Webinar Recap: Event Tech Trends 2025
Nov 19, 2024 Shruti Shah
As we gear up for 2025, and before the holiday season fully takes over, Eventcombo hosted an insightful and forward-thinking panel discussion on the event tech trends 2025. We brought together a dynamic group of experts from across the event industry—each offering their unique perspective. This included leaders like Saroosh G., Merijn van Buuren, Beth Lawrence, CMP, Nick Borelli, and Michael Tchong, all recognized for their expertise in event tech.
As event tech trends 2025 continue to evolve, the insights shared during this webinar will prove invaluable in navigating the year ahead, as revealed through key Event Tech Trends 2025 webinar insights following right after.
Top 8 Insights: All You Need to Know
The discussion was anything but conventional. The panelists provided real-world experiences and actionable takeaways, ensuring the session was interactive and engaging.
1. Generative AI Will Revolutionize Event Planning
Generative AI, particularly custom GPT models, is transforming how events are planned, managed, and experienced. From ideation to creating personalized attendee journeys, streamlining registration workflows, and producing dynamic video content, Gen AI enhances efficiency and engagement. It also empowers event professionals with advanced analytics, reshaping ROI measurement and aligning seamlessly with event tech trends of 2025.
2. AI-Driven Personalization Will Enhance Attendee Experience
Hyper-personalization, powered by AI, is becoming essential for delivering tailored, immersive event experiences. Custom registration flows, curated content, and precise matchmaking will cater to diverse stakeholder goals. Attendees, sponsors, and buyers will demand seamless, individualized experiences that align with their objectives, solidifying personalization as a core driver of event success.
3. Event Formats Will Prioritize Impactful Engagement
In-person events are evolving to focus on high-impact external interactions, while virtual events remain crucial for internal meetings. Sponsors are increasingly prioritizing monetized, ROI-driven activations, making sponsorship strategies critical for event success. By leveraging enhanced workflows and advanced analytics, event organizers can better demonstrate measurable value, foster stronger sponsor relationships, and secure repeat partnerships.
4. Meetings Will Become the Core Metric for Event Success
Meetings will take center stage in measuring event success, revolutionizing the buyer-seller dynamic. Metrics such as the number of meetings booked, value generated, and new connections made will define success. Meeting Management Tech leverages optimized matchmaking, tracked interactions, and data-driven insights to ensure meetings deliver tangible ROI and strengthen stakeholder engagement.
5. Stakeholder Feedback and Data-Driven Decisions Will Drive ROI
Aligning event goals with the needs of all stakeholders—attendees, sponsors, and clients—will be key to maximizing ROI. AI and data analytics will play a pivotal role in interpreting feedback, tracking trends, and optimizing strategies. By focusing on stakeholder journeys, especially for sponsors, event professionals can deliver meaningful experiences while ensuring agility and relevance in a competitive market.
Quote That Resonated
Saroosh Gull, CEO Eventcombo
“In 2025, I see meetings playing a much bigger role, embraced far more than in the past. This shift will influence the direction of events in a big way.”
Michael Tchong, Futuristic and Public Speaker, Ubertrends LLC
“In the AI space, the real buzz is about workflows. It's about being part of the marketing department and integrating with their processes. That's where I think the true disruption lies.”
Merijn van Buuren, Founder Event Profs Vision
“We’ll also see technologies that make onboarding smoother—AI tools that simplify setting up platforms, even using prompts to set up entire registration systems.”
Nick Lawrence, Marketing Director, Zenus inc.
“Generative AI is a game-changer, allowing us to sift through all the noise—like 'the chicken was dry' or 'the chair was squeaky'—and uncover the real insights. Once we identify those key insights, we know exactly what needs to be done next.”
Beth Lawrence, Beth Lawrence Meetings & Events
“I love the idea of improving analytics—not just the data itself but the deeper insights it provides. Oftentimes, you’re given data, but it takes a long time to extract real value from it. Investing in resources to streamline the sponsorship journey could be incredibly beneficial.”
Q&A Highlights
Q: How important is it to evaluate the event business model and understand where the money is coming from?
A: - It's important not to neglect any stakeholder experience, including sponsors.
While it's essential to pay attention to the attendee journey, sometimes we pay so much attention to it that we neglect the sponsor journey.
Q: How has the role of events in organizational strategy changed, and what should be considered moving forward?
A: Events are now top of mind more than ever before for sales and marketing departments, leading to increased budgets for event programming. This shift suggests a redistribution of communication channels, with events becoming a key medium, or "event media." While this is exciting and beneficial for the industry, it's crucial to move responsibly.
Q: How are meetings evolving in the event space, and what is expected for the future?
A: Meetings are increasingly being embraced as a key part of events, and they are becoming more important than ever. A tangible metric to measure the success of sponsors is how many meetings are booked during the event. Looking ahead, particularly in 2025, meetings are expected to play an even bigger role.
Final Thoughts
The panel discussion was packed with forward-thinking insights and actionable strategies to ensure event professionals are ready for 2025. Beyond the data and expert advice, our panelists made sure to inject some fun into the conversation, making it an engaging experience for all involved. If you can’t join us live, don’t worry! You can still catch all the Event Tech Trends 2025 webinar insights on our YouTube channel.
