a guarantee that a self-written profile does not. A profile is evidence, not endorsement.

A structured pool could itself become another gatekeeper; the concentration above shows that tendency, though the share of first bookings suggests the door is not shut. Evidence can also be gamed, which is why the useful part of a profile is not simply what somebody claims to know, but the record behind it: the talk that can be watched, the organiser who can be contacted, the work that can be examined.

For each invited slot, a committee can ask whether it chose the person who has done the relevant work or simply the person it already knew and whether it had any practical way to tell the difference. Once that gap is visible, the committee can decide for itself where to close it: through the call for abstracts, member companies, its PCO, a bureau or another source.
 

Waiting to Be Found

The meetings industry likes to say its value is the human encounter no technology replaces. The 92 per cent suggests many of those encounters may never happen.

Somewhere among a federation's members is the engineer who has already solved the problem. Somewhere in a host city is the plant manager who has already done the thing delegates are being asked to do.

The harder problem is not reaching them once their name is known. It is giving programme committees a realistic chance of discovering that they exist.

Nick Zhuchkov is СEO and Chief Technology Officer of SpeakUp, a platform that matches organisers' speaker requests with structured expert profiles. The figures are drawn from platform data for 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026 and from a manual review of 1,200 conference speakers appearing on published programmes between April 2025 and June 2026; methodology is available on request.
 

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EventsAir has launched Planner Assistant, an AI-powered tool now available to all event planners using the platform, designed to turn live and historical event data into instant insights, visualisations and actions.

The new capability forms part of EventsAir’s Air Intelligence suite and brings natural-language interaction directly into the event management platform. According to the company, Planner Assistant combines native, in-product intelligence with a contextual foundation built on more than 35 years of event industry expertise.

Rather than requiring planners to build reports or navigate multiple dashboards, Planner Assistant allows them to ask complex questions about their events and receive answers in plain language. The tool can also turn findings into charts that can be saved and shared, while a growing range of actions can be carried out directly within the platform.

For example, planners can ask: “Can you show me total revenue collected so far, broken down by registration type and payment status?” and receive an immediate visual response. They can also ask which sessions are trending towards overcapacity, with Planner Assistant able to take action on their behalf, such as moving a session to a larger hall, when requested and within the same conversation.

“Planner Assistant is about giving planners their time back,” said Paul Trappett (right side), CEO at EventsAir. “Every hour spent building a report or chasing down a number is an hour not spent on the parts of the job that actually shape a great event. Because Planner Assistant is built directly into the platform planners already rely on, it doesn't just tell them what's happening in their event. It helps them act on it, in the same place, in the same moment.”

Intelligence built into the platform

Planner Assistant is built directly into EventsAir, giving it access to the live context of a planner’s event data across areas including registrations, revenue, sessions, speakers and accommodation. EventsAir says this native approach was deliberate, with the company focusing on bringing AI into the environment where planners already manage their events.

The aim is to help planners engage more deeply with their events, analyse data faster and ultimately set up, manage and update events with less effort.

“Planners need technology that genuinely makes their working lives easier,” said Mehdi Khalili, CTO at EventsAir. “Building Planner Assistant directly into EventsAir means we can help planners understand what’s happening and act on it without taking them out of the platform where the work is actually happening. And as a fully embedded solution, it gives us complete control over where our AI models are hosted, helping customers meet data privacy and sovereignty requirements while ensuring every response is grounded in the right context, with clear provenance.”

EventsAir is also developing Model Context Protocol (MCP) capability on the same foundation. Expected in the coming months, this will give planners greater flexibility to extend EventsAir into other AI tools and platforms they already use.
 

Tested in live event environments

Ahead of the launch, EventsAir worked with customers to test Planner Assistant in real event environments. Petra Bacic, Chief Operating Officer at Public Sector Network, said: “I would recommend Planner Assistant to any event professional who wants to spend less time pulling reports and more time actually understanding and acting on their event data. I can see it changing the way teams plan events by making event data more accessible, easier to interrogate and faster to act on. It gives event professionals the ability to ask better questions, identify issues earlier and make more informed decisions throughout the event lifecycle.”

Michael Lockett, Founder & CTO of Symbiometry, highlighted the importance of transparency behind the answers generated by the assistant: “An assistant that will guess is a liability dressed as a productivity gain. I asked Planner Assistant how many contacts were attached to an event, and it didn't just hand me a number, it showed me exactly how it got there in under 20 seconds. That's the difference between an answer and an answer you can actually stand behind and trust.”

Planner Assistant is now live inside EventsAir and available to all event planners on the platform. It joins Attendee Assistant and Content Assistant within Air Intelligence, the company’s growing family of AI-powered assistants supporting planners and attendees across the event lifecycle.

EventsAir has more than 35 years of experience in event management technology and provides an all-in-one platform supporting in-person, virtual and hybrid events. The company says its platform has powered more than 400,000 events globally.
 

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Jublia AI has upgraded its Recommendation Engine to help event attendees navigate the growing volume of people, companies, products and opportunities available at conferences and exhibitions.

As events become richer in content, connections and commercial opportunities, the challenge for attendees is increasingly less about finding options and more about identifying which ones are actually worth their time.

Singapore-based event engagement intelligence platform Jublia AI is addressing that challenge with an upgraded Recommendation Engine designed to make event discovery more relevant, proactive and easier to navigate.

The enhanced system is intended to help attendees focus their time on opportunities that align with their individual interests and goals, while providing more context around why particular recommendations are being made.

From more options to more relevant discovery

The upgrade changes how recommendations are generated by taking a wider range of context into account when identifying relevant opportunities.

Rather than simply presenting attendees with a larger selection of potential connections or activities, the Recommendation Engine proactively prepares recommendations for them to explore. It also provides clearer context behind each recommendation, giving users more information with which to assess its relevance before deciding what to pursue next.

That approach reflects a broader shift in event technology: from helping participants access the volume of information available at an event towards helping them make sense of it.

For Kuan Yan Tan, CEO of Jublia AI, the distinction is important. “The value of recommendations isn’t simply in showing people more options. It’s in helping them recognize which opportunities are relevant and giving them the context to make their own decisions,” said Kuan Yan Tan, CEO of Jublia AI. “With this upgrade, we’re making discovery more relevant, proactive, and easier to understand, helping participants make the most of the opportunities available to them.”

Supporting the event experience

The Recommendation Engine upgrade is part of Jublia AI’s wider focus on improving how participants discover and engage with relevant opportunities throughout the event experience.

The platform is positioned as an event engagement intelligence platform, designed to help events understand context, adapt in real time and respond when it matters most. According to the company, its technology is used across conferences, exhibitions and large-scale events by organisers worldwide.

At attendee level, the upgraded Recommendation Engine is designed to connect that intelligence with practical decision-making: helping participants identify people they may want to meet, companies and products that may be relevant to their interests, and other opportunities available within an event.

The underlying proposition is therefore not simply about increasing the number of recommendations presented to an attendee, but about making those recommendations easier to understand and act upon.

As event programmes and exhibition floors continue to generate ever greater volumes of potential interactions, the ability to filter those opportunities according to individual context could become an increasingly important part of the participant experience.

Jublia AI’s upgraded Recommendation Engine is now positioned around three principles: more relevant discovery, proactive recommendations and greater transparency around why an opportunity has been suggested.
 

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Artificial intelligence is rapidly redefining how travellers discover, compare and ultimately choose destinations, according to Amadeus' latest report, The Future of Destinations: Insights from Travel Dreams 2026.

The research argues that destination competitiveness is entering a new phase, where success depends not only on visibility in search engines but increasingly on how effectively destinations appear in AI-generated recommendations.

The findings reveal that 69% of travellers now consider AI-generated summaries sufficient to make travel decisions without conducting any further research, while the use of AI chatbots for travel inspiration has tripled over the past five years, growing from 6% to 18%. AI is already influencing every stage of the travel journey, with 42% of respondents using it for planning and research, 36% for inspiration and destination discovery, and 35% while travelling.

For destination management organisations (DMOs), this signals a profound shift. The report argues that AI is no longer simply changing how travellers search for information; it is changing how they make decisions. As a result, destinations must ensure their content is clear, structured, consistent and optimised for AI-powered discovery rather than for human readers alone. Amadeus identifies Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) alongside traditional SEO as becoming part of a destination's core digital infrastructure. "If your content isn't structured for AI-generated summaries, it won't surface where decisions are made," the report warns.

The research also highlights a broader evolution in destination marketing. Rather than competing through attractions alone, destinations are increasingly expected to deliver emotional value, personalisation and seamless experiences. According to the study, 74% of travellers consider personalisation important, while many are willing to pay more for experiences that reduce friction, save time or align with their motivations, whether centred on wellbeing, culture, discovery or ease.

 "Destination management organisations are today architects of how a location makes a traveller feel during a vacation," says Sol Freixa, Vice President, Commercial, Destinations at Amadeus. "Travel Dreams 2026 data reveals travellers now want freedom, connection, discovery and ease. Those who intentionally craft journeys that deliver personal growth, wellbeing and authentic connection will become indispensable partners to hotels, brands and destinations alike."

Inside the report:

• Why emotions now define the “dream destination”
• How AI is quietly shaping where travelers decide to go
• What personalisation really means at destination level
• Why being visible in search and AI matters more than promotion
• How leading DMOs are becoming experience architects

Beyond AI, the report concludes that future destination competitiveness will increasingly depend on combining forward-looking travel intelligence, behavioural insights and structured content strategies to anticipate demand rather than simply react to it.

As Amadeus summarises, the destinations that will succeed are not necessarily those that promote themselves the most, but those that understand demand earliest, appear where decisions are made and create experiences that resonate emotionally.
 

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Olympia Events, managed by Legends Global, has partnered with Aztec Event Services to publish the 2026 AV Trends Review, offering a forward-looking analysis of the technologies, production trends and attendee expectations shaping the future of live events.

The publication follows Aztec's appointment as the official audiovisual partner for Olympia's new International Convention Centre (ICC) and reflects the organisations' shared ambition to promote innovation and knowledge-sharing across the business events industry.

Drawing on insights from venue, production and technology specialists, the report examines how audiovisual technology is evolving from a supporting function into a strategic enabler of event experiences. It also explores the operational challenges facing organisers, exhibitors and venues as expectations around engagement, personalisation and return on investment continue to grow.

"We have to give people a reason to leave their homes. The events that are succeeding today are creating experiences people simply can't get anywhere else. Technology plays an important role in that, but only when it's used to support a much bigger story about connection, engagement and community," said Lisa Tyson, Deputy Managing Director at Aztec Event Services.

From technology-led to experience-led events

One of the report's central conclusions is that successful events are increasingly being designed around the attendee experience rather than around technology itself. Personalisation, immersive content and year-round engagement are identified as becoming essential components of event strategies.

"Technology should enable great events rather than become the focus of them. The most successful organisers are thinking beyond equipment and looking at how technology can create more seamless, personalised and engaging experiences for attendees," added Richard Harris, Technology Director at Olympia Events.
 

Five trends shaping the industry

The 2026 AV Trends Review highlights five developments expected to influence live events over the coming year:

• The shift from technology-led planning to experience-led event design.
• Personalisation emerging as the new benchmark for attendee engagement.
• Greater emphasis on year-round content creation to maximise event ROI.
• Practical applications of artificial intelligence alongside areas requiring caution.
• Increasing operational pressures on production teams as expectations continue to rise.

Alongside these trends, the report also identifies two major challenges facing organisers and venues, before concluding with five predictions covering AI adoption, accessibility, audience behaviour and the future evolution of live event production.

Designed for event organisers, venues, exhibitors and production professionals, the report provides practical guidance for organisations seeking to adapt to an increasingly experience-driven meetings and events landscape.
 

Download the full review here
 

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EventsAir unveiled Air Intelligence, a new generation of AI-powered assistants designed to transform the way events are planned, managed and experienced. The launch marks a significant step forward in event technology, moving the industry towards a more intuitive, contextual and real-time approach to event management.

With Air Intelligence, event planning shifts away from navigating multiple systems and towards direct interaction with event data. Instead of building reports, searching across different tools or repeatedly responding to attendee queries, planners can ask questions, receive instant answers and take action as events unfold. At the same time, attendees benefit from personalised, real-time support — from discovering relevant sessions to receiving context-aware updates — without relying on on-site staff.

“Air Intelligence represents a fundamental shift for the events industry and how planners engage with their technology,” said Paul Trappett, CEO of EventsAir.

“We’re building Air Intelligence at a moment when the role of software is changing. For too long, event professionals have had to work around systems, rather than with them. With Air Intelligence, we’re introducing intelligent assistants that are evolving towards agent-like capabilities, working alongside planners to interpret data, surface insights, and take appropriate actions in real time, powered by over 35 years of event delivery expertise and deeply connected event data.”

At the core of the platform is a unified architecture capable of connecting live and historical event data across the entire event lifecycle. This enables organisers to ask questions such as “Which sessions are underperforming?” or “How are registrations tracking compared to last year?” and receive immediate, actionable answers while the event is still taking place.

A new standard for event intelligence

Air Intelligence has been developed to support both event professionals and attendees at every stage of the event journey — from planning and promotion to live delivery and post-event analysis. The platform includes a suite of AI-powered assistants, including Attendee Assistant (available now), Planner Assistant (coming soon) and Content Assistant (already live), each designed to address different aspects of event operations and audience engagement.

Its key strength lies in the ability to connect event data in real time. Attendee behaviour, session activity, operational updates and performance metrics are no longer viewed in isolation, but instead form a continuously evolving picture of each event.

According to the company, this creates a more adaptive model for event delivery, enabling teams to identify issues earlier, make adjustments in real time and respond more effectively to what is happening on the ground.

AI designed to support — not replace — event professionals

Developed with a practical, human-first approach, Air Intelligence reflects more than 35 years of EventsAir’s experience supporting event professionals worldwide. The company says the focus remains firmly on empowering people through smarter use of data.

“From the beginning, our focus has been on building AI that supports event professionals, not replaces them,” said Mehdi Khalili, CTO of EventsAir. “Events are complex, fast-moving environments, and planners need tools that can keep up, adapt, and respond alongside them. Air Intelligence is designed to extend what planners are capable of, giving them more time to focus on the strategic and creative elements that make events truly impactful.”

For EventsAir, the launch represents a broader shift in how technology supports the events sector. Rather than navigating complex systems, manually compiling reports and piecing together fragmented insights, planners can now interact with their events in real time, gaining clarity and taking action when it matters most.

With Air Intelligence, EventsAir is positioning itself at the forefront of a new era in event technology, where intelligent assistants become a natural extension of every event team.
 

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

Olympia Events, managed by Legends Global, has appointed Richard Harris (cover) as Technology Director, strengthening the organisation’s ambition to become a more technology-led and data-driven business as Olympia’s €1.52 billion regeneration project continues to reshape the historic London destination.

Harris joins the business at a pivotal moment in Olympia’s transformation, where technology, connectivity and data are increasingly positioned as central pillars in the delivery of exhibitions, conferences and live experiences across the evolving venue ecosystem.

With more than two decades of experience across events, sports, ticketing and marketing, Harris brings expertise spanning digital transformation, IT operations, cybersecurity and large-scale customer-facing environments. His appointment reflects Olympia Events’ broader strategy to integrate technology more deeply across operational systems, organiser services and visitor experiences.

Before joining Olympia Events, Harris served as Director at Two Circles, contributing to the agency’s rapid international growth and commercial expansion. His career also includes senior leadership roles at the Rugby Football Union, Rugby World Cup 2015, the London 2012 Olympic Games and Wembley Stadium, where he oversaw the delivery of the venue’s opening technology infrastructure.

At Olympia Events, Harris will lead the organisation’s technology strategy and operational delivery, overseeing core IT infrastructure, connectivity, cybersecurity and data systems. Working alongside the venue’s internal teams and broader business operations, he will focus on strengthening digital capabilities, improving efficiency and enhancing the end-to-end experience for organisers, exhibitors and visitors.

Alex Lewis, COO at Olympia Events, said: “Richard will play a critical role in strengthening our technology foundations while helping us become a more insight-led, data-driven business. His ability to translate business needs into practical, outcome-focused solutions will be key as we continue to grow and diversify.

“Our ambition is to place customer-led thinking at the centre of every decision. Richard’s leadership will support greater collaboration across teams and help us deliver even better experiences for our organisers, exhibitors and visitors.”

The appointment forms part of a wider leadership investment programme at Olympia Events as the organisation prepares for the next phases of Olympia’s long-term redevelopment, which aims to reposition the destination as a major hub for events, entertainment, hospitality and business in London.

Commenting on his appointment, Harris said: “This role represents a rare opportunity to help shape the future of a globally recognised venue at a pivotal moment in its history. I’m looking forward to working with the team to ensure technology acts as a true enabler of growth, delivering practical, outcome-driven solutions that enhance both the organisation and the guest experience within our event spaces.”

Olympia’s regeneration programme continues to advance in phases following the opening of Wetherby Pembridge in September 2025 and Idalia at Pillar Hall in March 2026. Additional venues and public spaces are expected to open progressively, culminating in the launch of Olympia’s new theatre in early 2027.
 

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Artificial intelligence may be transforming the modern workplace, but new research suggests it is also increasing, rather than reducing, the need for in-person meetings and human collaboration.

Commissioned by The Meetings Show, the newly released UK Productivity Gap Index reveals that nearly two-thirds of UK business leaders (62%) believe AI is creating a greater need for human discussion, alignment and decision-making across organisations.

The study, developed in partnership with The Business of Events and building on Northstar Travel Group’s PULSE Survey, surveyed 1,000 UK business leaders to better understand how collaboration challenges are impacting organisational productivity.

While AI adoption continues to accelerate, many organisations are simultaneously experiencing new layers of operational complexity. More than one-third of respondents (36%) said AI has already had a major or significant impact on operations, while a further 30% reported moderate disruption.

Against this backdrop, face-to-face interaction continues to play a critical role in business performance. According to the research, 65% of leaders said complex or sensitive decisions are made faster in person — a figure that rises to 82% when it comes to strategically important decisions.

The findings also point to a growing productivity challenge across UK organisations. On average, managers report losing 3.9 hours every week due to delayed or unclear decision-making — the equivalent of 202 working hours or 25 working days annually.

Half of business leaders surveyed said projects regularly stall because decisions take too long, while 47% noted meetings often conclude without clear outcomes. A further 43% said teams frequently revisit decisions that should already have been resolved.

Rather than signalling a lack of effort, the report suggests the issue lies in organisational alignment. Respondents estimate that poor collaboration reduces productivity by an average of 14%, with one in four leaders believing the impact exceeds 20%.

The research also reflects the evolving realities of hybrid work. While 59% of respondents believe knowledge-sharing has improved since the pandemic, half also feel hybrid working is slowing the development of early-career professionals, highlighting the ongoing challenge organisations face in balancing flexibility with effective collaboration.

A spokesperson for The Business of Events said: “This research highlights a fundamental shift in how productivity challenges are emerging across UK organisations. It is no longer simply about how hard people work, but how effectively teams align, make decisions and move work forward.

“As organisations adopt AI and more flexible ways of working, the need for clarity and shared understanding becomes more important, not less. Without that alignment, technology can accelerate activity, but not necessarily progress. What this study shows is that collaboration, particularly when it brings people together to resolve complexity, plays a critical role in how businesses perform.”

Jack Marczewski (on the right), Portfolio Event Director at The Meetings Show, added: “We wanted this research to reflect how work actually happens inside organisations today. It shows very clearly that productivity isn’t just about tools or effort. It’s about how well teams align, make decisions and move work forward.

“As AI becomes more embedded in the workplace, the need for clear, confident decision-making becomes even more important. Bringing people together in the right environment is a big part of that. We’re looking forward to exploring these findings in more depth at the show and working with the industry to help organisations tackle some of these challenges.”

The findings will be explored further during The Meetings Show, taking place at ExCeL London from 24–25 June 2026, co-located with Business Travel Show Europe and TravelTech Show.
 

To download the UK Productivity Gap Index, please visit the website
 

Powered by Meeting Media Company, publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

Creative production company nmatic.ai has announced a strategic partnership with Alibi Studios to launch The Next Valley, a new Hybrid AI VFX studio combining generative AI workflows with high-end visual effects production.

The venture brings together nmatic.ai’s Hybrid AI production model — integrating live action, CGI, photography and generative AI — with Alibi Studios’ experience in film, advertising and immersive content. The new company will operate as a jointly owned business led by nmatic.ai CEO Nick Price and Alibi Studios CEO Nicolas Cotta.

The partnership arrives as brands, studios and content creators increasingly explore AI-driven workflows to accelerate production timelines, optimise budgets and expand creative possibilities without compromising visual quality.

At the centre of the collaboration is Mark Benson, Chair of Alibi Studios and former CEO of MPC and President of The Mill, both recognised globally for their work in VFX and creative production. Creative leadership for The Next Valley will be overseen by Nathalie Girard, Executive VFX Supervisor at Alibi Studios, alongside Carl Lyttle, Chief Digital Officer at nmatic.ai, and Chris Catchpole, Chief Creative Officer at nmatic.ai.

According to the companies, the studio aims to position AI as a complement to creative craft rather than a replacement for it, developing new production models that blend human-led storytelling with emerging technologies.

Nick Price, Founder and CEO of nmatic.ai, commented: “Hybrid AI integrated with VFX represents one of the largest shifts in content production in a generation. By building it into the workflow from the ground up, The Next Valley can deliver work of the highest visual quality, faster and more cost-effectively, at a time when budgets are squeezed and craft has felt threatened. We believe the model not only solves a real issue in the entertainment and advertising industries today, but also helps forge a new path for how AI can work as an effective part of a craft-led culture in the future.”

While Alibi Studios will continue operating its traditional VFX activities independently, the company says The Next Valley will focus specifically on developing AI-enhanced workflows and new production methodologies using technologies such as Unreal Engine alongside generative AI tools.
 

Nicolas Cotta, Founder and CEO of Alibi Studios, commented: “Whilst Alibi will continue to use a traditional approach to VFX, our commitment to The Next Valley will take our collaborations to another level, where we will have a dedicated team that not only uses what AI offers us today, but leverages AI alongside Unreal Engine and other tech platforms to proactively develop new workflows for our clients and partners in the future.”

The companies say the new venture reflects broader changes taking place across the creative industries, where production studios are increasingly balancing efficiency, scalability and creative control within tighter commercial conditions.

Mark Benson, Chair of Alibi Studios, commented: “I am inspired by the ambition of Nicolas and Nick for The Next Valley, and see enormous potential for this partnership. The critical commitment to creative excellence and craft is at the heart of their collective strategies, and I am excited about the growth plans that the business has identified.”

nmatic.ai is a Hybrid AI creative production studio and technology company focused on combining generative AI with traditional creative disciplines to produce premium visual and audio content across film, advertising, photography, television and digital campaigns.

The company’s production model integrates AI-driven workflows with human-led craft, aiming to improve speed, scalability and cost-efficiency while maintaining high creative standards. Since its launch, nmatic.ai has produced more than 250,000 AI-generated images and videos through a hybrid pipeline combining generative AI, CGI, live action and post-production techniques.

nmatic.ai works with international brands including Dyson, Warner Brothers, Unilever, Twinings, Investec, Bank of Singapore, AB InBev, Merck & Co, Sonova, Bolt and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

The company positions AI as a tool designed to support and amplify creative talent rather than replace it.

Alibi Studios is an international creative production collective specialising in visual effects, immersive media and next-generation content production across film, television, advertising, gaming and experiential projects.

The studio combines traditional storytelling and VFX expertise with emerging technologies including virtual production, real-time engines and AI-enhanced production workflows. Its work spans high-end visual effects, interactive experiences and large-scale immersive installations developed for multiple platforms and audiences.

Operating through a collective studio model connected by a unified production pipeline, Alibi Studios combines creative direction and technical leadership with flexible production capabilities for global clients and partners.
 

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

HeadBox has expanded its AI-powered event platform and expert management services to New Zealand, officially launching in Auckland on 4 May with more than 120 local listings already supported by its experienced Australian team.

The move comes at a time of strong growth for New Zealand’s business events sector, which is projected to contribute $925 million to the economy in 2025 (BEIA), with international delegates spending more than 50 per cent above leisure visitors.

Ali Lord, Chief Executive for Australia and New Zealand — who led HeadBox’s Australian launch in 2021 — says the expansion responds to a clear market need.

“New Zealand is a key part of HeadBox's APAC expansion, following its successful scaling across Australia and its launch into the US earlier this year. We are a trailblazing events platform for the AI generation backed by a highly experienced team of event professionals.”

HeadBox reports that enterprise clients have saved an average of 20% on business events spend, with organisations such as Sky, KPMG, PKF, Herbert Smith Freehills and NeuroGroup relying on the platform to manage event programmes globally — from venue sourcing and procurement to full-scale execution.

“The last five years have demonstrated that events play a key role in the strategy and growth of organisations. With shifts in how and where employees work, events have become a cornerstone of the employee value proposition. Events serve as a strategic pillar to deliver key messaging, drive brand ROI and generate revenue. Our role is to ensure those events continue to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation, while ensuring compliance,” Lord says.

“HeadBox allows corporate event professionals to book, plan and execute in-person, hybrid and virtual events in one place, with real-time visibility of event spend across individuals, teams and territories.”

She adds that the platform addresses operational complexity often faced by planners: "Corporate event managers are managing complex programmes across multiple venues and suppliers, often using a mix of spreadsheets and email threads to keep track of everything. HeadBox gives them one place to manage the full process, from finding a venue to tracking spend, which saves significant time and reduces the risk of things falling through the cracks," she says.

A wide range of Auckland venues are now available through the platform — from waterfront locations and rooftop bars to museums and leading hotels — including the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC), QT Auckland, The Hotel Britomart, The Churchill at Four Points by Sheraton Auckland and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

Among its key features is 3D Studio, a virtual venue inspection and analytics tool that enables planners to explore spaces remotely — accelerating the venue-finding process up to tenfold while reducing unnecessary travel and its associated carbon footprint.

"For a travel manager coordinating events across multiple cities, the ability to do a detailed virtual walkthrough of five venues in an afternoon is a genuine time-saver. It doesn't replace the final site visit, but it means you're only making that trip for the short-list," Lord says.

The platform also addresses growing demands around financial oversight and ESG reporting: “Around 40% of transient travel programmes spend sits in business events, yet most organisations don't have visibility to manage it strategically. (Ref: whitepaper.) For Australian travel managers, mandatory climate reporting requirements now in force for large entities mean untracked event spend isn't just a budget problem, it's an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting gap. HeadBox consolidates that spend into a single platform, giving finance and procurement teams real-time visibility and a clean audit trail. For organisations managing events at scale, that visibility is no longer a nice-to-have.”

Artificial intelligence plays a central role in the platform’s offering, particularly in streamlining planning processes — though, as Lord notes, it complements rather than replaces human expertise: “But AI needs to be thought of as a tool to add to your toolbox, not a replacement for the person using the tools. It won't replace the human expertise of negotiations, creativity and relationships,” she says.

The New Zealand launch also reflects wider structural shifts across organisations, particularly as teams adapt to changing economic conditions: “Many of the first roles to be cut during periods of change are in marketing and events, yet the work still needs to be done. Companies are increasingly leaning on HeadBox to fill those gaps, with the platform acting as an extension of their own team.”

New Zealand venues will now have access to HeadBox’s full global product portfolio, enabling greater visibility among corporate planners actively sourcing event spaces.
 

Powered by Meeting Media Company, publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

The strength of tech innovation is increasingly held within the close collaboration of the organiser and provider. IMEX and ExpoPlatform illustrate how that team work has helped to deliver elevated experiences over three years, leading to a renewed partnership with progress at its heart.

IMEX has extended its partnership with ExpoPlatform as the official event tech provider for another three years. The announcement comes after the two companies successfully collaborated on a total of six events across IMEX America and IMEX Frankfurt. Both serve as places for exhibitors to showcase their products, services and destinations to a global audience of event professionals, buyers and decision-makers.

This agreement makes it the official partner for the group and its major shows in Frankfurt and Las Vegas until the end of 2028. The 2025 edition of IMEX Frankfurt saw 13,335 total participants and 67,000 meetings booked.

“Our partnership with ExpoPlatform is a key part of our strategic focus on enhancing the show experience. New features added to the app – including free lead scanning – and a more intuitive web platform have all helped to support connections between buyers and exhibitors as well as remove friction points across both of our shows,” says Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group.

“IMEX continues to set the standard for world-class events, not only through their global showcases but also by driving innovation and positive change in our industry. Long-term partnerships like this are where real impact happens – they allow us to evolve together, deliver smarter solutions and keep raising the bar for event experiences. We are excited to keep building with IMEX and to empower planners with the tools they need to create even more valuable connections,” add Tanya Pinchuk, CEO of ExpoPlatform.

IMEX Frankfurt first partnered with ExpoPlatform for the 2023 edition and launched an all-new online platform with enhanced capabilities to drive buyer-exhibitor connections. Over three years, this close collaboration and continued innovation have shaped one of the most digitally advanced experiences in the global meetings and events industry, and helped to elevate the customer experience.

The partnership between the IMEX and ExpoPlatform teams has involved close collaboration to ensure the digital offerings are best suited to the needs of the shows and participants. A wide range of custom tools and features have since been developed to enhance the platform’s value and boost business growth across the German and US-based events.

“Over the past three years, our partnership with ExpoPlatform has enabled us to work in close alignment, challenge each other constructively, and co-create a solution that delivers a great experience for our exhibitors and attendees. With a rich dataset now at our fingertips, we are now able to work together to unlock new insights into how people interact both within the platform and at our shows – insights that will fuel smarter decisions and more personalised experiences, says Gary Coombs, COO of IMEX. “As we look ahead, we are excited to explore how AI can further enhance the in-person journey and continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in event tech. There are many exciting developments on the horizon, and I look forward to continuing this great partnership.”

“Over the last three years, we have built powerful digital solutions together that enhanced the quality of in-person experiences. Now, we are taking it further. This next phase is about smarter data, seamless integrations and technology that supports better results as well as effectively leveraging the ever-evolving AI technologies,” concludes Mykyta Fastovets, CTO of ExpoPlatform.

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

Maree Di Pasquale (left) Group CEO The Arinex Group, and Jessica Ferguson Incoming Arinex CEO (right)

The Arinex Group, a leading experience marketing and event technology collective, has announced the appointment of Jessica Ferguson as Chief Executive Officer of its flagship brand, Arinex.

The leadership move comes at a pivotal moment for the Group, following a period of accelerated growth and the recent launch of fieldstate, a new creative powerhouse focused on high-impact brand storytelling and experiential design for leading global brands.

Recognised for blending marketing expertise with advanced digital capabilities, The Arinex Group operates a specialised service network delivering global conferences, incentives and corporate events across Australia, New Zealand and Greater Asia. Its corporate division already partners with globally recognised brands — including Zeekr, Tesla, Mattel and ASICS — producing high-impact activations and strategic events. With fieldstate’s dedicated creative team, that portfolio is set for further expansion.

Jessica steps into the CEO role after serving as Head of Business Development and Marketing at Arinex. She brings more than 20 years of experience spanning large-scale event management, professional congress organisation and incentive programme delivery, alongside an active contribution to the broader business events industry. Widely regarded as a people-first leader, she is known for aligning commercial strategy with creativity and digital capability, cultivating high-performing partnerships grounded in trust, transparency and shared outcomes. Her strategic vision and proven ability to drive growth and brand positioning position her as a natural choice to lead Arinex into its next phase, as the brand integrates more closely within the Group’s expanding ecosystem.

Maree Di Pasquale, Group CEO of The Arinex Group, said: “Jessica’s appointment is a defining moment for Arinex. Having successfully led our business development and marketing, she has a profound understanding of how to create deep value for our clients. She is the perfect leader to steer Arinex through its next phase of growth, blending her deep industry knowledge with a commitment to innovation and storytelling to deliver the world-class experiences our clients have come to expect.”

fieldstate joins a growing portfolio of specialist brands within the Group, including Arinex (professional conference organising and destination management), Arinex Live (technical production), Neoteq (technology innovation company) and evexus (event management software), reinforcing the Group’s vertically integrated service model.

Incoming Arinex CEO, Jessica Ferguson said: “I am honoured to take on the role of CEO at such a transformative time. Arinex has always provided the gold standard in event management services for our conferences and incentive programs, and we now have an exciting opportunity to further strengthen our position as an experiential-led organisation.

Having been part of Arinex’ journey for several years, I’ve seen firsthand the exceptional talent, passion and creativity within the business. Those qualities have been central to our success and will continue to drive our future. My focus is on fostering an environment that enables our people to innovate, respond with agility and continue delivering the high-calibre events for our clients. I look forward to building on the company’s strong legacy and leading the next phase of growth and evolution.”

With new leadership at Arinex and an expanded brand architecture under The Arinex Group, the collective is positioning itself to shape the next generation of human-centric event design across Australasia and beyond.

Powered by Meeting Media Company, publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

European leading business events innovators will gather at the Wintercircus in Ghent on 23 February 2026 for the BEFuture Signature Event, a unique industry showcase that will spotlight forward-thinking solutions by start-ups driving sustainability, digital transformation and social impact across the European business events landscape. The event will also host discussions about the future of the sector in Europe and offer many networking opportunities. 

Organised by the BEFuture project – the first initiative backed by the European Commission dedicated to driving sustainable, resilient, and inclusive transformation in the business events sector – the Signature Event will unite SMEs, innovators, business event organisers from venues and convention bureaus, regional and European networks, policymakers and academics to explore what comes next for business events across Europe. After two years of collaboration and community building, the BEFuture project comes to an end, and this event is its final milestone. 

Since its launch, BEFuture has built an open innovation ecosystem that champions entrepreneurship, sustainable practices and collaboration across borders. 81 innovative projects from six European countries have been supported through the project’s Acceleration Programme. 

“The Signature Event is the moment to present BEFuture’s achievements, learnings and results, while reflecting on what comes after the project’s formal conclusion and how to continue addressing the needs and future challenges of the industry by supporting the implementation of open innovation business models and technology adoption. Public–private and cross-sector collaboration are key” said Sònia Serracarbassa, Director of the Catalunya Convention Bureau at the Catalan Tourist Board, which coordinates the BEFuture project.

14 Catalan Projects Shaping the Future of Business Events Featured at ibtm World

The BEFuture Signature Event will feature: 

• The BEFuture Gallery, a curated showcase of innovative products, services and solutions developed by SME-led projects supported by BEFuture.
• Keynotes and thematic workshops exploring sustainability, inclusivity, entrepreneurship and innovation.
• Networking and knowledge-sharing sessions, an opportunity to exchange insights, spark collaborations and imagine future trajectories for the sector. 

The event is aimed at: 

• Business event organisers and other professionals from venues, hotels, convention bureaus, professional congress organiser firms, AV companies and associations;
• Entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, and change-makers;
• Decision-makers including EU and UN representatives;
• Representatives of regional and European networks and the public sector;
• Academics and students;
• Representatives from different ecosystems including labs, hubs and incubators from various sectors;
• The BEFuture community: everyone who has worked with and contributed to BEFuture. 

BEFuture is a three-year project co-funded by the European Commission under the Single Market Programme aiming to transform the business events sector and make it future-ready by harnessing the power of digitisation and fostering continuous innovation. Its goal is to create a new business model that strengthens the sustainability, digitalisation and resilience of the sector. By co-designing solutions with the entire business events ecosystem, we aim to make a positive and enduring impact.

Europe’s Moment to Reinvent Itself Begins With BEFuture

The BEFuture Acceleration Programme provided up to €30 000 in funding per selected project, alongside technical mentoring and access to an international innovation network. Open to SMEs from Belgium (Flanders), France, Germany, Italy, Spain (Catalonia) and the Netherlands, the programme advances the EU’s Tourism Transition Pathway by scaling solutions with demonstrable impact.

BEFuture is implemented by a partnership of 8 partners from 6 countries: Catalan Tourist Board/Catalan Convention Bureau (Spain), Tipik Communication Agency (Belgium), Visit Flanders (Belgium), Linkeus (France), Verband der Veranstaltungsorganisatoren (Germany), NHL Stender/European Tourism Futures Institute (Netherlands), UNIMIB – Milano University (Italy) and B.Link Barcelona Strategic Projects (Spain).

Participation in the BEFuture Signature Event is free of charge. Further information, full agenda, and registration can be found here  
 

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

For associations, events aren’t just line items on a marketing plan – they’re how you deliver education, build community, and drive membership retention and non-dues revenue. But with budgets under pressure and member expectations rising, 2026 will reward planners who rethink how they design, deliver, and measure every meeting, conference, and webinar.

Here are three of the top 2026 event trends that matter most for association planners.

1) AI goes operational

AI has moved from buzzword to backbone. Across the event lifecycle, it’s already automating tasks, simplifying sourcing, and powering more relevant communications, freeing planners to focus on strategy and stakeholder management. In fact, 66% of event professionals say AI lets them spend more time on high-value work(¹).

For associations, which often have lean teams and complex programmes (annual congresses, certification events, roadshows, and recurring webinars), this is a game-changer. Think:

• Faster venue sourcing and diagramming for multi-track annual meetings
• AI‑powered analysis of session feedback to surface key insights and trends in a digestible report
• Drafting event descriptions, emails, and post-event summaries in minutes

The key is to start with your workflow. Map where your team is bogged down in manual tasks – abstract review, speaker communications, certificate delivery, member-rate validation – and pilot AI where it can safely take over repetitive steps while your team retains oversight.
 

2) Personalisation is attendee-led

Your members don’t want a one-size-fits-all programme; they want an experience that recognises their role, career stage, and learning goals. The report shows that personalisation is no longer something done to attendees; the most engaged participants are those who can build their own journey – choosing the sessions they attend, the people they meet, and how they consume content.

For associations, that might look like:

• Curated education paths based on discipline, credential, or career level
• Event apps that surface recommended sessions, posters, and exhibitors based on past behaviour
• Tools like Cvent’s Session Snapshots, letting attendees capture the content moments that matter most and revisit them on their terms

3) Trust is your most valuable event outcome

In an AI-driven world where almost any digital interaction can be simulated, trust has become a defining currency. For associations – whose role is to be the trusted authority, standard-setter, and advocate for their profession or cause – this is especially critical.

Events are uniquely placed to build that trust. They create space for members to validate ideas with peers, see the association’s values in action, and experience transparent, credible education and governance. Research cited in the report shows that trust is a powerful behavioural driver: over 90% of attendees who reported increased trust in a brand post-event went on to make a purchase(²). Translate that into an association context and you’re talking about higher propensity to renew, register, volunteer, or upgrade membership.

If you want to go deeper on what trust looks like in practice, join Cvent in Brussels for our upcoming seminar on 12th March, “Trust at the Centre: Human-Centred Events in the Age of Technology”.
 

Want to hear more trends for 2026?

Download Cvent’s latest eBook, which unpacks six additional trends you can apply across your congresses, annual meetings, and year-round education strategy
 

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quietly transforming the way associations interact with their members, enhancing personalisation and efficiency across multiple touchpoints. In this article, some partners of the World PCO Alliance offer their insight into the undeniable advantages that AI delivers as well as what the future has in store.

AI Enhances Member Engagement through Personalisation

Associations rely heavily on marketing strategies to engage their members, attract new audiences, and deliver valuable content. AI-driven tools are making personalisation more precise by analysing member behaviour, preferences, and interactions. For instance, smart marketing tools are now routinely used to segment audiences and deliver hyper-targeted messages, ensuring that members receive relevant content tailored to their interests and professional needs. Personalised email campaigns not only boost member engagement but also increase conversion rates, demonstrating AI’s impact in making marketing efforts more efficient.

Across the association landscape, there is growing interest in using AI tools to enhance personalisation and post-event engagement. Ksenija Polla of Talley Management Group, Inc. notes, “AI-generated summaries and personalised content are transforming post-event follow-ups into valuable engagement opportunities.”
 

AI in Event and Content Recommendations

Beyond customer service and marketing, AI is playing a pivotal role in content distribution and event promotions. André Vietor from Bco Congresos points out that associations are now utilising AI-powered tools to make recommendations based on individual member preferences. By analysing past engagement data, AI can suggest relevant opportunities tailored to a member’s professional focus. “AI-driven tools are also being used to direct members to events, webinars, or articles that align with that member’s professional focus, improving both relevance and engagement.”

This level of multi-faceted personalisation fosters deeper connections between members and their associations, ensuring that they receive meaningful content instead of generic messaging.
 

AI-Powered Chatbots and Virtual Assistants

One of the more visible applications of AI in associations is in customer service and member interactions. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants have become standard on association websites, providing immediate responses to frequently asked questions and basic inquiries. These digital tools allow for 24/7 support, ensuring that members can access necessary information at any time without human intervention.

Even associations that claim they are not using AI may already be benefiting from AI-powered features embedded in platforms they use daily, like email marketing tools, analytics dashboards, and scheduling software. These systems often include AI elements designed to enhance usability and engagement, making AI an invisible yet impactful part of their workflows.
 

AI Analytics: Understanding Member Needs

Data analytics is another area where AI is proving invaluable for associations. AI-powered analytics platforms help organisations understand their members’ needs with greater accuracy, allowing for strategic decision-making in content creation, programming, and outreach.

For instance, associations can use AI to track engagement metrics, identify trends, and segment audiences for smarter content distribution. These insights can inform marketing strategies, event planning, and even membership retention efforts, making AI an essential tool for improving organisational effectiveness.

AI’s ability to collate and analyse market data has developed at an exponential pace over a very short space of time, and this ability will only improve over time. Thea Farrant Adam, CEO of The Conference Company, predicts that AI will become increasingly adept at identifying the optimal strategic and creative direction for marketing campaigns across varying audiences and demographics, even further maximising effectiveness by reducing time with A/B market testing. She says, “What would have taken hours of research and analysis to compile relevant insights that inform targeted marketing plans, can now be done in a matter of seconds, allowing associations to focus marketing budgets on delivering impactful marketing strategies with increasing levels of effectiveness and ROI."
 

AI Transforming Events

While AI is clearly enhancing efficiency and member engagement within an association, it is also amplifying an attendee’s experience at an event. Some examples of AI-inspired initiatives include:

• Real-time transcription and summaries for accessibility and instant value-add;
• Matchmaking platforms that use attendee data to recommend relevant networking connections;
• AI sentiment polling and facial analysis, offering live feedback during sessions to adjust tone, content, or format;
• Gamification elements with leaderboards, AR scavenger hunts, and QR-based challenges, all enhanced through AI decision trees and logic;
• AI-driven chatbots in event apps to provide real-time assistance, answer questions, and guide attendees through the agenda, venue logistics, or content highlights;
• Interactive audio kiosks and live agents;
• Digital MCs and conference hosts;
• Post-event analytics powered by AI to better understand attendee behaviour and tailor future events based on data-driven insights.

These innovations signal a shift far beyond traditional formats, and offer real-time, legible, data-backed feedback that is not just a nice-to-have, but that is essential.

Adds Vietor, “AI has helped us move toward a more responsive and participant-focused approach to event design and delivery.”

As a concrete example of an event’s AI innovation, MeetAgain’s Caroline Knies cites Deep Talk, a podcast created for the World Tunnel Congress that took place in Stockholm this past May. Deep Talk took listeners on a journey beneath the surface—literally and figuratively—by exploring the inventors and pioneers who shaped Sweden’s mining and tunnelling legacy.

Overall, AI enables associations to elevate the attendee experience – from the first touchpoint to the final survey – ensuring that their congress is not only well-organised, but truly engaging and attendee-focused.
 

AI Does Not Come Without Its Ethical Issues

While the advantages of implementing AI are undeniable, associations need to take into account AI’s limitations and ethical implications.

The most pressing ethical issue is data governance, how an association collects, stores, uses, and shares personal data. Associations hold a privileged position with their members and must treat that relationship with care. With AI, the stakes are higher because data is used not just for analysis but to generate content, predict behaviour, and automate decisions.

There’s also the risk of bias in algorithms. AI tools are only as good as the data they're trained on, which may include historical biases or certain underrepresented groups. If AI systems are built on incomplete, unbalanced, or non-representative data, they can reinforce existing inequalities or make unfair assumptions. Vietor points out that this raises serious concerns around fairness, accountability, and transparency — especially when AI is used in decision-making processes that affect people’s opportunities, access, or inclusion. He says, “Ensuring ethical AI requires ongoing oversight, diverse input, and a commitment to human-centred design.”

Polla adds, “To mitigate these risks, associations should adopt guiding principles such as transparency, member control, accountability, and inclusiveness. These align with our sector’s mission-driven ethos and help ensure AI enhances, rather than undermines, community trust.”

These ethical concerns and others were echoed by the other World PCO Alliance partners contributing to this article.

“I believe we all share a moral and ethical responsibility to support and sustain a thriving and viable economy within our sector,” says Farrant Adam. “By allowing AI to increasingly replace the roles of a wide range of contributing industries and individuals, we not only reduce the potential for many to earn a viable living, but also compromise the potential to attract emerging talent. If creating human connection is our north star, then preserving richness and diversity of authentic human thoughts, ideas, values and creativity needs to remain a priority.”

It’s important that associations see AI as a powerful tool that can complement and reinforce human interaction, allowing associations to deepen member relationships, increase operational efficiency, and create more impactful congress experiences.

In addition, care around risk is critical, particularly in regard to protecting personalised data, proprietary assets and IP. We all need to retain a healthy level of scepticism regarding accuracy of AI-sourced information and insights.
 

The AI Shift in the Association Landscape

The key thing for associations to keep in mind is that AI is not replacing human connection; rather, it is enhancing the ability of organisations to serve their members more effectively. As AI continues to evolve, associations will likely expand their use of automation, machine learning, and data-driven decision-making to create more meaningful interactions with their members. From personalised email campaigns and chatbots to event recommendations and analytics, AI-powered tools are making interactions more relevant, efficient, and impactful. Associations that embrace these technologies are better equipped to foster stronger relationships with their members and adapt to the digital landscape.

Article kindly provided by the World PCO Alliance - All Alliance members are leaders in the events industry in their respective countries and regions, and contribute to the development of local and international associations and their conferences as organisers and planners.
 

Powered by Meeting Media Company, publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

At the heart of innovation, Kenes is contributing to the growing trend of enhancing attendee engagement, helping set the stage for more dynamic, inclusive, and engaging events.

Author: Limor Cunia, Vice President, Clients & Operations, at Kenes Group

Today, participants expect more than just passive attendance; they want events that are interactive, convenient, and accessible. Technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence, plays a crucial role in shaping these experiences. It not only streamlines event logistics but also redefines how content is delivered, interacted with, and shared.

Streamlined Registration and Badge Printing

In response to the increasing demand for efficiency and convenience, many organisations are exploring ways to make check-ins faster and more intuitive. Kenes has embraced AI-powered solutions, such as facial recognition technology at onsite kiosks, so that attendees can swiftly collect their badges. This self-service approach is complemented by a Congress App, which offers an even more seamless experience, allowing delegates to print their badges directly from their phones.

“Our goal has always been to reduce friction for attendees from the moment they arrive,” says Uzi Drori, CIO, Kenes Group. “By leveraging these technologies, we make the registration process incredibly efficient, giving delegates more time to focus on what truly matters – learning, networking, and engaging with content.”

Real-Time, AI-Powered Content Accessibility

Traditionally, content accessibility has been limited by time, language, and other logistical constraints. Today, AI is breaking down these barriers. Tools like Kenes AI Translations provide real-time translations and text-to-speech services for live sessions, enabling a truly global audience to engage with content in their preferred language.

For those who miss a session or want to revisit key takeaways, AI is also helping attendees catch up. Session AI Summaries deliver concise, accurate overviews of presentations, while the AI Podcast tool allows session transcripts to be converted into engaging podcasts, making it easy to listen to content on the go – long after the event concludes.

Smart Assistance for Attendees

AI-driven solutions are also supporting attendees and exhibitors throughout the event journey. From the moment delegates register, they have access to AI-powered Chatbots and Mailbots that provide instant answers to common questions, offer event updates, and assist with logistics such as session schedules or accommodation. This reduces the need for manual intervention and helps attendees navigate the event with ease.

AI-Powered Abstract and Review Management

Scientific societies and event organisers face the challenge of managing the submission and review of a large volume of abstracts. Kenes is utilising AI to streamline this process, making it easier for authors to submit high-quality abstracts and for reviewers to make faster, data-driven decisions. The AI assistant for abstract submission helps authors optimise their submissions, improving both the quality and the likelihood of acceptance. Meanwhile, the AI abstract review tool analyses submissions, flags high-potential abstracts, and helps reviewers make more informed evaluations based on historical data.

“The use of AI in abstract management is a game-changer,” notes Uzi Drori. “It is not just about improving submission quality but also about using data-driven insights to make the review process more efficient and consistent.”

Setting a New Standard for Event Experiences

The role of technology in event engagement is evolving rapidly, and companies like Kenes are leading the way in integrating innovative solutions. From streamlining registration and content accessibility to providing real-time assistance and abstract submission processes, these AI-driven tools are helping shape the future of events.

By embracing these advancements, Kenes and other event organisers are setting a new standard for how events should be experienced. The integration of technology enables a future where every attendee, regardless of location or background, can engage fully with the content and connections that events have to offer. This article was kindly provided by Kenes Group, one of IAPCO's long-standing members.
 

IAPCO is a global not-for-profit membership organisation whose mission is to raise the standards of service amongst its members and other sectors of the meetings and events industry by means of continuing education, interaction with other professionals and research. IAPCO today represents 138 accredited businesses of professional congress organisers in 40 countries.
 

Powered by Meeting Media Company, publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

City Destinations Alliance (CityDNA) harnesses digital tools not to replace, but to enrich face-to-face connections, empowering its community of destination professionals through meaningful, techsupported experiences.

In a landscape where digital formats, remote collaboration, and AI-driven innovation are gaining momentum, CityDNA has carved a clear and bold path: to make technology a facilitator of real human connections, not a replacement. Since returning to fully in-person formats in 2022, CityDNA has focused on one strategic goal: redefining engagement through meaningful interactions thoughtfully supported by digital tools that enhance the human experience.

With more than 125 European destinations in its membership, CityDNA has embraced technology in service of relevance, impact, and accessibility. Their philosophy is simple: the best digital solutions disappear into the experience, quietly enhancing it without stealing the spotlight.
 

Beyond the Screen: Curated Encounters Through Digital Matchmaking

At CityDNA events, curated networking has become a signature. At the latest CityDNA International Conference in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands (Editor’s Note: 30 September – 2 October 2025), attendees benefited once again from a digital matchmaking tool that pairs delegates based on mutual interests, priorities, and complementary expertise.

Far from being a simple convenience, platforms like this add structure to spontaneous networking. For time-pressed professionals attending for both learning and lead generation, these tools help make large events feel smaller and smarter.

But meaningful engagement does not stop at tech. CityDNA also invests in intentional event design: from interactive Q&A and live polling to campfire-style discussions, walkshops and meetings hosted in distinctive local venues. These design choices create more relaxed, participatory environments that encourage honest dialogue, serendipitous connections, and a stronger sense of community.
 

Insight Without Overload: How AI-Supported Content Capture Elevated Engagement

Perhaps the most transformative recent leap in event engagement was seen at the CityDNA Conferences in Bruges and Budapest, where the Alliance partnered with Snapsight, an AI-driven content capture tool. Designed to relieve pressure, the platform became a behind-the-scenes pillar, automating note-taking, summarising sessions, and translating content into multiple languages, all in real time.

CityDNA did not adopt this solution to follow a trend. They faced a very real challenge: how to capture knowledge from over 15 high-density sessions with a core team of just four people. The tool ran seamlessly in the background, made easily accessible through QR codes printed on attendee badges.

The results spoke for themselves: a 65% adoption rate in Budapest, and high praise from both participants and speakers. Attendees appreciated being able to revisit sessions they missed or highlight key moments without relying on memory or scribbled notes. Meanwhile, the CityDNA team saved days of post-event content processing.

As the Snapsight team wrote, “What started as a tactical solution is evolving into a strategic asset, one that helps CityDNA transform raw event content into long-term value.”
 

#BrugesTrainChallenge: Sustainability Meets Digital Storytelling

Digital engagement does not have to live within the walls of a conference. A standout example came during the CityDNA Autumn Conference in Bruges: the Bruges Train Challenge.

Participants were encouraged to travel to the conference by train, sharing their journey and reflections on LinkedIn using the dedicated hashtag #BrugesTrainChallenge. The campaign generated a wave of stories and images, connecting sustainable action with personal experience, and sparking dialogue across the broader community.

This initiative succeeded not just as a visibility exercise, but as a values-led campaign. It showed how technology and social platforms can amplify environmental leadership, community spirit, and the joy of purposeful travel.
 

Ethical Innovation: AI Readiness and Responsible Engagement

CityDNA’s commitment to innovation is matched by its sense of responsibility. For the second year in a row, CityDNA is a collaborative partner in the joint AI learning programme AI Opener for Destinations, which is designed and programmed by Group NAO. The initiative empowers DMOs and CVBs to adapt to the new era of generative AI tools and platforms, supporting their work both within destination organisations and in the broader visitor economy.

By fostering peer learning and strategic reflection on the opportunities and risks of AI, CityDNA ensures its community is equipped to engage with emerging technologies with confidence, relevance, and integrity.

This commitment continued at the CityDNA Summer School in Luxembourg (25–29 August 2025), where one session, led by Jonathan Easton from Gevme, explored navigating the tech and AI revolution. It also looked at the transformative role of AI and technology in the meetings industry, offering practical case studies and strategies for destinations to foster innovation in an ever-evolving technological landscape.

Barbara Jamison-Woods, President of CityDNA, sums up the approach: “Technology is a powerful enabler, but people are the reason we gather. At CityDNA, we design events that make space for both. By integrating the right digital tools, we create more relevant, more inclusive, and more sustainable experiences. We are not just adopting technology; we are shaping how our industry uses it with purpose.”

Building Digital Capacity for Long-Term Engagement CityDNA is evolving its digital approach – from simply supporting events to strengthening the digital capabilities of its member destinations over the long term. This commitment is further reinforced through CityDNA’s participation in the EU-funded DEPLOYTOUR project, which supports DMOs in enhancing their digital maturity – laying the groundwork for more effective engagement strategies across events and year-round operations.

In this evolving model, the conference is no longer the peak – it is a point in an ongoing journey, supported by the right tools and reinforced by shared values.
 

Where Digital Tools Meet Human Purpose

CityDNA’s experience offers a roadmap for other associations, DMOs and CVBs: do not adopt tech for tech’s sake, use it to reinforce your human mission. Whether it is through AI-powered content capture, purpose-driven storytelling, or matchmaking platforms that make every handshake matter, the Alliance continues to explore how technology can support relevance, efficiency, and meaningful change.

Because in a world of algorithms and automation, the most enduring connections still happen face-to-face. And the smartest tools are the ones that help us get there together.

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

The ways in which associations can build resilience, is not very different than for other companies. It involves strong leadership, focus on engagement with members, financial stability and strategic partnerships. The one element that could be helpful in achieving all of these is technology, and more specifically the use of artificial intelligence (AI) agents. While still at early stages now, it could become a game-changer for many companies, including associations.

AUTHOR: SVEN BOSSU, CEO, AIPC

Many associations have gone through some type of crisis in recent years, often as a result of elements beyond their direct control such as pandemic, geopolitical or other sources of instability. In addition, we are living in a world which is rapidly changing on many fronts, from generational shifts to digitalisation. In such an environment, it is more important than ever that associations are resilient. Amongst other things, this involves the efficient and effective use of the limited resources associations have at their disposal.

The use of AI is definitely helpful. The vast majority of my colleagues already use different forms of AI – such as Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT or IBM’s Watsonx – for a wide range of tasks, including writing articles like this one. It saves a tremendous amount of time and while final checks are still required, the results are getting better by the day. However, this use of AI – called AI automation – is still very much based on the instructions given: you ask AI to go through a set of steps, with at least one step involving an interaction with a Large Language Model (LLM).

With a rapidly increasing number of applications already available, the next step is the use of AI agents. These agents leverage data to execute self-determined tasks aimed at achieving pre-set goals. The big difference is that the AI-agent will determine itself how to achieve a goal, it does not longer need instructions on the different steps to take. And because there is also an element of memory, it will continuously improve its performance.

Big players like IBM and Microsoft are already active in this area, along with about 600 start-ups, representing a market value of about 5 billion USD, which is expected to grow to 47 billion USD by 2030.

Now, what is in it for associations? Well, let’s think about member engagement and communicating member benefits effectively, which is a challenge for 64% of associations worldwide – according to the 2024 Naylor Association Benchmarking Report. Using an AI-agent like Claude Computer Use – which is just one of the many solutions out there – can be of massive help in achieving that goal. Using all the data sources at its disposal (both internal and external), the agent will create a strategy, define the steps to be taken, establish a planning, execute the tasks, track and report results and adapt in function of feedback received. So, it is not just about content creation; it is about establishing a strategy to achieve a predetermined goal and executing that strategy. One aspect which I found really interesting is the level of personalisation these platforms can achieve by combining all data available – from the internal CRM system to all types of information available via the internet – resulting in increased engagement.

There are a few factors to consider before jumping in. The technology is still at its early stage, so it might not have yet the full understanding of the field you work in or the goals you want to achieve. At a certain moment, it is also possible you will need to use different agents with different skills sets – similar to the use of employees with different skill sets – in which case you need to think about the use of a ‘multi-agent’. Finally, cost is a key factor, including both licensing fees and the investment required to train staff.

The good news is that the technology is becoming more accessible, also for ‘non-coding people’ like myself, with easy-to-use browsers and apps, that allow us to explore the opportunities this technology can provide to become more resilient and more prepared for a rapidly changing environment.

Cvent, one of the leading global providers of meetings, events, and hospitality technology, has released its 2025 Global Travel Managers Report, shedding light on how corporate travel priorities and budgets are shifting worldwide. The study suggests a cautiously optimistic outlook for the year ahead: despite economic uncertainty and escalating costs, most travel managers remain confident about growth in business travel.

According to the survey, three in four travel managers (75%) expect travel volumes to rise in 2025, signalling renewed momentum across the corporate travel sector. However, budgets are expected to hold steady compared with 2024, while 71% anticipate further cost increases — a combination that could tighten margins and pressure existing travel programmes.

The report draws on insights from more than 1,600 business travel professionals across six regions and eighteen countries, offering a comprehensive snapshot of global sentiment. Among the key findings is a growing integration between corporate travel and meetings management. Today, 91% of travel managers say they are also responsible for sourcing hotels and venues for meetings and events — up sharply from 64% in 2017.

This consolidation trend, driven primarily by cost control, appears to be paying off: 83% of respondents managing travel and meetings jointly report tangible savings as a result. The data underscores how the lines between travel and event management continue to blur, as organisations seek efficiency, transparency, and greater value from every stage of their business travel operations.
 

Some key highlights from the report:

• Resilience Amid Uncertainty: Despite global economic and political shifts, business travel is bouncing back with confidence. A whopping 84% of travel managers feel positive about the current state of business travel, and 75% expect travel volumes to rise in 2025. Optimism is especially high in the Middle East and Africa, where 90% anticipate growth.
   
• Strategic Cost Management: With 71% of travel managers expecting higher costs this year, organisations are getting creative. From consolidating travel with meetings and events to negotiating smarter hotel rates, the focus is on maximising value without sacrificing essential trips. Incentive trips, internal meetings, and company retreats are the most likely to face cuts, but most companies are actually increasing their travel budgets to stay competitive.
   
• Centralised Sourcing is the New Norm: The days of managing travel and meetings separately are fading fast. Now, 91% of travel managers oversee both, unlocking cost savings (up to 20% for some!) and streamlining operations. This shift is all about efficiency, visibility, and making every travel dollar count.
   
• Hotel Negotiations Get Tougher: Negotiating with hotels isn’t what it used to be. With more complex pricing models and less flexibility from hotels, travel managers are blending fixed and dynamic rates to stay agile. The key? Building long-term, partnership-based relationships with hotel suppliers.
   
• Digital Content Drives Decisions: Travel managers are spending more time researching hotels online, with nearly half saying that detailed images, videos, and virtual tours are the most influential factors in their decision-making. But even with all this tech, many still struggle to compare hotel proposals and assess suitability — so there’s a big opportunity for hotels to stand out with richer, more relevant digital content.
   
• The Workforce is Evolving: Hybrid and remote work are now the top trends shaping travel priorities. While virtual meetings are here to stay, face-to-face events, conferences, and client meetings remain crucial for building relationships and driving growth. Millennials are leading the charge, now making up over half of travel managers and bringing fresh optimism and a tech-savvy approach to the table.

Download the report here and get the insights you need to succeed in 2025 and beyond. Your next big breakthrough could be just a click away!
 

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

Cvent, a market-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider, and BeCause, the sustainability data hub for the travel and tourism industry, have announced an integration to enhance how hotels present sustainability information on the Cvent Supplier Network (CSN), one of the world’s largest venue-sourcing platforms.

The integration allows hotels to automatically integrate verified sustainability information from BeCause’s live data hub – the largest database of verified hotel sustainability data in the industry containing more than 2 million data points across 10,000 metrics - into their CSN profiles, addressing the growing demand from event planners for easily accessible sustainability data when sourcing and booking venues. More than 12,000 hotels and venues are already sharing sustainability data and publishing it on CSN through this integration.

“Sustainability has evolved into a critical component of corporate and event strategy, prompting organisations to demand greater transparency from their supply chain, including meetings and events,” said Jahanzeeb Ahmed, CCO at BeCause.

“This shift means hotels are under pressure to collect, organise and share this data when competing for group business – but that process is often highly manual. With this integration, hotels can now effortlessly provide, verified sustainability information that event planners are actively seeking, thereby improving their visibility and competitiveness in the group business market.”

“Event planners are increasingly prioritising sustainability in their decision-making process, and our collaboration with BeCause is a direct result of our commitment to listening to and acting on planner and hotelier feedback,” said Jim Abramson (right side), Vice President of Product Management at Cvent.

“We’re proud to work with BeCause to empower hotels to meet planners’ demands at scale, ensuring they remain at the forefront of a fast-evolving market that values environmental responsibility.”

The two companies plan to expand their product collaboration in the future by automating the publication of hotel sustainability data from the BeCause Data Hub into a hotel’s Cvent requests for proposals (RFP) process. This will help hotel sales teams quickly address extensive RFP sustainability questions while removing friction for event planners during the sourcing process. 

Powered by Meeting Media Company, publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

Cvent is expecting to triple its attendance at its DACH-focused industry conference, Cvent Accelerate Berlin. The strong growth underscores the significance of in-person events for driving positive business outcomes and highlights the ongoing demand from event professionals, marketers, and hoteliers for smaller, localised forums to support deeper conversations and more meaningful connections onsite.

Taking place on Tuesday 23 September 2025 at the Estrel Berlin, Cvent Accelerate Berlin will feature a day-long programme of sessions led by industry pioneers and regional experts, engaging panel discussions, interactive technology demonstrations, and inspiring success stories.

Featured speakers include Colja Dams, CEO of VOK DAMS, who will lead the session 'How digital doppelgangers are transforming live events', exploring the key trends shaping the industry and highlighting the critical role of artificial intelligence and community building in transforming how events are designed and experienced. Matthias Schultze, Managing Director, GCB German Convention Bureau e.V., will co-present a session with Dr. Stefan Rief, Institute Director, Fraunhofer IAO, titled 'Change and opportunities in the event sector: generational change and digitalisation,' highlighting how demographic shifts, automation, and AI are shaping the future of work and the events industry.

“Cvent Accelerate Berlin unites the DACH region’s leading event, marketing and hospitality professionals to exchange insights and best practices. Every element of the conference is designed to deliver practical, reliable strategies that can be applied immediately. Our goal is for attendees to leave with a clear understanding of how data-driven approaches, the responsible and transparent use of artificial intelligence, and the latest innovations can create measurable impact and secure future success in a fast-changing MICE landscape,” said Andreas Heckmann, Chief Customer Officer at Cvent.

The conference agenda includes more than 20 sessions and features over 15 external speakers, together with senior leaders from Cvent. Sessions will be delivered primarily in German, with live captioning in both English and German powered by Wordly to ensure broad accessibility.
 

Conference Highlights

• Opening and closing keynote | Delivered by Andreas Heckmann, Cvent Chief Customer Officer, this session provides a comprehensive industry outlook on the power of data, technology, and events to strengthen customer engagement and accelerate business outcomes.
• The future is now! Innovations & AI in the convenience hospitality industry 2025 | Explores how Cvent’s latest hotel and supplier software solutions will enable hospitality professionals to reach more planners, drive efficiency, and capitalise on the opportunities AI is creating for the hotel and MICE sectors.
• Event Technology: Innovations today and tomorrow | Examines how industry leaders measure event success through KPIs such as attendee satisfaction, post-event surveys, and attendance.
• Travel Performance: Identify trends, seize opportunities | Showcases data-driven insights and developments in the travel business, with practical advice from a panel of experts.
• Amex GBT Session: The art & science behind unforgettable events | Drawing on the scientific findings of neuroscientist Dr. Sahar Yousef, this session explores the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, and event design to create lasting and impactful experiences.

In addition to the main sessions, multiple curated Tech Tours will provide attendees with live, interactive demonstrations for how Cvent technology delivers better outcomes. These include:

• Q&A – Ask the Expert: Direct access to Cvent specialists for product guidance, insights, and recommendations.
• Business Travel: Strategies to attract, discover, and respond to more corporate travel opportunities.
• CventIQ™: Learn how Cvent’s all-new suite of powerful intelligence and AI capabilities improves efficiency, enables personalisation, and provides more tangible, actionable insights with ease.
   

View the full agenda and speaker lineup here.

The event is free and open to all MICE industry professionals, hoteliers and marketers. There is still time to register for Cvent Accelerate Berlin. 

Powered by Meeting Media Company, publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

The role of artificial intelligence in transforming urban life will be the focus of the 1st edition of Smart City Expo Kuala Lumpur, which takes place from 17 to 19 September at the convention centre in the Malaysian capital. The event begins its journey with a large exhibition area and a conference programme, in which a hundred top-level speakers will participate and is expected to attract nearly 10,000 visitors. The international benchmark show on smart cities is thus expanding to Southeast Asia and is already held in eight cities around the world.

Under the slogan "Cities with AI: Shaping our digital future", the 1st edition of Smart City Expo Kuala Lumpur is planned as a meeting point for global leaders, urban policy makers, investors, innovators, startups and academics, among other profiles. The event, co-organised by Fira de Barcelona and the Malaysian Digital Ministry, coincides in time with the presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by the Malaysian country, which gives the congress an added projection in its geographical scope.

In its premiere, Smart City Expo Kuala Lumpur is structured around four strategic axes: Cities with Artificial Intelligence; Sustainable and resilient cities; Digital Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, and Empowering Communities through Digital Solutions. Based on these major themes, the congress will focus on how AI can contribute to the modernisation of cities through solutions that can range from optimising traffic to improving emergency response systems, energy management or the creation of digital twin environments as testing grounds.

More than 100 speakers

The informative part will have the participation of a hundred top-level figures. Among the internationally relevant speakers who will participate in this edition are: Alfonso Vegara, founder and honorary president of the Metropoli Foundation; James Ong, researcher who has created the AI International Institute, an organization based in Singapore dedicated to the study of Artificial Intelligence and the promotion of its sustainable application; Mahmbud Yusbi, head of strategic planning and business development at ASEAN; Penny Wong, director at the technology and cybersecurity consultancy Radmis; Sunil Dubey, advisor and coordinator of urban programs and professor at UNSW in Sydney; and David Hanson, engineer and CEO of Hanson Robotics, who will be accompanied by Sophia The Robot, developed by him.

The exhibition area will feature important firms and organisations in the field of urban innovation, including Dell Technologies, Intel, Huawei and Ericsson. Relevant local entities such as MIGHT (Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology), MSCA (Malaysia Smart Cities Alliance), Smart Cities Network and Malaysia PropTech Association will also participate in the event.

Fira, global platform

Smart City Expo Kuala Lumpur is part of the programme of events that Fira de Barcelona International is organising outside Spain in 2025. With a dozen confirmed events, the trade fair institution is reinforcing its expansion strategy abroad. Among the scheduled events are editions of Smart City Expo in New York (USA), Santiago de Chile (Chile), Curitiba (Brazil), Puebla (Mexico), Santiago del Estero (Argentina), Cartagena de Indias (Colombia), Doha (Qatar) and Tomorrow.City Shanghai (China).

In addition to these, IOT Brazil in Sao Paulo, Mexico Hospitality Expo in Guadalajara (Mexico), Alimentaria Chengdu in China and Tomorrow Blue Economy in Niteroi (Brazil) are added.

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

From L to R: Mark Rocket, Kea Aerospace; Miranda Satterthwaite, Aerospace New Zealand; Hon Judith Collins KC, Minister for Space; James Powell, Dawn Aerospace; David Downs, The New Zealand Story.

The Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island is cementing its position as a globally recognised centre of aerospace innovation, with the launch of the 'Waitaha Canterbury Aerospace Strategy'.

Developed by the Canterbury Aerospace Leadership Group – a coalition of leaders from the aerospace industry, tertiary institutions, and public agencies – the Strategy outlines a bold vision for Christchurch and Canterbury to become a global aerospace leader by 2035.

With a focus on innovation, sustainability, workforce development, and collaboration, it sets a clear path to transform the sector into a $1 billion contributor to the regional economy, positioning Canterbury as a hub for world-leading R&D and global investment.

“This Strategy is a uniting document that reflects the extraordinary potential of our region,” says Ali Adams, CEO of ChristchurchNZ and Chair of the Canterbury Aerospace Leadership Group.

“It showcases how Canterbury can lead the way in solving global challenges through aerospace – from climate monitoring to sustainable propulsion – while creating high-value jobs and driving innovation that benefits our people and our planet.”

The Strategy builds on Canterbury's unique geographical advantages, established infrastructure, and active ecosystem of aerospace firms – from satellite technology and advanced aviation to autonomous systems and green fuels.

Christchurch is one of four members of the global Space Cities Network, established in late 2024 when ChristchurchNZ Business Events joined with Lausanne, Houston and Seoul convention bureaux to foster collaboration and attract conference bids to the respective regions.
 

ChristchurchNZ: Fostering Global Collaboration in Space!

ChristchurchNZ General Manager of Destination and Attraction, Loren Aberhart says as part of the Strategy, the region aims to attract new conference bid opportunities and bring major international space conferences and scientific events to Christchurch.

“Hosting international business events in Christchurch brings wide-ranging benefits to the city. As well as the obvious economic benefits, hosting global experts in domains of space means our sector is not only learning and sharing knowledge with other experts from around the world, but building valuable relationships,” Aberhart says.

Mark Rocket, CEO of Kea Aerospace and a member of the Leadership Group, is also a champion for the city through the Tūwhana business events advocate programme. He says the sector has huge momentum.

“We're standing on the launchpad of something extraordinary. With this Strategy, we are saying to the world: Canterbury is open for aerospace innovation. This is a region where bold ideas take flight – supported by a community that's collaborative, future-focused, and committed to making a global impact.”

The Strategy sets out ambitious targets for the next decade, including growing the sector to more than $1 billion in economic impact regionally, supporting more than 1,500 FTE jobs in aerospace across Canterbury and achieving net-zero emissions for 50% of aerospace.

“By 2035, aerospace will be a cornerstone of Canterbury's prosperity. But this isn't just about growth – it's about building a future that's inclusive, sustainable, and driven by innovation,” Adams says.

Find out more about Aerospace in Waitaha Canterbury and read the Strategy

Powered by Meeting Media Company, publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

Cvent announced today the launch of CventIQ™. CventIQ combines powerful AI capabilities with deep industry expertise, proprietary insights and analytics, a smart platform, and intelligent infrastructure to help marketers, event planners, and hospitality professionals move faster and smarter, collaborate better, and deliver more engaging, high-return experiences.

Cvent CEO Reggie Aggarwal unveiled CventIQ during his opening keynote address at Cvent CONNECT this week.
 

Intelligent capabilities to power the modern event economy

“CventIQ enhances every aspect of the Cvent platform, and it represents our vision for a more efficient, intelligent, and collaborative future for meetings and events,” said Aggarwal. “By infusing advanced AI into the tools our customers already use, we’re empowering them to deliver more engaging events, more efficiently, with greater returns. Our launch of CventIQ reflects how we’re bringing trustworthy, practical AI to every corner of our platform so our customers can stay ahead of today’s fast-evolving landscape while remaining focused on what truly drives impact: human connection.”
 

For event planners & marketer, sample benefits include:

• Instant Session Insights: Instantly analyse audience comments to understand sentiment and gain insight into speaker performance, session content engagement, session logistics, and more.
• AI-Driven Content Creation: Automatically generate compelling, on-brand content for emails, speaker bios, and event pages to streamline and scale event marketing efforts.
• Personalisation at Scale: Deliver personalised session and networking suggestions to attendees, enhancing engagement and overall satisfaction.

For hospitality professionals, sample benefits include:

• Simplified and Accelerated Prospecting: Streamline outreach with curated planner lists and personalised emails based on hotel account insights and attract planners with immersive AI-powered 3D room layouts.
• Faster Responses to Drive Conversion: Accelerate request-for-proposal (RFP) response times with AI-generated proposals, RFP insights and response assistants.
• Seamless Event Execution: Use intelligent tools, such as smart rooming lists and AI-generated event diagrams, to efficiently manage group business and bring plans to life with precision.

For attendees, sample benefits include:

• Personalised Event Dashboards: Direct access to a personalised event dashboard that organises every touchpoint, including registration, agenda, contacts, CMP credits, and on-demand content, ensures each attendee has a clear view of their unique event journey at a glance.
• Effortless Session Snapshots: Real-time AI transcripts and slide captures empower attendees to effortlessly save and revisit important session content with just one tap, ensuring they capture all essential insights without distraction.
• Efficient Knowledge Transfer: With AI-generated summaries, attendees receive customised highlights and actionable next steps from their event experience, including sessions attended, exhibitor booths visited, and connections made, making it easy to share key takeaways and demonstrate the event’s value to colleagues and superiors.

CventIQ will continue to evolve with new capabilities designed to meet the dynamic needs of the modern event professional, marketer and hospitality leader. To learn more about CventIQ, visit the website here.
 

Published by Meeting Media Group, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

BestCities Global Alliance has entered into a two-year partnership with Snapsight, an artificial intelligence platform that generates real-time summaries and analyses of event content.

Gothenburg’s digital site visits make it possible to experience venues, hotels and attractions from anywhere, receive instant personalised documentation, and make the decision-making process easier, more sustainable and more efficient.

Gothenburg has reached a new milestone in the development of its game-changing digital site visits, where static slides are replaced with realistic 3D visuals and scenario-based storytelling.

“Last year we presented a vision of what we aimed for with this project. In less than a year the project has gone from vision to a concept-phase. Soon we will be ready to start the first sprint in producing the tool – with hope to launch it in 2026,” says Fredrik Lundgren Senior Project Manager Gothenburg Convention Bureau.

The digital site visits are designed to showcase the city of Gothenburg and its venues to international event organisers in a visually compelling, data-rich and engaging format. Users will be accompanied by a digital guide and can select the places, arenas and hotels they wish to explore. Immediately after the tour, tailored information will be sent to support an easy and sustainable decision-making process.

The platform is built on the Digital Twin of Gothenburg, which integrates real-time data layers, customisable scenarios and immersive 3D environments – providing a highly informative and visually impactful way to present the city remotely to potential event organisers. The beta version is scheduled for launch in 2026.

Gothenburg: A Digital Twin in Sync with the City!
 

Cvent announced that it has acquired Prismm, a leader in spatial event design technology.

More than 5,500 event venues, hotels, planners, and vendors rely on Prismm to connect and collaborate within virtual environments to create stunning event spaces and experiences. The acquisition of Prismm reinforces Cvent’s pledge to setting the industry standard for immersive 3D event diagramming technology that benefits both event and hospitality professionals.

“In today’s digital-first landscape, online collaboration is mission critical to get business done, and in an uncertain environment, you need more ways to engage and interact with customers and prospects to ensure you’re on the same page,” said Jim Abramson (cover photo), Cvent Vice President of Product Management.

“Given our expansive global network of more than 145,000 planners and nearly 340,000 hotels and venues across our Cvent ecosystem, we understand what time-strapped event professionals and resource-constrained hoteliers need to deliver bigger and better events. Collaborative, easy-to-use virtual event design technology has become an expectation among many event organisers, and our acquisition of Prismm illustrates that we’re continuing to invest to meet this demand, while helping hotels and venues simplify their event planning processes and maximise group business revenue.”

“Over the last 12 years, we have worked relentlessly to empower our customers to connect, collaborate and transact across immersive virtual environments, and we’re proud to announce this next chapter as part of Cvent,” said Yaron Lipshitz (right), CEO of Prismm. “Combining our 3D design capabilities with Cvent's extensive network and industry expertise will empower event professionals and hoteliers to create unforgettable experiences and drive significant business growth.”

Benefits of immersive, interactive event design technology include:

• For Hoteliers and Venue Operators
  — Streamlined Event Creation: Online diagramming tools that are accessible to all key stakeholders reduce planning time and increase event design accuracy.
  
  — Elevated Sales and Marketing: Dynamic 3D virtual tours allow prospects to explore every aspect of a property and meeting space from anywhere.
  
  — Improved Customisation and Competitive Differentiation: Offering cutting-edge event design technology can set hoteliers apart from their competitors, while personalised virtual “walkthroughs” with branded elements help bring a prospect’s vision to life and leave a lasting impression.
   
• For Event Professionals
  — Simplified Sourcing: When time and budgets are constrained, online diagramming tools accelerate and optimise the venue sourcing process via virtual site visits and accurate space visualisation. This helps planners quickly identify which venues are best suited for their needs based on layout, capacity and overall fit.
  
  — Enhanced Planning: Precision floor plans and templates enhance the ability to visualise layouts, seating arrangements and decor, ensuring precise planning and execution. Planners can easily identify potential issues and adjust before the event, leading to a smoother and more successful experience.
   
• For Both Hospitality and Event Professionals
  — Improved Collaboration: Cloud-based diagramming enables real time collaboration with all stakeholders and decision-makers.
  
  — Seamless Communication: With advanced spatial design tools, planners can share detailed virtual representations of event spaces with clients, vendors, and stakeholders. This fosters better communication and simplifies decision making.

Nfluence Partners acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Prismm on the transaction.

The increased use of data is fundamentally changing the way we meet. For associations, AI offers new opportunities to increase the value offered to members in terms of networking, education and knowledge sharing. It can even enable the implementation of a new business model. Key success factors are to be clear on the challenge addressed and the quality of the data used.

Author: Sven Bossu, CEO, AIPC 

Associations worldwide are facing similar challenges. According to the 2024 Naylor report, the top 5 challenges are:

• Generating non-dues revenues
• Communicating member benefits effectively
• Engaging young professionals
• Understanding member needs
• Combating information overload/cutting through the clutter

Addressing any single one of these will require a profound understanding of your members’ needs. This will allow you to come up with an offer that addresses both the members’ needs and the challenges faced by your association. The question to answer is straightforward: What problem do we want to fix? Here, it is important to keep in mind that you cannot address all the problems – you will need to make a choice.

Doing so will require high-quality data. Unfortunately, Lieutenant Commander Data is a fictional character in Star Trek – so not of any practical use. So, once you define the problem you want to address, you will need to determine the data you need, map it with the data you have, and devise an action plan to address the data gap. Fortunately, there is really good technology available to do so at very reasonable prices.

The next step is to define the business model. Basically, there is a choice between a linear model and a platform model. A linear model is something all associations do: they develop products and services that are then monetised. A classic example would be an educational offering. A platform model is very different: this is about a business model (not a technology infrastructure) that focuses on helping facilitate interactions across many participants.

Only once all this is addressed and defined can you start thinking about the actual technology kit you will use.

Let me make all of the above a bit more tangible by giving an example. One of the key challenges a vast majority of the AIPC members face is attracting and retaining talent. We know this as a result of the research we do on a yearly basis with an external partner. We also know that our current linear model cannot address this problem.

Fortunately, we have a talent programme at AIPC (FutureShapers), and the participants came up with a possible solution: a platform which creates a bridge between convention centres and (upcoming) talent (you might call it a Tinder for convention centres). This is a typical example of a platform model whereby a high number of convention centres try to connect with professionals worldwide. While its purpose aligns with the mission of AIPC, it is a type of model we have never done before. However, we believe it addresses a real need and will bring value – not only to the AIPC community but potentially to a larger part of the event industry.

So now we are collecting and documenting the data requirements, as having clear standards will be crucial. Which data fields are required when posting an open position? How many characters? What tags allow for easy searching? The same is true for resumes posted, staff exchange programme options, etc. Getting this right will provide the foundation for an amazing gathering place.

Once this is done, we can move to the next step: collecting the data and making the flywheel turn. As always, we will start with a small group of members joining the movement, and if all goes well, this group will grow into a movement due to its success and visibility.

Discovering this new way of engaging with our community is both exciting and challenging and I am sure it is the way to go for many associations.

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.