Is your boss demanding to see cost efficiencies from AI use? Proceed with caution, especially if you’re thinking about running your next contract through ChatGPT, Claude, or any other AI assistant. Skift Meetings’ Barbara Scofidio’s latest piece reveals that are attorneys in the industry are sounding the alarm bell about pro-supplier clauses, data privacy considerations, and other risks.
It’s another reminder of the potential dangers of embracing AI too quickly that are covered in our latest free report. (You can download it here.) And if you’ve been scared about the race to embrace AI, take some comfort in recent news from Ford and IBM. Both companies recently reversed decisions to replace employees with AI. Maybe the machine isn’t going to replace us, after all.
FEATURED STORIES
Investors Bet $50 Million on Event ROI Data
by Andrea Doyle
The latest funding round for Vendelux signals that business events are entering an era of accountability, where data — not gut instinct — will increasingly determine which conferences win corporate budgets.
The Toughest Call for Planners: Calling the Weather
by Barbara Scofidio
The challenge isn't just about about predicting the weather, but negotiating who decides and who pays if you need to move an event inside.
Supreme Court Campaign Finance Ruling Could Expand Political Events
by Andrea Doyle
The Republican mid-term convention in Dallas may not be a one-off. With coordination limits gone, expect political parties to detach from the presidential cycle — meaning convention centers and host cities need to start planning for political business in off-years, not just election years.
AI Has a Seat at the Contract Table Now
by Barbara Scofidio
Planners using an AI co-pilot to review contracts need to be aware of some major blind spots.
ITA Group + Skift Meetings
A five-star resort? That’s expected with the trip of a lifetime. Feeling a real sense of connection and purpose? That’s what delivers a real return on investment.
FREE REPORT
Our latest report uncovers how AI is transforming the event experience and provides crucial insights for anyone looking to invest in event tech today.
What’s inside:
A vision of the ideal AI-powered event experience.
A plain-language explainer on LLMs, agentic AI, and MCP.
130+ AI-native event tech tools mapped across event phases.
Questions to ask and red flags to look out for buying event tech.
SKIFT PICK: TRANSLATING TRAVEL NEWS FOR MEETINGS
Getting to Know the Emerging Generation of Conference Attendees
Think you know Gen Z? Think again. The Skift Research team recently surveyed the youngest cohort of business travelers, and the findings offer valuable insights into better understanding how they view the world — and how likely they are to care about the next invitation they receive to attend a meeting. Two key takeaways:
They don’t look at careers the same way. Gen Z is significantly more likely to be self-employed. That less traditional perspective on career growth can create ripple effects for conferences. If they don’t care about networking for their next opportunity, do they need to come?
AI isn’t their go-to answer. Compared with Millennials, Gen Z is less likely to hand over authority to an AI agent to handle booking a trip. It seems that digital natives may be the most desperate for a digital detox.
EVENTS
On September 22, Skift Meetings' flagship event will bring together event leaders for a deep-dive on how the business of events is reinventing itself. This game-changing gathering gives event professionals the tools they need to thrive in a rapidly shifting business and geopolitical landscape.
Great events are built on strategy, innovation, and the right resources. The Skift Meetings Toolkit is your go-to hub for best practices in managing meetings and events.
