I Love Events, Episode 1:
An Honest Talk About AI & Future-Proofing Your Events
AI isn’t just a trending topic anymore; it’s quickly becoming one of the most transformative forces in the events industry. To dig into where AI is making an impact today and how it will shape the future, I sat down with four of eventPower’s most experienced team members: Michael McCarthy, Sharla Warren, Taylor Clifton, and Marnie Herren. Between them, they’ve supported decades of conferences, trade shows, and large-scale productions, and they’ve seen firsthand how technology shifts can reshape the job in every pillar of event planning.
As we settled into our discussion, one thing became clear almost immediately: everyone feels the ripple of AI, but not everyone feels it the same way.
AI = Excitement, Curiosity, and a Dash of Apprehension
When I first asked what came to mind when they hear “AI in the events industry,” Sharla didn’t hesitate; she nearly lit up. “I think of it as a co-planner,” she shared. “A partner you can lean on. A way to take data that used to take hours and get insights instantly.”
Her perspective is rooted in opportunity. For her, AI isn’t replacing expertise, it’s supercharging it.
Others acknowledged more mixed emotions. Taylor explained that for many planners, the hesitation comes from not knowing where to start. AI feels big, fast, and a little mysterious. Mike and Marnie echoed that sentiment: AI is here, but many planners don’t yet realize how often they’re already using it, whether through auto-generated analytics, chatbots on event websites, or even tools like Google’s Gemini silently taking meeting notes.
That last one struck a chord across the panel. Every single person uses AI transcription daily. “It’s a game changer,” Taylor said. “I can actually focus on the conversation instead of scribbling down notes.”
And honestly? That alone feels like a win for almost anyone in this industry.
Where AI Is Already Transforming Events, Even If You Don’t Notice It
As we moved deeper into the conversation, real-world examples started pouring out, places where AI isn’t theoretical but actively shaping how events are run.
Sharla talked about data analytics with the kind of enthusiasm that only someone with 25+ years in events can bring. She described how AI turns years of registration data into growth trends, forecasts, and insights into attendee behavior, insights that once required days of manual work.
Marnie, who lives in the operations and content world, has seen AI step into more surprising territory:
- Reviewing call-for-abstracts submissions
- Helping conferences personalize agendas or recommend sessions
- Supporting CE credit tracking and searching
All to meet attendees where they are, and guide them where they want to go.
I added a story that stuck with me: recently, I was at an event where an AI chatbot suggested companies I might want to visit. The recommendations? Our competitors. “Helpful… and a little scary,” I joked. But it underscored the power AI now has to understand who’s in the room, and how it can shape both attendee and exhibitor experiences.
AI as the New Back-Office Teammate
One theme kept coming up: AI as an administrative assistant that never gets tired.
Between tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, and baked-in AI in platforms across the industry, planners are using AI every day to:
- Capture meeting notes
- Turn conversations into usable action items
- Draft emails
- Create surveys or interpret survey results at a much deeper level
- Automate administrative tasks
Mike summed it up perfectly: “We no longer live in a world where event planners have administrative assistants. AI is starting to fill that gap.”
It’s not about replacing human touch; it’s about eliminating the tasks that pull planners away from strategy, creativity, and relationships.
Behind the Scenes: How eventPower Is Integrating AI
Perhaps the most exciting part of the interview was hearing Mike discuss what’s quietly happening behind the curtain at eventPower. The platform is already exploring ways to use AI to improve attendee experience, streamline content management, enhance matchmaking, and support planners with more predictive tools.
From making agendas more intelligent, to identifying patterns in event performance, to enhancing speaker and abstract workflows, the future is already in motion. And it’s moving fast.
What stood out most was the philosophy behind it: AI at eventPower isn’t meant to replace planners. It’s meant to give them greater clarity, speed, and control.
Where AI Goes Next, And What Planners Should Be Thinking About
The conversation ended in a place that felt more optimistic than fearful. AI is here, and it’s growing fast, but planners don’t need to learn everything at once. Instead, they can start small:
- Use AI to take notes.
- Use it to rewrite an email.
- Use it to analyze last year’s data.
- Use it to help brainstorm session topics.
Every small win builds confidence. And every task you hand off to AI gives you back time, the most precious resource in this industry.
Final Quote: “AI Isn’t Replacing Planners, It’s Empowering Them”
Talking with this panel made one thing clear: AI isn’t something to brace for, it’s something to embrace. Whether you’re forecasting growth, building agendas, improving attendee engagement, or simply trying to stay organized, AI can already support you in meaningful ways.
As eventPower continues to expand its AI-driven capabilities, the opportunities for planners will only grow.
Ready to See How AI Can Transform Your Events?
If you want to explore how AI-powered tools inside eventPower can make your events more efficient, more engaging, and future-proof, let’s connect.
Request a Demo with eventPower today and see how we can help elevate your next event.