How should the events industry use AI without losing the human connection at the heart of great experiences? That question surfaced repeatedly across the IMEX America show floor and education program on opening day, as planners, suppliers and event professionals shared how technology is changing the way they work, learn and connect.
From efficiency to experience
In the AMEX 2027 Global Meetings & Events Forecast, one of the report's key trends is the integration of AI alongside human talent, with meeting professionals increasingly using the technology as science and intelligence, creating more seamless attendee experiences while relying on human judgment and empathy to deliver meaningful outcomes.
The forecast also revealed an industry that remains resilient despite ongoing challenges. According to the research, 93% of meeting professionals remain optimistic but also realistic about the future, while organizations continue to adapt to geopolitical uncertainty, climate-related disruption and rising costs. Technology, including AI, was highlighted as one of the industry's greatest opportunities.
AMEX’s Paul McDonnough said: “We’re all feeling more resilient than last year but the main challenge for those surveyed is how to balance the creation and delivery of great experiences with that resilience, while costs are rising and a variety of factors are competing against each other. A strategic meetings management framework is the way to ease through that complexity.”
AI is changing attendee behaviour
New research presented by Freeman showed how rapidly attendee expectations are shifting.
Presenting findings from The Freeman Trends Report: Understanding the Participant Journey, Ken Holsinger explained that AI use among some attendees is growing quickly, particularly younger audiences. Interestingly, younger generations are both the most frequent users of AI and also the most sceptical about its outputs.
“These attendees want to know precisely what learning opportunities are available and are people just like them going to be there. They’re not receptive to messages about event size or scale as they tend to get overwhelmed by those. So your job becomes one of phased content drops rather than waiting for your whole program to be ready before you go public. Ask yourself what can I share early and often to get this vital audience to convert and register sooner than the late registration behavior which has become our new normal,” he explained.
Ken also encouraged planners to think differently about event content in an AI-enabled world: "We’re finally on the cusp of true personalization at scale but the problem is your event content isn’t AI-ready," he said, explaining that attendees may increasingly use their own AI tools to navigate schedules, content and resources rather than relying solely on event-specific applications.
More time to be human
For many event professionals, the appeal of AI lies not in automation for its own sake, but in its ability to reduce administrative burdens.
In Swipe right: the event tech dating game, a panel session at the Tech Education theater, Michelle Orlando of Elevoque reflected on how technology could help planners spend less time managing tasks and more time connecting with attendees: "At events, our team turns into more of a help desk instead of the host, which is what we should be doing. How do we get that work off our plates so we can spend more time on the things our human brains should be doing, which is strategy and using our real-life experience?"
Fellow speaker Cecilia Lavin of Voxo AI described technology's role in helping attendees stay present in the moment: "Focus on what's happening in the room, the emotions you feel, the experiences you're having," she urged.
Technology with a human purpose
Across education sessions, meetings and conversations on the show floor, attendees painted a picture of an industry embracing AI while becoming even more intentional about the human experiences and value it delivers. The message from day one was clear: technology is most powerful when it creates more space for what events people do best—building relationships, exchanging ideas and creating meaningful moments together.
IMEX America is currently taking place October 13-15 at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas.
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