Held at Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore on April 14-15, The Business of Events 2025, organised by the Professional Convention Management Association, heavily featured technology as a central theme, particularly in the opening keynote and breakout sessions.
Opening keynote speaker Ayesha Khanna, co-founder and CEO, Addo, made two salient points: “Cheap AI has implications for every industry and every function” and “people management is the key driver of success in AI”.
She said the sales function will continue to evolve with digital and AI, such as in assisted selling and coded assistance, citing examples across various brands. But be customer-centred, and try to personalise events for attendees, she advised.
The fireside chat at the Tech In Action: Empowering Event Experiences Through Innovation session on April 14 focused largely on AI, but emphasised getting the message across, not the technology itself.
Andrew Everingham, founder & CEO of Capital-e Marketing & Events, and Cathy Yum, regional head of marketing & demand generation, Zoom, discussed how to leverage technology, as well as challenges with dynamic agendas, immersive content, and facial recognition.
Meanwhile, Michael Magafa, commercial director, APAC, Encore APAC and Christopher Burke, group managing director, Asia Pacific, Creative Technology Asia Pacific, indicated that too much tech can sometimes get in the way of the event experience.
They stressed that AI’s job is “to take care of the repetitive stuff” so event planners can be more creative. There are more options and opportunities at the back end, said Burke, and trust is important for the producer and the client.
An observation that “we don’t need more events, we need better ones” resonated with the audience, as did advice that “the best work comes when we stop competing and start collaborating”.
The speakers also discussed achieving consistency across different markets, and highlighted gaps or opportunities in the event space.
Session moderator Richard Soo, managing director of MEP Meeting & Exhibition Planners, summarised: “The discussion brought out what truly matters – real insights from those who are using tech in the field. It was less about the hype, and more about what works, what doesn’t, and how we can scale innovation meaningfully across regions, while staying human at the core.”
