Key takeaways from the AEO Partnership Summit 2026

The AEO Partnership Summit returned for its second year, bringing together organisers, partners and suppliers to share insight and explore how the industry is evolving. Across the day, sessions focused on practical strategies to improve performance, strengthen relationships and future-proof event businesses.

Thank you to all the speakers from Collingwood, Cvent, Inevexco, Leadership Connect Services, Map Your Show, and uptakeAI for taking part in the AEO Partnership Summit.

 

Building trust through human connection in a digital-first world

In the opening session, Felicia Asiedu from Cvent explored how trust is being reshaped in a digital era and what it means for event marketers today. Audiences are navigating an environment shaped by misinformation, AI-generated content and increasing scepticism toward institutions.

Marketers are now operating in an environment where over 60% of people hold grievances toward institutions, audiences are questioning what they see and consume, and digital channels alone are no longer enough to build credibility. This shift is changing how people engage with brands and events, making it harder to earn attention and build confidence. As Felicia put it, “this is the world that you’re marketing into… everyone you’re talking to has a little bit less certainty.”

In this context, in-person events are playing an increasingly important role. They create space for genuine interaction and help build trust through real conversations. The concept of a “trust stack” highlighted how digital channels support awareness, while live events drive deeper engagement and connection.

 

Strengthening rebooking performance through digital transformation

Richard Kensett from Map Your Show examined the role of rebooking and why it remains one of the most commercially critical moments in the event lifecycle. A significant proportion of revenue is secured during the show itself, making this a high-impact window for organisers.

Many processes still rely on manual systems and legacy approaches, which can create inefficiencies, limit visibility and reduce the ability to maximise revenue opportunities. Improving the rebooking experience can increase efficiency, strengthen exhibitor confidence, and unlock additional revenue through more effective upselling and better use of data.

He challenged the industry to rethink this approach, asking whether current processes persist because they work best or simply because “it only makes sense because it came first.”

The session encouraged organisers to reassess long-standing processes and consider how digital tools can introduce greater structure, transparency and performance into rebooking strategies.

 

Driving sustainable growth through better metrics and benchmarking

Pauline Coulter from Collingwood was joined by Adam Shaw as well as Ruben Doppelstein from Fleet Events, and focused on how success is defined and measured. The session highlighted that growth alone is no longer enough, with Pauline emphasising the need to focus on “predictable revenue, strong retention, and clients who commit early” as the real drivers of value. While attendance and revenue remain key metrics, there is increasing focus on retention rates, gross margin, and the value delivered to exhibitors and sponsors.

Benchmarking insights highlighted that many businesses are still operating below optimal levels in these areas, which has implications for both performance and long-term valuation.

The session reinforced the importance of prioritising high-value connections over volume, targeted audiences over broad reach, and consistent, repeat engagement over one-off interactions.

 

Navigating workforce challenges and strengthening organisational resilience

Sian Feuillade from Leadership Connect Solutions addressed the evolving people and organisational challenges facing the events industry, particularly in light of changing employment legislation and workplace expectations.

The session highlighted the importance of proactive HR strategies, including creating safe and inclusive environments, managing risk effectively, and ensuring compliance with new regulations. As highlighted during the discussion, organisations must recognise that people-related risks are both “a big risk to all of our businesses and an opportunity,” depending on how they are managed. As expectations around workplace culture continue to evolve, organisations need to adapt their policies and practices to support both employees and attendees.

This session reinforced that strong people strategies are closely linked to business performance and reputation.

 

Applying AI to enhance event performance and audience experience

Andrew Whyatt-Sames and Lucy Pitt from uptakeAI explored how AI is being applied in the events industry, with a focus on practical use cases rather than theory.

AI is already adding value across content creation and repurposing, personalised attendee experiences, and data analysis and reporting. For example, event content can be automatically segmented into shorter clips for social media, extending the life and reach of sessions beyond the event itself .

Alongside these use cases, the session also encouraged organisers to think more critically about how AI is implemented and what success looks like. As highlighted in the discussion, “So is it more use of AI that we want, or is it better? And if it is better, then consider, do we need to rethink how we are supporting our teams, how we have structured our teams, how we are training our teams, how we are incentivising our teams for quality over just volume.”

The emphasis was on integrating AI into existing systems in a way that enhances efficiency and insight, while also aligning teams, processes and incentives to deliver higher-quality outcomes.

 

Strengthening risk management and protecting event delivery

Mark Blair from InEvexco focused on risk management and resilience in an increasingly uncertain environment.

The session highlighted the importance of planning for disruption and protecting event delivery through the right structures and safeguards. As reflected in earlier discussions, challenges across the industry require “ingenuity and agility,” reinforcing the need for robust contingency planning alongside operational excellence.

Effective risk management is becoming a core component of delivering consistent, high-quality events.

 

Understanding market trends and industry resilience

In the closing session, Phil Soar, Chairman of CloserStill Media and Nineteen Group shared insights from the latest SASIE report, offering a data-driven view of industry performance and trends.

The session explored key indicators including show size, scale, and overall market performance, alongside broader economic influences such as inflation, investment trends and sector-specific disruption. The data highlighted both the challenges facing organisers and the continued resilience of face-to-face events.

A key takeaway was the importance of grounding strategy in data, using industry benchmarks to understand performance, identify opportunities for growth, and make more informed decisions in an evolving market landscape.

 

Final reflections

The AEO Partnership Summit 2026 highlighted an industry that is adapting quickly to new expectations and external pressures. Key themes included the growing importance of trust and human connection, the need to modernise core processes such as rebooking, a shift toward quality-driven growth and measurable value, and the integration of technology to support better outcomes.

As the landscape continues to evolve, the events that succeed will be those that combine strong fundamentals with a willingness to rethink how value is delivered to audiences and partners alike.

 

You can view the full AEO partner list here: https://www.aeo.org.uk/join-us/aeo-partners