Our Event Perspectives videos share insights from some of the most forward-thinking minds in the events industry. In the first blog post of this series, we highlighted unique advice recent guests offered. This time, we’re focusing on where they converge. Discover what principles came up again and again, regardless of each guest’s company size, event type, or years of experience.
1. Use AI Effectively
AI came up in almost every conversation. The consensus is that AI should be used intentionally to meet the needs of various event stakeholders (i.e. attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and leaders). Guests warn against unintentionally wasting time trying to experiment with AI.
“Don’t use AI for AI’s sake,” said Hannah Elston, senior manager, partnerships, marketing, & communications, of Event Leaders Exchange. “Every use case should be relevant and purposeful.” Her advice is to use it as a strategic advisor, asking it what you haven’t considered, where the gaps are, and what could be improved.
Sanya Khera, senior product manager of digital experiences at Intuit, added a critical note, “When feeding event data into AI tools, clean your data first.” If your input is messy or incomplete, the output will be too. Event Perspectives guests agree that when used correctly, AI can create a more valuable event experience for everyone involved.
2. Break the Mold to Adapt and Innovate
Several guests pushed back on assumptions about how events should be run. “Don’t just think outside the box — crush it,” suggested the chairman of Endless Events, Will Curran. His argument is that starting from a blank page, rather than a familiar template, opens up decisions that never get made when you’re iterating on last year’s format.
Pam Corcoran,VP of global events at CrowdStrike, framed breaking the mold as a way to navigate uncertainty, “In grey areas, keep trying different directions rather than waiting for clarity to arrive.” She explains that event planning rarely unfolds as you would like. The key is to be decisive and adapt as needed.
Hannah also spoke up against repeating old plans saying, “’We’ve always done it this way’ is the most dangerous sentence in the events industry.” She shared that her team is currently rethinking their content strategy entirely, reframing sessions as live shows led by audience input rather than moderator-driven interviews.
3. Prioritize Health and Energy
This is the most consistent advice given throughout the series. Too often, event professionals don’t give themselves a break — and everyone agrees that’s a problem.
Ghazwan Almoazen, director of global experiential marketing at Docusign, stated, “Take care of yourself especially in the two stressful weeks before an event. You come first.” He reminds listeners they cannot fail. Either they have a great event, or they learn from their experience. Both outcomes are a win.
Adam Parry, co-founder of Event Tech Live advised, “Prioritize your physical health, mental health, and relationships above the job,” said Adam Parry. On-site, that means carving out time for meals, taking short walks between sessions, and genuinely switching off over the weekend.
Founder of Dahlia+ Agency, Dahlia El-Gazzar echoed it from a different angle, addressing the benefits of letting things happen naturally, rather than trying to plan out every last detail. “Some of the best moments at events are unscripted, and the energy spent trying to control them is energy that could go elsewhere.”
Although our guests come from different corners of the industry, their advice aligns. By using AI more intentionally, rethinking event strategies, and prioritizing self-care, event professionals can manage whatever challenges come their way. Watch the complete episodes on YouTube for more expert advice.
