The events industry is obsessed with data. It’s the fuel behind personalization. If planners know which sessions attendees loved and which ones they walked out of after 10 minutes, they have valuable information to fine-tune an event and make the case to sponsors. Now, RainFocus’ newest product raises a question: How much of that data are they willing to hand over to an AI agent?

Andrea Doyle dives into the platform’s new Anthropic Connector, which gives Claude access to data across 17 areas of event management and, with permission, the ability to change it. For anyone tired of static CSV exports that arrive after an event is over, it opens the door to real-time adjustments. But it also comes with plenty of trust and privacy concerns. Head below for the full story, along with smart tips for women traveling solo and new research on why people still attend trade shows (spoiler alert: it’s not education). — David McMillin

What’s ahead for incentive programs next year? Join some of the experts from Skift Meetings’ M&I 15 to hear how they are balancing budget pressures with rising attendee expectations.

Melbourne Convention Bureau + Skift Meetings

Learn how Melbourne rallied governments, police, and philanthropists behind Women Deliver 2026. All that worked paid off with a declaration named after the city.

How are your peers thinking about risk in the destination selection process? What’s next for entry policies and fees? Which regions are making the biggest infrastructure bets for the future? Find out in a new report from Skift Meetings designed to help you get a sense of the future of the global meetings landscape.

This report was sponsored by Destination Toronto and Ottawa Tourism.

Your Senior Attendees Are Running on Empty

Skift Research’s new Gen X report calls them “the generation in the middle,” and the numbers back that up. The report finds that seven in 10 Gen Xers are parents, and 65% say caring for an aging relative affects their ability to travel. Those responsibilities mean they need to be at home as much as possible.

Now, take a look at the age breakdown at your next program. If the audience includes plenty of participants somewhere between their mid-40s and early 60s, every night they spend at your event is a night someone else handles school pickup or checks on Mom. That should change how you build the schedule. No matter how compelling the agenda looks, three nights away can be a tough sell. Wrapping a day early or offering a day pass may do more for attendance than another big-name speaker.

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