Industry Leaders Imagined Future of Event Planning
A new report from The Meetings Show outlines expectations for human-centric events by 2036.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Remote Work
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The Meetings Show has released a report detailing how industry professionals envision the future of event planning. Findings suggest that while technology will handle logistics, human connection will remain the primary focus through 2036.
Why it matters
The report highlights a strategic pivot where professionals intend to prioritize community and engagement over virtual replacements. This vision seeks to balance advanced automation with the necessity of authentic human interaction.
The report covers a 10-year planning horizon for the event industry. It assesses the role of AI and automation in replacing routine tasks versus the human-led experience.
The players
The Meetings Show
This organization hosts industry professionals for events and workshops focused on global trade and networking.
Graham Norris
He led the industry futures workshop that synthesized professional outlooks into the new report.
The details
Participants at a futures workshop concluded that technology should be limited to administrative tasks like registration and data management. They emphasized that personal connections should remain the central focus rather than virtual worlds or automated hosts.
Timeline
The futures workshop took place at The Meetings Show 2026.
The industry projections focus on the target year of 2036.
Market Landscape
This industry vision mirrors the broader corporate trend of using AI to manage backend logistics while doubling down on in-person service value. It positions event planners to compete against virtual alternatives by doubling down on community-focused experiences.
Attendees and clients can expect event organizers to prioritize more personalized, human-centered experiences in the coming decade. Routine interactions like registration will likely become entirely automated, shifting the human element to high-value engagement activities.
The takeaway
The future of the event industry hinges on using automation to strip away administrative burdens to make room for deeper human connection. Industry professionals are betting that authentic personal interactions will become more valuable as technology continues to evolve.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest trends in the Remote Work sector.
More information
Access the complete Full industry report for further details.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mitmagazine.
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Do you believe increasing automation in professional settings will improve the quality of human interactions?
