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In what seemed like a good idea at the time, organizers of this summer’s Gamescon, a large video game industry trade show, launched an AI-powered app to schedule meetings among attending publishers, developers and media members. Within hours and amid scores of complaints about unwanted appointments, the feature was disabled and the show is now a cautionary tale among meeting and event planners.

Artificial intelligence has long been seen within the events industry as a timesaving matchmaking tool. The general idea is AI can quickly scan registration data to identify commonalities in profiles and come reasonably close to suggesting strong pairings.

One of the apparent failings at Gamescon, according to media reports about the event and the flood of social media outcry, is that the suggestion piece was left off. Instead, attendees received automated notices that one-on-one meetings had been approved without consent from either party.

While the incident won’t turn back the clock on AI, it is a reminder that the road to technological improvements can be bumpy.

Associations, by and large, are generally wary about going too far too quickly with AI. Privacy concerns and copyright claims are among the potential trouble spots.

A self-proclaimed fan of AI, Sherrif Karamat, CAE, president and CEO of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA), notes the implementation of the emerging technology is reminiscent of when the Internet first went mainstream in the 1990s. The World Wide Web became a playground for individuals of ill-repute, he recalls.

“It’s the same kind of situation,” Karamat says. “There are a lot of benefits of AI and there are problematic elements. We need to really step in front of that.”

Here, we explore how AI is transforming trade shows now and what the impact might be on the future of association events.

The Talk of the Industry

Among associations, it’s fair to say that there is more talk about AI than exploring its full potential.

Kari Messenger, director of IEC events — a nonprofit trade association federation representing more than 4,100 member businesses — recalls being filled in by peers about The 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition. “I didn’t get to attend this year so I asked one of my industry colleagues about it,” Messenger says. “They just said it was all about ‘AI, AI, AI.’”

Association meeting professionals and their attendees are sharing the journey together. Programming at event industry-specific events has been very heavy on AI as far back as the 2023 Expo! Expo!, IAEE’s annual trade show for trade show organizers that Clarissa Arguelles, the International Facility Management Association’s exhibit operations coordinator, attended.

Even back then, the message was: “It’s not AI or me; it’s AI and me,” says Arguelles, alluding to the fear many professionals across all sectors have that the emerging technology will replace jobs.

Planners still learning how to implement AI themselves are attempting to address the demand from association members about how it can be used in their jobs.

“AI has become the connective tissue linking innovation across industries,” says John Kelley, vice president and CES show director for the Consumer Technology Association. “We certainly see that at CES where it’s woven through every exhibit and experience. Whether you are looking at autonomous vehicles, personalized health tech or smart cities, AI is everywhere.”

Sometimes for association members, it can be a fine line between seeking out a technology expert and teaching them about the field versus hiring someone immersed in a given industry but who is not necessarily tech-savvy, notes Ann Loayza, IFMA’s director of conferences and events. Loayza cites the example of Google’s facility manager, who manages an array of smart buildings for the tech giant, weighing that very decision.

Messenger acknowledges that if attendees are interested in AI then the planners have to be, too.

“It is the hot topic across every business, and now it’s just a matter of how do we keep up?” Messenger says.

Adds Arguelles: “Because it’s evolving so quickly, that just kind of furthers why we need to be into it. If you’re just too worried to even touch it, or it just seems too overwhelming, by the time you finally decide to dip your toes, it’s going to have evolved past even trying to jump into it.”

Part of the adoption process appears to be designating staff to delve into the technology. For example, Loayza and Messenger are both accomplished event planners in the middle of their careers yet asked for younger team members (Arguelles and Mikayla Hrinowich, marketing coordinator at Innovatis Group, respectively), to join a call about AI with a reporter to share their experiences.

Hologram technology is a fun way to capture attendees’ attention at events, such as this display at IFMA World Workplace. Photo courtesy of IFMA.

Industry Giants Step Up

Association planners can use AI only in line with the organization’s overall technology strategy. Given that new AI features and programs are released seemingly every day, there is a lot of trial and error.

Innovatis Group opened the doors to AI virtual assistants to join meetings for notetaking purposes, but after a month, it became clear few team members were referring back to the AI-generated transcript.

IFMA, which is prioritizing data security over potential workflow efficiencies, won’t allow such AI bots into their internal meetings, says Loayza. The planner, who has been with the association for 18 years, says the organization is working toward a closed-model AI system after determining open AI platforms like ChatGPT are not worth the risk even if they are free to use.

“We don’t have that in place, but it’s very top of mind,” says Loayza.

Sensing a cry for help from planners, some industry giants are stepping forward to ensure the transition to AI-based meetings and trade shows goes smoothly. IFMA partners with three of the biggest names in the business: Cvent (registration), Freeman (general services contractor), and Swapcard (matchmaking and attendee experiences).

Because of the partnerships, IFMA’s World Workplace conference (estimated 5,000 attendees), held earlier this year in Minneapolis, was infused with AI — just not implemented directly by the organization.

That said, Freeman has established governance structures, including councils and clear guidelines, to make sure AI is applied responsibly, says Caitlin Fox, president of mdg, an association management and marketing firm that’s part of Freeman.

Intentionally Personal

Fox says mdg has made AI a cornerstone of its strategy and not just execution. “AI helps us make smarter decisions about which audiences to target, how to reach them and what messages will resonate,” says Fox.

The results are noticeable. One organization has seen a 30% increase in clickthrough rates, Fox reports.

Some of mdg’s Recent Successes Include:

The 2025 NAB Show, held April 5-9, attracted 55,000 registered attendees from 160 countries, 26% of whom traveled to the U.S. from another country for the show. Fifty-three percent of participants were first-time registrants, and 125 of nearly 1,100 global exhibitors were first-timers.

Display Week 2025, which took place in San Jose, CA, from May 11-16, featured 231 exhibitors on its expo floor, making it its largest expo in more than 15 years.

The 2025 Society of Breast Imaging Symposium, held April 24-27 in Colorado Springs, drew 1,081 attendees, up 9% over last year’s total. The exhibition total rose to 494, an increase of 20% from 2024.

With greater reach and targeting campaigns, associations stand a strong chance of improving attendance year-after-year.

Bigger numbers are the ultimate goal, but thinking smaller is the key to creating connections, Fox says. “We use AI to analyze large datasets and predict which audiences are most likely to engage,” she says. “AI also helps create and test content variations quickly, so outreach feels more personal.”

In an interview, Fox uses the term “personal” on nine occasions, whether it’s related to marketing, in-show experiences or post-show analysis.

“When AI is used … it should feel personal, not transactional,” says Fox.

Knowing Your Audience

In large part due to the widespread use of ChatGPT and other free tools, marketing is often the entry point for associations to use AI.

Hrinowich says she uses several tools with AI built into them to promote Spark, the trade show for the electrical contracting industry that occurred this year in September in Phoenix. She’s able to trim down long-form videos into bite-sized clips in a few moments and often drafts social media content.

AI is not in a position to take her job, Hrinowich says. Instead, it’s made her editorial judgment more vital in promoting the show.

“You have to also generate the content, and you have to put a bunch of edits into it for it to be the tone that you would like it to be, and you have to know how your members are going to perceive it,” says Hrinowich.

Fox says AI could be the answer to a long sought-after solution for meeting planners looking to make attendees feel more like a community than individuals who see each other for a short window each year.

“AI is extending the life of events in ways that were not possible before. A single keynote can be transformed into articles, clips and digital assets that keep participants engaged year-round,” says Fox. “That shift from one-and-done content to continuous engagement is something organizers have wanted for years, and now it is achievable.”

On-Site Enhancements

When told of the Gamescon episode, Loayza says: “That’s my worst nightmare. People would just be hitting ‘unsubscribe.’”

But Kelley points out AI has already had a positive impact on CES, arguably the most influential technology event in the world. “We use AI to streamline some operations and ensure accurate floor plans for the CES App,” he says. Allowing the tech to take on those tasks frees CES staff to engage personally with onsite attendees.

CES is among the trade shows relying on AI to make recommendations to attendees based on their registration data and known interests. By turning the spotlight on a session or speaker that an attendee should enjoy thoroughly, CES is increasing its ROI.

“We recognize it has potential to transform our efforts,” Kelley says of AI.

Fox adds AI can be integral to accessible efforts with real-time translation and captioning, and can ease a first-time attendee into the show. “AI makes large and sometimes overwhelming events feel more approachable,” she says.

Adds Fox: “The question is not whether attendees are comfortable with AI, but how it is applied. When the technology helps them navigate a packed agenda, discover the right suppliers, or connect with the right peers, it feels natural and valuable.”

Future Advancements

Planners have for years enjoyed access to data about attendees’ show activity and preferences. Perhaps it was too much data, as integrating that information into future decisions remains a pain point.

AI can sift through records in minutes instead of the weeks it can take for staff at a citywide event to organize its data.

Some of the more experimental organizations may start dabbling in AI-generated ambassadors or virtual personalities, Fox predicts.

Big picture, Fox sees AI as a connective tool that helps associations prove their worth to members.

“What excites me most about AI is that we are just getting started,” she says.

“The biggest opportunity is to move beyond events as dates on a calendar and create experiences people truly feel part of. AI can help spark connections that grow over time, surface content when it matters most, and keep conversations alive long after the show ends. Instead of thinking of events as a beginning and an end, we can think of them as ongoing communities that people look forward to, stay engaged with and count down the days until they return.”

Loayza has simpler goals that speak to what many planners may be thinking: “What I want from this technology is to make my life easier.” AC&F