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How AI Is Changing the Events Industry (And Why People Still Matter)
Written by Paul Tompsett, Head of Production, Studio Cube Published: 28 August 2026 Last updated: 28 August 2026 Reading time: 8 minutes
Paul Tompsett is Head of Production at Studio Cube, a London-based full-service event production company. With more than 20 years of experience delivering luxury retail activations, charity events, conferences and brand experiences across the UK, Europe and the USA, Paul has a front-row seat to how the events industry is changing and what is staying the same. He brings a production director's perspective to every brief Studio Cube takes on.
Key takeaway: AI is genuinely useful for the administrative and research phases of event planning. It is not a substitute for the supplier relationships, on-site judgement and human interactions that determine whether an event actually succeeds. The most effective event companies in 2026 are those that use AI where it adds value and people where it matters most.
How AI Is Changing the Events Industry (And Why People Still Matter)
Artificial intelligence is changing the events industry by accelerating planning, automating administrative tasks and giving both organisers and clients access to venue ideas, schedule drafts and event concepts faster than ever before. But after more than two decades delivering events, the clearest thing I have observed is that AI is excellent at some things and genuinely poor at others. Understanding the difference is what separates event companies that will thrive in this environment from those that will struggle.
Artificial intelligence is changing almost every industry and events are no exception. From generating venue ideas in seconds to creating schedules, writing event copy and analysing guest data, AI has become another tool in the organiser's toolkit.
But after more than 20 years delivering luxury retail activations, charity events, conferences and brand experiences, I have noticed something interesting. The clients are often using AI more than the event professionals.
Marketing teams are asking ChatGPT for venue recommendations. PR agencies are using AI to brainstorm launch ideas. Corporate clients are creating draft event briefs before speaking to a single supplier. That is not a bad thing. When AI is used well it can make the planning process significantly more efficient. The danger is assuming it can replace experience.
Research from Booking.com for Business shows that 58 percent of event planners are already using AI to manage costs and complexity, and 95 percent of event teams expect AI usage to increase in 2026. The technology is not going away. The question is what it can and cannot do.
How AI is already changing event planning
Only a few years ago, researching venues, building initial schedules or writing invitation copy could take days. Today AI can produce a first draft in minutes.
Clients can quickly generate event concepts, initial budgets, guest communications, timelines, risk checklists, venue shortlists, theme ideas and catering inspiration. Rather than arriving with a blank sheet of paper, many clients now come with a well-developed brief generated with the help of AI. That saves time for everyone. Instead of spending the first meeting discussing possibilities, conversations can move much more quickly towards refining ideas and making practical decisions.
According to research from Cvent, marketers are now planning an average of 29 events per year compared to only 14 in 2023. AI is a significant part of why that volume increase is manageable. The administrative overhead per event is lower. The research phase is faster. The briefing process is more structured.
For Studio Cube, this means we spend less time on the early exploratory conversation and more time on the decisions that actually determine whether the event will succeed. That is a genuinely positive development.
Where AI is making the biggest impact
Planning is where AI is currently having its biggest impact on the events industry. It can help estimate timings, identify potential scheduling conflicts and suggest staffing levels based on guest numbers. Administrative tasks that previously consumed hours can often be completed in minutes.
AI can assist with guest list management, seating plans, registration systems, timeline building, supplier comparison, travel planning and initial budget calculations. For organisers managing multiple projects simultaneously, this represents a significant productivity gain.
However planning software does not understand context. It does not know that a particular supplier has always delivered exceptional service under pressure. It does not know that a venue loading bay becomes unusable after 4pm. It does not know that a particular gallery prefers catering deliveries through a side entrance to protect the guest experience on arrival.
Those details still come from experience. And in live event production, those details are often the difference between an event that works and one that does not.
What AI cannot do in events
The most important limitation of AI in the events industry is not a technology problem. It is a fundamental misunderstanding of what event success actually requires.
Information is not expertise. AI can tell you which venues exist in Mayfair. It cannot tell you which venue manager will pick up the phone at seven on the morning of your event when the loading access has been blocked. It can generate a seating plan. It cannot tell you that two guests should not be placed at the same table because of a business relationship that ended badly eighteen months ago. It can produce a risk assessment. It cannot anticipate the specific problem that is going to arise at your specific event in your specific venue on your specific day.
That knowledge comes from years of producing events. It is not searchable. It is not generatable. It is earned.
Relationships cannot be automated
One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding AI is that information alone creates expertise. In reality, events are built on relationships. Throughout my career, supplier relationships have repeatedly solved problems that no software could predict.
On one event, a member of staff was unable to attend due to a last-minute assessment shortly before the event began. Because of our long-standing relationship with the staffing supplier, replacement staff were redirected from a nearby event and arrived in time. The client never experienced any disruption. No AI system could have solved that. It was not an algorithm. It was trust built over years of working together.
The same applies across catering, production, venues and logistics. Technology can identify suppliers. Relationships determine how those suppliers respond when something unexpected happens. And in live events, something unexpected always eventually happens.
AI does not understand real-world events
Events rarely unfold exactly as planned. Guests arrive early. Speakers overrun. Weather changes. Traffic delays deliveries. Power requirements increase. Equipment fails. Budgets change on the morning of the event. AI can suggest contingency plans. Experienced event professionals recognise problems before they happen.
Much of successful event management involves anticipating issues that are not visible on any planning document. The caterer who has not confirmed their delivery time the evening before is a warning sign that only becomes obvious if you have seen what happens when that delivery does not arrive. The venue that has a new operations manager since your last site visit is a risk that only registers if you know to ask. Those instincts come from experience, not from processing data.
Guest experience remains human
The best events are remembered because of how they made people feel. Guests remember the welcome they received, the quality of service, the atmosphere, the food, the lighting, the attention to detail and the conversations they had. None of those moments are created by artificial intelligence. They are created by people.
The calm supervisor who quietly solves a problem before anyone notices. The waiter who recognises returning guests. The production team who adjust lighting as daylight changes through the afternoon. The caterer who adapts the service programme because a keynote speech runs longer than expected. Those moments are difficult to automate because they rely on judgement rather than data.
Research consistently shows that the primary reason people value in-person events over virtual alternatives is human connection. 78 percent of event organisers say in-person events are their single most impactful channel precisely because of what happens between people in a room. AI does not create that. People do.
The future belongs to businesses that combine both
I do not believe AI will replace event planners. I think it will replace repetitive administration. That is a positive development.
If technology removes hours of paperwork, planners gain more time to focus on creativity, relationships and guest experience. Clients also benefit. Budgets can be allocated towards the parts of an event that genuinely improve the experience rather than administrative overhead.
The most successful event companies will not be those that ignore AI. Nor will they be those that rely on it entirely. They will be the ones that use AI where it adds genuine value, in the research and administrative phases, while recognising where human expertise, supplier relationships and on-site judgement remain irreplaceable.
At Studio Cube we use every tool available to make the planning process more efficient. And we put experienced people in the room, on-site from load-in to close-down, because that is what actually determines whether the event works.
Frequently asked questions
How is AI changing the events industry?
AI is changing the events industry by accelerating the planning process, automating administrative tasks and helping organisers generate venue ideas, draft schedules, write communications and analyse guest data significantly faster than before. Research shows that 58 percent of event planners are already using AI to manage costs and complexity. However AI cannot replicate the supplier relationships, on-site judgement and guest experience expertise that experienced event professionals provide.
Will AI replace event planners?
AI is unlikely to replace event planners entirely. It will replace repetitive administrative tasks, giving planners more time to focus on creativity, supplier relationships and guest experience. The most successful event companies will be those that use AI where it adds genuine value while recognising where human expertise, judgement and relationships remain irreplaceable. Events are built on trust, experience and real-time decision-making that no algorithm can fully replicate.
What can AI do in event planning?
AI can help event planners generate venue shortlists, produce initial event concepts, draft guest communications, create timelines, build initial budgets, manage seating plans, compare suppliers, assist with registration systems and identify potential scheduling conflicts. It is most effective as a tool for accelerating the administrative and research phases of event planning, freeing experienced professionals to focus on execution, relationships and guest experience.
What can AI not do in event planning?
AI cannot replicate the supplier relationships that resolve last-minute problems, the on-site judgement that anticipates issues before they happen or the human interactions that make guests feel genuinely looked after. It does not know that a venue loading bay becomes unusable after 4pm, that a particular supplier will go beyond their contract when something goes wrong or that a keynote speaker is likely to overrun and the catering programme needs to flex accordingly. Those capabilities come from experience, not algorithms.
How are corporate clients using AI in event planning?
Corporate clients are increasingly using AI tools like ChatGPT to generate venue ideas, draft event briefs, brainstorm event concepts and produce initial timelines before engaging a professional event production company. This can make the briefing process more efficient as clients arrive with more developed thinking rather than a blank sheet of paper. However AI-generated briefs still require professional production expertise to translate into a successfully delivered event.
About Paul Tompsett
Paul Tompsett is Head of Production at Studio Cube, a London-based full-service event production company. With more than 20 years of experience delivering luxury retail activations, charity events, conferences and brand experiences across the UK, Europe and the USA, Paul has overseen event programmes ranging from intimate VIP experiences to large-scale multi-site activations. He brings a production director's perspective to every brief Studio Cube takes on.
About Studio Cube
Studio Cube is a full-service event production company based in London, established in 2014. We produce corporate events, product launches, brand activations, conferences, award ceremonies, gala dinners and in-store events for corporate brands and marketing teams across London and the UK. Our services cover creative design, technical production, event management, venue sourcing, catering and event staffing, all managed in-house from brief to close-down. We have delivered more than 500 events in London for clients including Christian Dior, Club Monaco and Dr. Barbara Sturm.
Studio Cube is based at the Old Biscuit Factory, 100 Clements Road, London SE16 www.studiocubeevents.com hello@studiocubeevents.com 0203 488 3386
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