10/12/2026
🌟 Speaker Spotlight: Transforming Event Operations with AI at Expo! Expo! 2026 🌟
What does the future hold when AI drives personalization, predicts attendee behavior, and uncovers exhibitor ROI gaps before the show floor even closes? Join industry leaders Jessica Duarte, Kristin Barranger & Charles W. Smitherman as they explore Driving Better Outcomes From Leaner Teams To Smarter Events: What AI Is Actually Doing To Organizer Operations & Attendee Experience.
This session offers an insider’s view on how AI is reshaping event organizational structures while elevating expectations for attendee and exhibitor experiences. As AI takes on data-heavy tasks like reporting and matchmaking, event teams are empowered to focus on strategic leadership, innovative experience design, and meaningful relationship-building. The leaders getting this right don’t just run leaner—they create more relevant, high-impact events.
Key takeaways include:
✔️ Understanding how AI-driven personalization and behavioral insights are redefining team roles and priorities
✔️ Learning from top organizers—CloserStill Media, Easyfairs, Terrapinn, Specialty Food Association, and mdg—on reallocating human effort for maximum impact
✔️ Crafting a practical roadmap to align your team’s capabilities with the elevated expectations your attendees and exhibitors will demand over the next 24 months
Meet our expert speakers:
Jessica Duarte, Product Marketing Manager at Swapcard and former tech leader at NAMM, brings deep expertise in technology implementation and event optimization.
Kristin Barranger, CEM, Senior Manager of TEC Sales and Expositions at ASME, a seasoned IAEE leader with two decades of experience driving high-value exhibit experiences.
Charles W. Smitherman, PhD, JD, MSt, CAE, CEO of APRO, a legal scholar turned association innovator advancing generative knowledge stewardship.
https://tinyurl.com/pedkz6wa