The American Society of Anesthesiologists remains prudent in its usage of emerging technology for events such as their annual meeting. Photo courtesy of American Society of Anesthesiologists.

Kevin Kirberg, director of meetings at the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), dreams of a day when one technology platform can handle all of his logistical needs. “I think the industry is getting there,” Kirberg says hopefully.

In the midst of leading an RFP process for the ASA, Kirberg is in a good position to evaluate the state of event technology. The fact he is optimistic should give hope to peers like Lauren Liles, CMP, senior director of event operations and experience at The American Institute of Architects, who also pines for the elusive all-in-one solution.

Liles recently led an ambitious search for a new technology vendor, only to realize she would have to settle for incremental progress. “We were looking for a unicorn,” Liles says. “There’s no one-stop-shop event technology solution out there.”

In the world of associations, change never comes easily. Many of the challenges that existed a decade ago remain today, with the exception that association members are now more likely to scrutinize the ROI of their annual dues.

Kirberg is not alone in believing technology can unlock the power to connect multi-generation members and inspire them to not only attend annual conferences but also become active year-round participants in their association.

To achieve that goal, organizations can’t wait for Kirberg’s dream to become reality. But there are emerging tools — most notably, artificial intelligence (AI) — available to better capture engagement, drive revenue and prove an association’s worth.

Rethinking Strategies

Dahlia El Gazzar, an event tech pioneer since founding the renowned DAHLIA+Agency years ago, aims to empower associations by offering consulting and making connections. In this regard, she knows what a planner is looking for even before meeting with them.

El Gazzar laments the lack of progress associations have in reaching Millennials and members of Generation Z, whose skepticism runs deep about aligning with any organization or brand.

Members who are 50 and older “remain the lifeblood of our organization,” says Kirberg. “They are our most active members.”

The trouble is if associations lose the next generations, they risk going out of business. That’s why El Gazzar stresses organizations meet Gen Z and Millennials where they work and live — namely, their devices. In order to reach them and convince them to attend events, associations are going to rethink their entire digital strategy, she adds.

“Younger generations don’t want to be marketed to. They want to be part of something meaningful,” says John T. Kelley, vice president and show director for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) for the Consumer Technology Association. “At CES, we focus on authentic content across our social media channels and podcast that highlights innovation, not just promotion. It’s about building community before, during and after the event,” he says.

Solution Shopping

For their part, association planners understand a new approach is needed to their event technology stack. In the post-COVID world, many organizations are exploring their options regarding new vendors.

The Houston Building Owners and Managers Association (HBOMA), for instance, began a wholesale change in 2024, when it installed a new association management system (AMS).

“The AMS is your lifeline,” explains Elisa Barnes, vice president of operations for the organization, which is focused on commercial real estate in Houston. But, she says, not all association management systems are created equally.

Barnes is extremely satisfied with the HBOMA’s new program, where the organization’s database is stored and feeds information into its website. Accounting, registration, ticketing and event creation run through the AMS.

“I save probably 20 hours a month in staff time for that alone,” Barnes says. “So, that was well worth the price increase when we made that change.”

The catch was the association’s pre-existing platforms couldn’t interface with the new AMS. That meant Barnes and her team of eight event staff members were forced to manually enter information to run its series of events last year, including a fundraising golf tournament, holiday awards program, crawfish boil and its expo, the association’s largest event.

Not eager to go through that extra work again, Barnes initiated an RFP process with a priority of finding a solution that’s compatible with the AMS. Research and recommendations from peers who use the same AMS were instrumental in partnering with Zapier, a software company focused in automation, says Barnes. “That integration piece with your current systems is key, because it makes everybody’s life easier,” she says.

The Houston Building Owners and Managers Association offered keepsakes for attendees at their expo last year, including a photo of them drawn by PicME Events’s Draw Me Bot and a free headshot by Studio Pod.

Eliminating Inefficiencies

Organizing a citywide convention like the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design that drew nearly 13,000 attendees last year to the Thomas Michael Menino Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston is no easy feat.

It’s no wonder Liles relies on technology to cover logistics like registration, tradeshow organization, speaker management, calls for proposed education topics, seating charts and exhibitor administration.

The trouble is AIA uses a different platform for each of those tasks. Finding the time to research alternative software, install the programs and teach staff how to use it is a challenge, Liles says. Another hurdle is budgets that aren’t getting any bigger.

Not only is it inefficient to use so many different programs, it can add to a meeting planning team’s already overbooked schedule if the programs don’t sync. “If your platforms aren’t integrating with each other, then it creates a lot of manual work,” Liles says.

For instance, a planner can remove a speaker and session from one platform if there is a cancellation but then needs to go into the event app to cancel the planned program. Liles says she has to take notes about such last-minute changes to make sure the information is conveyed to attendees.

Kirberg adds ASA uses a different registration depending on the size and revenue of the event. The association’s annual meeting usually attracts more than 12,000 attendees and is a money-maker. But that’s just one of 50 gatherings for the national group of anesthesiologists, some of which are offered complimentary, and don’t raise revenue as a result.

“We have one registration system for our annual meeting because it’s what we need for a meeting of 12,000 people, but that solution is not cost effective when you’re trying to run a meeting for 500 people,” Kirberg says. “So we had to go out and find another system that integrates for registration for our smaller meetings and build out two different systems that function differently.”

AI Assistance

The extra time and attention needed to align technologies takes away from member-facing tasks that can add to attendees’ experiences. The complaint is common among many business sectors, and where AI holds its most promise, says Jim Spellos, president of Meeting U. and a longtime speaker on technology trends. “It has changed how every single industry does their work, so you need to be on top of it,” says Spellos of AI. “And so many people aren’t.”

ChatGPT, Google and Quicken are among the tech giants that have made AI integral to their business model, and many Software as Service companies are integrating it into dashboards for business owners to seamlessly use the new tool.

Organizations are increasingly relying on AI as a virtual assistant to support mundane yet important tasks like creating social media copy, analyzing business reports and monitoring employee hours. Yet, security concerns and time required to learn to use the technology are cited as reasons associations lag behind.

In the 2025 Meeting Room of the Future report from IACC, only 14% of the 205 North American and European meeting planners who participated described AI as the most critical technology needed for meetings during the next three years. Remarkably, the response rate marks a 10% increase from the previous year’s IACC report. Affordable (or free) high-speed wireless internet, at 41%, was by far the most popular response.

Spellos fears the slow adoption will only harm associations. “I’m concerned about a lot of people who are pushing back,” says Spellos, arguing fear of AI replacing jobs is clouding judgment.

AIA, ASA and HBOMA are all at different stages with artificial intelligence.

Kirberg says ASA has been prudent in terms of the emerging technology, citing privacy as a reason to go slow-and-steady while proactively setting guidelines for its adoption. “We’ve been aggressive in creating policies and structures for the use of AI in our work to make sure that we’re using it in appropriate ways where it can be beneficial,” he says. “But at the same time, we’re not letting it be unregulated in the organization.”

Liles says AIA is taking baby steps into the new frontier, noting finding the time to experiment with the technology is a barrier. “I do feel like we could be using it a lot more, but we’re so busy that we don’t even have the time to learn more about what it can do to help us with our events,” she says. “But it’s definitely a path that we’re starting to go down.”

Barnes is a proponent of AI use and purchased the upgraded ChatGPT version, but admits she has more to learn. “I’m probably in the infancy of knowing what AI is capable of,” she says. “But, I want to keep building on how my team is using it.”

AI doesn’t need to be overwhelming, says Kelley. “Start where it solves a clear problem like automated FAQs, smarter analytics or even generating session recaps. The goal isn’t to replace people; it’s to enhance the attendee experience and free up time for strategic thinking,” he says.

Techies like Spellos and El Gazzar admit to spending several hours per day exploring AI’s capabilities. Spellos has all-but-replaced Google with ChatGPT so he can avoid the sponsor-driven search results.

Meanwhile, El Gazzar points to Base44, an AI-based tool that planners can use to build an event website with a simple prompt. She says that many standard event websites are filled with too much information that can be daunting to would-be registrants.

“I know for a fact that I’m not attracted anymore to an event whose page says ‘18,000 people, 1,000 booths, 500 speakers and a million sessions,’” she says. “That’s overwhelming.”

Seeking a Better Experience

The big fear about technology slogging the planning process is a trickle-down effect on attendees.

Some tools have become commonplace:

• Digital signage, both indoor and outdoor, is becoming more common as venues offer more cost-effective and user-friendly solutions that tie into sustainability.
• QR codes are another digital solution gaining steam, as the vast majority of attendees have smartphones, and can easily collect a connection’s contact information digitally.
• HBOMA is enjoying great success with gamification options with its app that encourages active participation during its expo. Barnes credits a passport contest for promoting foot traffic in the trade show while also turning into a revenue stream due to sponsorship sold around the activity.
• Map Your Show, a tool Liles employs, has become a popular tool for planners to design trade shows that are easy to navigate, allowing attendees to enjoy the event and exhibitors to get more foot traffic.

Kelley cites real-time language translation glasses and ear buds as a standout among new technology. He says the advancement can break down language barriers and add a new layer of inclusivity. He also predicts holograms to “completely transform how attendees interact with speakers or booths.”

Virtual’s Reality

Virtual events are “not a high priority” for ASA, says Kirberg, but about 500 remote attendees rely on technology to attend the events. The association has seen about a 20% decline annually among virtual attendees, but Kirberg says business travel budget cuts and new government regulations may stem the drop this year.

The IACC study finds 42% of respondents do not plan to have any streaming capabilities in the coming year, with IACC CEO Marc Cooper noting in the report that “technical issues may have negatively impacted the overall experience — prompting planners to reconsider its use going forward.”

That said, virtual and hybrid are not dead. HBOMA is increasing its capabilities for hybrid events through Owl Labs’ 360-degree solution, which Barnes says can capture a whole room and zoom in on speakers and attendees asking questions.

“You have to make sure that both the in-person attendees and the people that are in the remote setting have almost the exact experience, which is really difficult,” she says. “Zoom hasn’t accomplished that.”

Kirberg adds that planners like himself are turning toward new partners as existing technology vendors struggle to meet demands of associations.

Roohi Ali, a membership specialist for the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), says the organization utilizes numerous platforms, including LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, Bluesky and TikTok as part of its social media outreach program.

The ORS, Ali notes, also relies heavily on online education and webinars, which are crucial for all associations. Kirberg says the ASA has 600 educational programs in its annual meeting alone. While not all are made available online, a majority are accessible for an extended period digitally after the conference.

“We’re looking to provide educational value to members on a year round basis,” he says. “We want to continue that learning experience for our members once they leave a meeting.”

Looking Ahead

While waiting for the “unicorn” to arrive, planners continue to evolve to take advantage of tools available now.

With time and budget restraints remaining ongoing challenges, Liles relies on virtual site visits to explore destinations and convention venues. “You can’t just keep flying across the country,” she says.

Freeman, AIA’s general service contractor, has an online database of convention centers that includes information about branding opportunities, measurements and photos of the facility, which Liles finds to be useful.

Spellos, who famously wore a Google Glass during presentations in the 2010s, predicts event technology will go back to the future with virtual reality and augmented reality. “AR has a second life coming because of the intelligence that AI is going to bring to these systems,” says Spellos, adding it may be another decade before mainstream implementation.

In the meantime, Spellos urges associations to remain vigilant in exploring new technology. “Remember, we got pushed into online meetings due to the pandemic,” he says. “History is known to throw us curveballs. Something is going to push us to change. And the technology is there to connect people at a distance.” | AC&F |