Move beyond Likert scales and checkbox surveys. AI is revolutionizing how event organizers capture and analyze highly contextual feedback, unlocking deep psychographic insights and attendee intentions that were previously impossible to process at scale. This session explores how advanced AI analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data like open-ended responses, behavioral data, and qualitative feedback is giving organizers unprecedented intelligence for strategic planning. Learn how to harness AI to understand the "why" behind attendee behavior and transform surface-level feedback into actionable insights that drive better event experiences and ROI.

When National Association of Broadcasters created the newly established Vice President of Data Intelligence role, it wasn't just a title shift—it was a strategic statement about the future of trade associations. Join Nate Mann as he shares why a leading trade association believed this position was critical to their evolution and how this role now sits at the center of NAB's organizational data journey. This candid conversation, moderated by John Dandenau of Bear Analytics, digs into how trade associations are thinking about data intelligence in their world and the strategic decisions that drive transformation.

Discover how artificial intelligence is transforming event procurement and vendor selection through smart recommendation platforms. We will explore real stories on how teams are using their AI-powered purchasing network is revolutionizing how event organizers connect with suppliers, optimize vendor selection, and streamline procurement decisions. This session, moderated by Shepard, explores how machine learning algorithms are making procurement more efficient, cost-effective, and strategic for event professionals.

Not your average lunch break. We will have facilitated conversation and curated groups.

MeasureUP is about AI and innovation—but innovation isn’t just about technology. At the National Association of Home Builders, the marketing team has redefined the human side of innovation: how they work together in an environment where meetings dominate calendars and true independent work time is shrinking across the board. Instead of treating meetings as a drain, the team has turned them into a superpower—structuring co-working sessions, cross-functional collaboration, and fast decision-making rhythms that keep execution moving forward.

In this fireside chat, Denise Miller and Jen Sloane share how their team has built a marketing “flywheel” powered not by more hours, but by how they maximize the limited time they have together. No slides—just a practical, honest conversation about how to turn today’s meeting-heavy reality into a competitive advantage. 

What happens when AI meets the magic of in-person experiences? In this Fireside Chat, John Bacon shares his perspective on how artificial intelligence is reshaping associations, transforming event design, and opening new opportunities for delighting attendees. The conversation will explore both the philosophical “big picture” and practical examples, ending with a lightning round of innovative face-to-face experiences that inspire and engage. 

Discover how artificial intelligence is transforming the art of session programming from intuition-based to intelligence-driven. Join Megan Murphy from SessionBoard as they explore how AI is revolutionizing speaker alignment and content curation to deliver unprecedented attendee delight. This session, moderated by John Dandenau of Bear Analytics, focuses on real customer impact—how AI ensures attendees are fed more of the right content at the right time, creating personalized learning experiences that drive higher engagement, satisfaction, and event ROI.

From frictionless entry to hyper-personalized fan engagement, AI is revolutionizing onsite experiences at live sporting events. Explore how professional sports organizations deploy computer vision, predictive analytics, and mobile-first AI applications for deeper fan interaction, operational efficiency, and next-gen sponsorship activations.

In today’s increasingly complex marketing environment, the difference between successful and struggling events isn’t budget size—it’s resource precision. Join Dani Dade from NAB and Erin Lee from AdvaMed as they reveal data-driven strategies for understanding exactly where to deploy your most precious resources: staff time, paid media budget, email campaigns, and content attention. Whether you’re targeting 6,000 or 60,000 attendees, this session explores how leading event marketers use intelligence over intuition to optimize every marketing dollar, maximize registration quality, and achieve breakthrough audience growth even within constrained environments. Discover the frameworks these industry leaders use to identify high-value audience segments and deploy resources with surgical precision.

Experience the industry's most comprehensive data release as Joe Colangelo, CEO of Bear Analytics, unveils first-of-its-kind insights aggregated from Bear IQ's behavioral data spanning over 6 million registrations and $1.5 billion in exhibit and sponsorship sales. This exclusive benchmarking report provides an unprecedented sneak peek into what's actually happening across the events industry as we round the corner into 2026. Discover the trends, patterns, and behavioral insights that will shape the future of events and exhibitions.