According to the 15th Annual Global Meetings and Events Forecast by American Express Global Business Travel, optimism among meetings and events professionals has reached its highest level in five years, with 85 percent of respondents saying they are optimistic or very optimistic about the year ahead—up from 74 percent from 2025.
Notably, artificial intelligence has moved from an emerging technology to an essential tool for 2026, with 50 percent of industry professionals now integrating AI throughout event planning and execution.
AI can help generate content and themes for events, track engagement and sentiment and optimize budgets.
The most anticipated AI use cases for the year include:
- Connection: Event communications (35 percent), AI-powered matchmaking for attendees and sponsors (35 percent)
- Content: Creative theme generation (34 percent) and, content creation (31 percent)
- Measurement: Engagement tracking (31 percent)
“We’re witnessing a transformative moment where AI is not just a tool, but a strategic partner that empowers meetings and events professionals to deliver more engaging, impactful and intelligent event experiences with measurable impact,” Gerardo Tejado, SVP professional services at Amex GBT said in a statement. “The meeting and events industry’s growing confidence—with 85 percent of professionals feeling optimistic about the future—reflects our collective ability to embrace change and unlock new possibilities.”