Posted on September 18, 2025
Originally published on LinkedIn.
The event industry is one that evolves at near-blinding speed. Just when planners and marketers find their footing, a new tool, trend, or tectonic shift resets the entire playbook. It’s exhilarating and exhausting, especially when the disruption wears the two-letter badge of AI.
But behind the hype, the headlines, and the fatigue, something real is taking shape.
Earlier this month, InEvent CEO Pedro Góes sat down with Conrad Mills, a sharp mind in the AI and martech space, to unpack the real-world impact of AI in event planning. The conversation ranged from facial recognition check-ins to agenda automation, but one use case in particular stopped Pedro in his tracks:
“Even with my own AI experience, I was enlightened to hear some of the use cases Conrad mentioned,” Pedro said. “It just shows how diverse AI has become in our space.”
One that stood out was Content parsing AIs; tools that don’t just help build event sessions, but understand the content in them. These systems can structure agendas, match attendees to talks, and help sponsors find the perfect session to join or support.
It was a reminder that AI in events isn’t just about automation or convenience. It’s about intelligence. Pattern recognition. Scale. And yes, adaptation.
Because no matter how fatigued we feel about AI right now, the truth is There is simply no going back.
Those who hesitate will struggle. Those who adapt (not perfectly, but willingly) will lead.
And if you’ve been in events long enough, you know: this isn’t the first time we’ve faced a tidal shift. It’s just the latest.
Change Is Nothing New for Events
Change doesn’t always arrive with fireworks.
Sometimes, it starts as a nudge; a quiet signal that the way we’ve always done things might not be enough anymore.
But in events, that nudge usually turns into a shove.
As Pedro reflected on his chat with Conrad, it wasn’t lost on him that this moment with AI felt oddly familiar, recalling those early years with InEvent, when convincing organizers to use mobile apps felt like selling science fiction:
“When we started InEvent, we were selling mobile apps when the iPhone was still a novel thing,” Pedro recalls. “People thought it was gimmicky—until it became the standard.”
And that was just the beginning.
Let’s rewind the timeline:
- The mobile app era
Selling native apps for conferences when most attendees were still printing directions to the venue. Adoption was slow, but the payoff was substantial—access to the agenda, real-time updates, and sustainability gains.
- The rise of self-service kiosks
Remember when registration desks were crowded with paper lists and plastic badge holders? InEvent helped pioneer iPad-based check-in systems that cut wait times and eliminated logistical chaos. Back then, it was a bold move. Today, it’s standard.
- The 2020 virtual pivot
When in-person events paused and virtual platforms became the only way forward. Entire teams had to learn how to stream, engage, and convert virtually, almost overnight.
Each shift felt risky. But each became the new normal.
Now we’re seeing the same pattern with AI in events:
- Attendees expect intelligent agendas.
- Sponsors want data-driven matchmaking.
- Planners need tools that go beyond automation and deliver insight.
“We redefine ourselves every year or so,” Pedro shared. “Change is unpredictable, but it’s certain. And it keeps moving faster.”
So no, AI isn’t a detour. It’s the next logical step in amplifying human creativity and instinct rather than replacing it.
So Why AI in Events Feels Different (But Isn’t)?
The Scale Is Bigger. The Rules Are the Same.
Every few years, the event tech landscape throws us a curveball. But honestly, AI feels like more than that, doesn’t it?
This is not just another tool or feature. It’s everywhere, all at once. And that’s what makes it feel so different.
“Right now, I think we’re all AI-fatigued, aren’t we?” Pedro said. “But there’s no going back. We either adopt these tools—or we get eaten by the competition.”
And that anxiety is very real and shared. Even the most seasoned event professionals are feeling stretched thin.
The pace of change is intense, and the sheer breadth of AI use cases in events can make it hard to know where to even begin.
But the good news is, you don’t have to be first. You just have to be willing.
The planners who succeed will be the ones:
- Paying attention to what actually works
- Experimenting early without betting the farm
- Partnering with platforms that can scale with them
And when you zoom in, AI in event management is already showing up in ways that are less intimidating and more powerful than many people realize.
Real-world use cases that are already reshaping the attendee experience:
- Content parsing AIs
Automatically categorize session content, identify themes, and suggest related sessions for attendees.
Recommend 1:1 meetings or networking opportunities based on real attendee behavior.
Eliminate long queues with seamless biometric entry, resulting in less waiting.
Auto-adapt fields based on previous answers, preferences, or status. Personalization from the first click.
These are technologies that are already being deployed by event teams around the world, with results that go far beyond convenience.
What’s new is the intelligence behind these tools. What hasn’t changed is the mindset required to make them work
Test, learn, adapt.
Reinvention Is the Job
It’s easy to forget now, but InEvent didn’t start with AI. It didn’t even start with registration kiosks or facial recognition.
“When we started InEvent,” Pedro said, “we were selling mobile apps when the iPhone was still a novel thing.”
Back then, being a tech-forward event partner meant building something most people hadn’t seen yet and sticking around long enough for them to understand it.
And that pattern never really stopped.
A few reinventions along the way:
- From mobile-first to multi-platform
As attendee expectations shifted, so did we; offering live streaming, messaging, engagement, and integrations that connected the full event experience.
- From onsite logistics to full hybrid orchestration
During the pandemic, we scaled virtual event capabilities globally without losing the power of personalization or data ownership.
- From automation to intelligence
Today, we’re building AI-driven tools; not just to save time, but to unlock new possibilities for event teams. Dynamic registration, facial recognition check-in, session matching, predictive analytics, they’re all part of what we offer now.
But we don’t call ourselves an “AI company.”
Just like we didn’t call ourselves a “virtual events company.”
Or an “app company”.
Because the label has never mattered. The outcome does.
What we are and always have been is a responsive partner for event professionals navigating what’s next and building the future for event professionals.
We listen, we build, we ship and then we do it again.
“We redefine ourselves every year or so,” Pedro said. “Change is unpredictable—but it’s certain. A great future lies ahead.”
And if the path forward feels unfamiliar? That’s okay. It always does at first.
Because in this industry, reinvention is the job.
And the best ones? They don’t fear it. They own it.
Join the AI Conversation at IMEX
A Special Dinner for Event Leaders Shaping What’s Next
If you’re still figuring out where AI fits into your event strategy, you’re not alone.
And you don’t need to have it all figured out to start leading the conversation.
“I’ve found that the best ideas rarely come from behind a screen,” Pedro said. “They come from real conversations with people who care about the future of events.”
That’s exactly why he’s hosting a private dinner during IMEX America, bringing together 12 event professionals who are leaning into this next chapter.
This is not a panel or a pitch. It’s a shared table for the people building what’s next.
You’ll meet agency leads, heads of event tech, and fellow innovators from brands already testing AI tools to those still asking the right questions.
And yes, the food will be excellent.
Does this sound like your type of community?
Visit his latest linkedin post and drop a quick note with “IMEX” and we’ll send you a private RSVP.
Seats are limited. Ideas are not.
About the Author / Adedoyin
