Infusing AI into organizing in-person events meant to emphasize authentic interpersonal connection might seem counterintuitive to planners still becoming familiar with the burgeoning technology. Based on our conversations with some experts in the application of AI for events, however, using artificial intelligence thoughtfully cannot only boost facets of meetings ranging from site selection to registration — but enhance the in-person experiences as well.

Here’s a real take on artificial intelligence, with do’s and don’ts, best practices to follow, a look at where AI might be headed and personal insight from planners who have used it to their advantage.

On Going Beyond Improved Efficiency

Nick Borelli, marketing director for Zenus, a firm specializing in AI-powered solutions for trade shows and conferences, thinks that the ultimate promise of artificial intelligence in events goes far beyond efficiency. For him, AI is most powerful when it sparks fresh ideas and makes gatherings more inclusive.

“The most impactful ways AI is being used for event planning are for ideation and additional perspectives,” Borelli says. “While it’s true that AI is able to be used to put together competent emails, draft agendas and create marketing content, none of that will lead to a truly excellent event. AI for new ways of thinking and a better understanding of how an event’s designs can be made to be more accessible are examples of AI as a tool to raise the bar in event design benefiting everyone. Closing the loop with data analysis through AI tools can also validate the innovative approaches born of enhanced ideation and perspectives.”

When it comes to actual implementation, he suggests planners begin not at the strategy stage, but with the data they already have.

“Since AI is a layer of many different technologies, there really is an AI-powered tool for every phase of the event cycle. The easiest place to start using AI is in data collection. I know many would assume starting at the strategy level, but if you’ve already been producing events, you’re likely sitting on a data goldmine that can make decision-making much easier.” Analyzing historical data and tracking attendee behaviors, he adds, sets the stage for smarter choices across the event cycle.

That same informational pillar bolsters personalization before, during and even after an event. “Generative AI can run trend analysis on your previous outreach efforts to determine the best time to reach out to the right groups of people and with what message. This enhanced segmentation allows for personalization at scale,” Borelli explains. “During events, tools with attendee matchmaking offer us the best strategy for improved engagement that AI can bring … Lastly, personalization can benefit from attendee behavioral data collection by gaining a better perspective on traffic flows, session engagement and as an audit to your agenda and schedule.”

Yet, Borelli warns against viewing AI only as a time-saver. “I think the common pitfall of most who use AI, and in particular generative AI, is using it as a tool of efficiency only,” he says. “The majority of the world is using large language model chatbots like ChatGPT to streamline tasks with lots of copy and paste work. This type of use really limits the potential of what AI can give us while also causing creative atrophy amongst its users.” Instead, he suggests treating AI as a collaborator that supports research, first drafts and brainstorming — ultimately making event professionals more strategic.

Maintaining that balance between automation and the human touch is essential. “Thinking of AI as a collaborator and not as something that will take things off your plate entirely is the first step,” he notes. “Full automation of tasks through agentic bots removes the planner from the process … Design thinking starts with empathy and this is something AI does not possess. Working with AI should be a baton pass back and forth between humans in managerial positions delegating tasks to AI which brings back information that humans can then use their empathy and creativity to interpret and act on. When this balance is struck, great things are possible that benefit everyone.”

Looking ahead, Borelli emphasizes both curiosity and caution. “The implications of AI reaching artificial general intelligence are going to be profound,” he says. “Right now, AI is still in its infancy when it comes to reasoning (with some saying it’s not even reasoning but very powerful predictive capabilities). In the meantime, we need to emphasize curiosity as a skill and start drawing lines in the sand for ethical AI use cases that get adopted into our organization’s missions.”

On Making AI Your Practical Partner

Kimberly D. Roberts, CMP, CSEP, founder and AI event strategist of AI Strategic Results, LLC in Stone Mountain, GA, embraces AI in numerous aspects of smart planning.

“Artificial Intelligence has moved beyond theory — it’s a practical partner in planning. As an Event Strategist who has produced multimillion-dollar conferences for global brands, I’ve personally integrated AI into my workflows to save time, streamline logistics and deliver more personalized experiences for attendees.”

Roberts shares the three most impactful ways to adopt AI in your event planning process, based on her work with both clients and her own consultancy:

1. Automate the Busywork to Reclaim Your Time
   “Event planners juggle endless repetitive tasks — budgets, timelines, vendor tracking and speaker communications. I’ve used AI-powered spreadsheets and trackers to instantly calculate cost breakdowns across vendors, eliminating hours of manual number-crunching. Instead of drafting the same emails over and over, I use AI to generate first drafts of speaker onboarding emails, saving me days during large-scale events with dozens of presenters. With AI handling the ‘busywork,’ I can focus my energy on creative design, sponsor relationships and big-picture strategy.”
2. Personalize the Attendee Experience at Scale
   “AI allows planners to deliver a curated experience for every attendee— something that was nearly impossible at scale just a few years ago. For one event, I used an AI-powered event app to generate personalized session recommendations based on attendee interests. The result? Higher session attendance and dramatically improved satisfaction scores. I’ve also leaned on AI analytics to predict catering needs and traffic flow in real time, which prevented costly food waste and improved overall logistics. These kinds of predictive tools help planners anticipate needs before problems arise.”
3. Prove ROI With Smarter Data Insights
   “Executives expect event ROI, not just flawless logistics. AI has transformed the way I capture and present event impact. At one global conference, I used AI-driven tools to analyze attendee engagement data, pulling insights on session popularity, networking patterns and lead generation. Within hours of the event ending, I had a clear, data-backed story to share with leadership. This ability to generate immediate, actionable insights positions event planners not just as logistics managers, but as strategic business partners.”

AI in Action

“At a recent global conference I managed, AI became my silent co-pilot. I built an AI-powered budget tracker that updated in real time as vendor costs shifted — giving me a live picture of spend across a multimillion-dollar program. At the same event, I used AI tools to create a polished post-event ‘Redemption Recap’ for leadership within 24 hours. By combining speed, accuracy and insight, AI allowed me to demonstrate not only flawless execution, but also tangible ROI.”

AI isn’t replacing event professionals, according to Roberts, it’s amplifying their ability to create meaningful, memorable experiences.

“I like to say: Let AI handle the busywork, so you can handle the brilliance,” she remarks. “By starting small, personalizing attendee journeys and using data to prove ROI, you’ll not only elevate your events but also future proof your career.”

On AI’s Superpowers for Planners

Blake Hudelson, co-founder and chief product & design officer at BoomPop, sees today’s AI tools as promising — but occasionally overhyped. “AI in event planning is still in its early innings. Most AI tools on the market today are little more than chatbots duct taped onto legacy systems. They may check a buzzword box, but they don’t fundamentally change how planning happens.”

BoomPop, he remarks, was designed differently. “BoomPop is one of the few platforms that is AI-native from the ground up. That means AI is not an afterthought; it’s woven into the core of the product. Instead of just answering FAQs, it automates the repetitive admin work like contracts, scheduling and confirmations, while also unlocking new creative outlets for organizers.”

He adds that generative AI in the platform can design agendas, draft personalized communications and even analyze guest feedback — while real-time data integration lets planners adapt quickly to flight delays or weather changes. “The real promise of AI in events is not about replacing planners. It’s about giving them superpowers, compressing weeks of logistics into hours and freeing up energy to focus on designing experiences that people will actually remember.”

One area where Hudelson sees AI seriously bringing instant impact is logistics. “Large-scale events are really just webs of interdependent decisions, and that is exactly the kind of complexity AI thrives on,” he explains. Venue sourcing is a prime example. Traditionally, finding the right spot means weeks of research, proposals and contract reviews — each parameter narrowing options at a snail’s pace. “AI flips this process on its head. It can analyze millions of data points at once, cross-reference constraints in seconds and surface options that fit perfectly. What used to take weeks can now take hours, and instead of looking at 10 venues, you can review 100.”

BoomPop’s own system takes this further with conversational prompts. “At BoomPop, we’ve built a tool you can simply chat with in plain English — ‘I need to plan a 500-person conference for next spring. The location should have mild weather, be within 30 minutes of a major airport and avoid dates when other large events are happening.’ Within seconds, the AI crunches billions of data points and comes back with tailored recommendations, complete with cost ranges and availability snapshots.”

From Hudelson’s viewpoint, personalization is where AI is at its zenith. Every attendee wants to feel seen, supported and included. BoomPop’s AI Concierge allows attendees to text questions like ‘What should I pack?’ or ‘What’s tomorrow’s agenda?’ while organizers can push out quick updates on shuttles, menus or reminders — all without requiring an app. The result is that organizers offload 95% of attendee questions and can focus on the creative side of planning instead of logistics. Attendees love it because they get instant, accurate answers … In short: organizers get efficiency, attendees get clarity, and everyone gets a better experience with far fewer frantic midnight emails, he says.

Still, he emphasizes that AI isn’t foolproof. He says, “AI isn’t flawless. Like any technology, it can make mistakes, misinterpret requests or hallucinate information. If the data feeding the system is incomplete or inaccurate, the output will reflect that. And while AI is great at streamlining decisions, it does not replace human judgment, intuition or the creative feel of an event.” The best safeguard, he argues, is using AI as a junior teammate: it can handle grunt work, but planners must spot-check outputs, provide guardrails and maintain ownership of the final vision. “Attendees and clients want to feel reassured that their experience is being thoughtfully managed, not outsourced entirely to an algorithm. AI handles the logistics, but humans still curate the vision. After all, no one ever said, ‘My favorite part of that event was the flawless algorithm.’”

Looking ahead, Hudelson pictures AI assistants becoming everyday tools for planners. “In the next five years, AI literacy will be table stakes for every professional in events. Planners who embrace AI will move faster, run smoother operations and deliver more personalized experiences. Planners who resist will find themselves outpaced,” he says. Hudelson imagines every planner having a copilot that remembers past events, anticipates issues, and automates execution in real time: “Imagine an AI whispering in your ear onsite: ‘The shuttle is five minutes late, but I have already texted attendees and updated the agenda.’ That’s where we are headed.”

What won’t change, he emphasizes, is the human spark. “The one area AI will not disrupt soon is the onsite human magic. The improvisation, empathy and problem-solving that only seasoned planners can deliver will remain essential. Unless we start sending robots to chase down lost catering trays, event-day execution will remain distinctly human.”

On Creating More Magical Moments With AI

“As someone who’s spent over two decades crafting unique experiences for global brands, I’m fascinated by how AI is fundamentally changing our approach to event planning,” says Gianna Gaudini, event planning leader, author of “The Art of Event Planning” and former head of events at Google, SoftBank, AWS and Airtable.

For Gaudini, the power of AI lies in moving from responsive planning to a more proactive approach. “In its best form, the magic happens when we use AI to answer that fundamental question I always ask: ‘How can I make this moment more magical?’ Now we have more data to guide those decisions, and AI frees up more bandwidth for us to make it happen. We’re seeing 45% of event organizers and directors actively using AI tools to enhance operations and personalize attendee experiences.”

That shift is transforming the nuts and bolts of planning. “Instead of scrambling to accommodate last-minute changes, we’re now anticipating attendee needs before they even articulate them. AI platforms can suggest personalized sessions, activities and networking opportunities to create custom agendas, while automated systems handle registration, check-in processes and badge printing, greatly reducing wait times and human error. It also opens up new ways to surprise and delight attendees through immersive technology and personalization.”

When it comes to tools, Gaudini highlights a few favorites. She relies on Claude by Anthropic for research and contract comparison, while event-specific platforms like BoomPop, Gradual and EVA demonstrate how AI can support itinerary building, matchmaking and entertainment booking at scale. “What makes the companies I work with exceptional is their ability to handle the heavy lifting while preserving the human touch that creates memorable experiences,” she notes.

Beyond tools, Gaudini sees AI optimizing logistics in critical ways. “The algorithms of AI help event planners automate things like venue selection, logistics management, content and email/social copy, task management and scheduling tasks. The key is using AI to eliminate friction points so attendees focus on the content and connections, not the logistics.”

She points to contract review as especially game-changing: “AI compares and negotiates proposals in real time by quickly analyzing contract terms, identifying potential red flags, comparing pricing across multiple vendors and even suggesting negotiation points based on industry standards. This means less time buried in paperwork and more time focusing on the creative elements that make events memorable.”

AI, she says, is making a major impact with content. “AI can draft social media calendars, campaigns and posts, generate emails and aid in sourcing different assets, from speakers and sponsors to events and vendors. Whether it’s written or visuals, AI is incredibly useful for creating event content and pre- and post-event communications. I’ve even seen companies using it to generate names for new conferences and even event logos!”

For Gaudini, however, the true magic of AI is in personalization. “This is where AI truly shines in creating those magical moments. AI platforms can tailor event experiences by using attendee data to create custom agendas and personalized communication based on attendees providing preferences at registration.”

She highlights matchmaking and immersive activations as strong examples. “Brella’s AI-powered matchmaking algorithm analyzes hundreds of data points to find highly relevant matches for each person, creating higher attendee engagement and satisfaction. I work with an experiential agency called De-Yan, who always incorporates AI coding into immersive, art-like experiences … Other examples I’ve done range from creative AI photobooths that turn people’s photos into works of art or the time I hired a famous conductor to generate a musical score using the AI coordinates of the company I had invited to the event,” she says. The impact is clear: “78% of event planners who have used AI in their planning report a higher return on investment. When people feel the event was designed specifically for them, they become advocates, not just attendees.”

Gaudini is also enthused when looking forward. She says, “The future is incredibly exciting. The next five years promise AI-powered real-time attendee insights, automated event logistics, hyper-personalized networking and advanced predictive analytics to enhance decision-making.”

She’s particularly excited by evolutions with immersion and sustainability. “AI integration with Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality will lead to even more immersive event experiences,” she remarks. “AI will assess attendee satisfaction in real-time through sentiment analysis … and it will help optimize resources and reduce waste by predicting attendance accurately and monitoring energy usage to improve sustainability efforts.”

Through it all, she returns to the human side of AI’s potential. “I love the limitless potential AI opens up by giving planners more time for strategic planning and creativity. The key will be staying curious and experimental while never losing sight of what makes events truly magical — the human connections and emotional experiences that technology can enhance but never replace. The best AI, like any technology, feels invisible and elegantly enhances an experience and should amplify your creativity and strategic thinking.” | AC&F |