The Acceleration of Technology
The pace of technological change today is nothing short of staggering. Artificial intelligence, once limited to prediction and automation, is now creating content, crafting solutions, and reshaping industries – events included.
From real-time personalization to seamless logistics, AI is streamlining what used to be intensive processes and doing it with impressive accuracy and speed. But with all this advancement, one question rises above the rest: what happens to the human role in experiences driven by technology?
From Predictions to Creation
AI has long been part of our toolkit, helping businesses analyze patterns, predict behaviors, and automate tasks. What’s different now is its ability to create. We’ve entered a new phase where machine learning is no longer just supportive, it’s generative.
In the events world, this means what once required dozens of professionals and weeks of planning can be prototyped in hours. A campaign concept, visual mock-up, or data analysis that would traditionally take a team is now accessible to a single user equipped with the right tools. The barrier to execution has dropped, and the potential for innovation has skyrocketed.
Still, this isn’t about AI replacing professionals – it’s about how we redefine our roles alongside it.
The Human Factor: More critical Than Ever
Despite AI’s speed and efficiency, there’s one thing it fundamentally lacks: emotion. It can simulate tone, mimic conversation, and generate content, but it doesn’t understand what it means to feel. It doesn’t know what makes a moment unforgettable.
That understanding is uniquely human.
People shape the questions AI responds to. People set the strategy, the vision, and the intention. While AI can enhance what we do, it cannot replicate the authenticity, intuition, or empathy that humans bring to experience design. Events are emotional landscapes, and emotion is what drives memory, connection, and loyalty.
This is why, after a global period of digital fatigue, we witnessed a resurgence in face-to-face gatherings. Humans are social by nature. We don’t just attend events for information, we come for inspiration, for connection, for belonging. Because in events, just as in life, emotions are irreplaceable.
AI in Tourism and Events: A New Reality
AI is already embedded in many aspects of the tourism and event industries. From biometric processing in airports to intelligent travel planning and personalized event content, the transformation is well underway. The data points are clear: adoption is high and growing, and the benefits in efficiency and engagement are evident.
Yet despite the digital shift, what guests remember most from an event is rarely the tech itself. It’s the sensory experiences – the unexpected, the emotional, the human. A scent, a sound, a shared moment of surprise – these are the memories that endure.
- 97% of passengers are expected to be processed with facial recognition by 2027.
- 73% of travelers are already using AI to plan trips.
- 91% of event attendees engage more with personalized content.
- 90% of event professionals believe AI will significantly boost efficiency.
Technology may enhance the frame, but emotion fills the canvas.
Finding Balance: Tech as Enabler, Not Replacer
The challenge now is not whether to use AI — it’s how to use it responsibly and meaningfully.
1. Use AI to remove friction – not emotion: When integrated thoughtfully, AI removes friction, allowing professionals to focus on what really matters: curating moments that resonate. Tasks like check-ins, scheduling, and data management can be automated, freeing up time and energy to invest in storytelling, atmosphere, and emotional engagement.
2. Design for meaning: Designing for meaning means making space for spontaneity and surprise. It means building experiences that are not only efficient but also deeply felt.
3. Measure what truly matters: Metrics matter, of course – but the real measure of success goes beyond clicks and conversions. We must ask: Did the audience feel something? Did they connect – not just with the brand, but with each other?
The Human Touch in Action
Consider a well-crafted brand activation. Guests may remember the digital interactivity, but they’ll feel the warmth of a personal welcome, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, the drumbeat reverberating through a space. These are not technological outputs — they are human stories, carefully composed through sensory design and emotional intelligence.
It’s no coincidence that leading companies continue to invest heavily in people. Many allocate up to 70% of their resources to human capital and only 30% to tech. That’s not a rejection of AI, it’s an embrace of what really drives experience: human connection.
Conclusion: The Architects of Emotion
Artificial intelligence is here to stay, and its role in the events industry will only grow. It is an essential partner in enhancing productivity and precision. But it is not the driver of vision.
As emphasized by Dorothee Anjos, General Director of Multilem Middle East, during her solo talk at ATM Dubai this week.
AI is the co-pilot, not the creator.
The reason people gather hasn’t changed. They come not just to watch, listen, or consume – but to feel, to share, to be part of something bigger. That purpose remains timeless, no matter how sophisticated the tools we use.
In the end, the future of events won’t be defined by how advanced our technology is — but by how meaningfully we use it to connect people.
Emotion is still the most powerful medium. And we, as humans, remain its greatest artists.
