Dialogue & Masterclass

AI is already inside your business, in proposals, research and reporting, often before policy has caught up. Experimentation is moving faster than governance, and leaders are left to close the gap. This small-group lab for owners and senior leaders moves past talk and into decisions: where AI should inform planning and decision-making, where human judgment stays non-negotiable, and how to turn scattered experimentation into lasting capability across the organisation. Expect candid peer exchange, real scenarios from the room, and decisions you can take home.

Most of us are putting out more marketing than ever (more posts, more captions, more images), but we’re hearing back less. Content is now quick and cheap to make with AI, so everyone makes more of it, and people skip most of it, especially when it looks “very AI”.

Even when a campaign brings in the numbers, the people who come aren’t always the right ones. Business event professionals market to several groups at once: exhibitors, sponsors, delegates, visitors, trade buyers and event planners. Each group needs its own message, and most of them only come if the others do.

The good news is that AI doesn’t know your audience the way you do. What works still comes down to your experience and what past participants have told you. In this small-group dialogue, bring something that worked, something that didn’t, or a question you’re stuck on, and we’ll compare notes on what’s working for others.

As we look toward 2027, rising energy and travel costs are forcing event buyers to re-examine every line item. Keeping events cost-competitive while maintaining delegate draw requires sharper strategies – from tapping into secondary cities and bleisure opportunities to measuring long-term Return on Event (ROE) over short-term ROI.

At the same time, central to everything is the human touch: leveraging AI to streamline routine planning tasks while keeping face-to-face networking in the mix, experiential F&B, and dynamic activities/gamification and creative spaces at the core of delivery. This session will also look at how destinations, venues, and MICE ecosystems should collaborate to deliver lasting legacy and buyer value.

From WhatsApp pings at night to clients handing us AI-made agendas expecting overnight miracles, the rules of our day-to-day work have shifted. For junior coordinators and seasoned managers alike, it creates a double crisis: we are working harder than ever, yet quietly wondering if our roles are shrinking.

This dialogue is a candid reality check for everyone in the room. We will look straight at why the pace is driving people away, unpack the irreplaceable value of hands-on event craft, and figure out how to build a career in business events without costing you your health.

AI makes it easy to produce work that looks finished. It doesn't make it easy to produce work that is thoughtful, different or memorable. This hands-on masterclass strips away the hype and gives event teams a step-by-step method for using AI where it helps most. Participants will work through a real event brief. They'll use AI to handle the repetitive groundwork, such as research, first drafts, agenda building and content adaptation, then add the human layer of insight, taste and emotional resonance that turns an assembled event into an intentional experience.

Learn how to spot the subtle early warning signs of employee distress, burnout and declining motivation before they escalate into larger organisational crisis.

This 90-minute masterclass explores how secondary tourism hubs can strengthen operational resilience in the face of climate-related disruption. Rather than focusing only on long-term sustainability ambitions, the session examines what destinations, businesses and local partners need to do when heatwaves, floods, water shortages, transport disruptions or other climate pressures affect day-to-day tourism operations.

The masterclass is built around three practical takeaways.

First, participants will examine the role of clear standard operating procedures and crisis protocols, including communication playbooks for hotels, destination management companies and local vendor networks.

Second, the session will consider front-line up-skilling, with particular attention to climate-risk awareness, guest safety, service continuity and low-carbon delivery among hospitality and transport teams.

Third, participants will explore simple, low-cost approaches to sharing operational data and resources across venues, hotels and transport operators, especially during periods of peak demand and major events.

Using examples and lessons from destinations across SE Asia, the session will also highlight the particular vulnerabilities of secondary hubs, where resources, infrastructure and institutional capacity may be more limited. Participants will be encouraged to identify what is most likely to fail first, who should respond, and what can be prepared in advance. The overall emphasis is practical: building readiness that can be tested, coordinated and applied before a disruption occurs.

The session is designed for destination managers, tourism businesses and practitioners seeking practical tools they can adapt to their own specific operating environments.