Speed without strategy: AI in events

I've been working with futurist Ant Morse on a question: where is AI in events actually heading over the next 2-5 years? The applications, the capabilities, what's already technically possible. It's closer than most people realise.

AI systems that understand context from years of interaction. Technology that anticipates which events matter to specific people based on their interests and past behaviour. Spatial computing that transforms how attendees navigate and engage on-site. The infrastructure exists. Innovators just need to bring it together.

Here's what struck me about Ant's vision: this is not science fiction set a decade away. Mobile phones took 16 years to reach 100 million people. ChatGPT took 3 months. When adoption compresses this dramatically, planning horizons change.

In our work designing experiences for clients, we keep returning to the same framework. Before we choose any technology, we ask: what do people need to think, feel, and do? This is how we've always approached experience design through our Audienceology methodology. Behavioural science, audience insights, creative innovation working together.

The challenge right now is that the industry is moving fast on AI adoption, but the frameworks for evaluation are not keeping pace. 54% of event professionals believe AI will be essential for competitiveness within two years. That timeline is immediate. For a £61.65 billion industry serving 95.4 million annual attendances, the stakes matter.

When we talk to clients navigating this shift, we're seeing the same thoughtful concern about getting this right. Industry data shows 75% say data privacy and security are priorities and 38% say lack of trust is a barrier to adoption. These are legitimate questions about how technology intersects with human experience.

The gap between adoption speed and strategic understanding creates real challenges. Which AI tools actually serve your event goals? Where does technology enhance connection versus fragmenting it? How do you evaluate what's right for your specific context? These are the questions events and marketing teams are working through in real time.

On November 26th, we're bringing this thinking to our Experience Exchange event. Ant will share where AI applications are heading. I'll share what we've learned about evaluating these applications with human experience at the centre.

Understanding what's technically possible over the next few years helps you evaluate opportunities and prepare strategically. Understanding how people respond to technology in shared spaces helps you make decisions that serve human needs. Vision without behavioural frameworks leads to reactive adoption. Frameworks without understanding what's possible means you miss what could genuinely add value.

When we design experiences, technology choices follow from understanding what people need. Not the other way around. This is the Audienceology approach applied to AI adoption: start with human behaviour, then choose tools that support those outcomes.

If you're navigating these questions in your work right now, join us. This is the conversation we're all having in different ways. Let's have it together.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e...

By Alexander Bright, MD

Sources referenced: CHS Birmingham; VisitBritain; Tony Blair Institute.