Event planners take note: A new report exposes where the industry falls short on AI adoption while highlighting powerful opportunities to revolutionize workflows through strategic AI integration.
Is your organization part of the AI revolution in event planning? A new report from Soundings—a staffing and recruitment consultancy focusing on the meetings and events industry—reveals that half of the event planning organizations surveyed have dipped their toes into AI waters, though most are simply using it for content and marketing rather than diving into full planning integration.
Conducted between February and April of this year and drawing participants from professional circles, industry communities and through targeted digital outreach, the survey found that 7 in 10 respondents have been planning events for more than a decade, with nearly half orchestrating gatherings of 1,000+ attendees.
However, compared to sectors like manufacturing and banking, the business events industry is lagging behind in terms of AI adoption, with 41 percent of survey respondents saying they had no immediate need to use AI in the planning process.
That doesn’t mean some aren’t going full steam ahead with AI—over one-third use it for attendee personalization while 37 percent apply it to streamline post-event analytics. In addition more than 75 percent of respondents said they are seeking AI training and guidance.
Still, planners need to go beyond marketing and content if they hope to stay competitive with their AI-savvy peers. As the survey says:
“More than just a technology gap, this is a potential competitiveness issue. Clients from more AI-advanced sectors are bringing new expectations. As a result, traditional team structures, heavy overhead, and inefficient work flows are coming under scrutiny.”
Why Some Planners Are Missing Out
The survey identifies five key areas where some planners are falling short in using AI for nothing more than marketing or content:
Lack of Understanding & Confidence—Not knowing what AI tools do or where to begin slows adoption and creates resistance.
Lack of Clear, Role-Specific Use Cases—Generic demos don’t resonate; professionals need examples tailored to their job functions.
Lack of Implementation Support—Difficulty integrating tools into team workflows; i.e., tools remain underused.
Budget Constraints and Cost Uncertainty—Integration is especially challenging for small teams or freelance professionals. There may be concerns over ROI delay investment.
Training Gaps—Widespread need for both beginner and advanced training. Without structured learning, adoption stalls.
For the complete report, click here.
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