neo summit 26: How is AI transforming the events industry?

The next phase of the AI transformation does not begin with new tools, but with new questions: How will creative processes change when AI becomes an integral part of idea development? What strategies do companies and agencies need to make effective use of AI? And what skills do event professionals need to remain successful in an increasingly technology-driven working world?

The neo summit 26 will take place on 6 and 7 October 2026 as part of the leat con in Hamburg, bringing together event professionals, decision-makers and thought leaders to discuss the impact of AI on live communication. The focus will not be on the AI hype, but on the specific question: How can the industry utilise technology without losing sight of the human factor?

With its first major programme release, neo summit 26 is now unveiling a substantial part of its programme. The first speakers and sessions are now available online and provide an insight into the diverse range of topics covered at the summit. Further speaker announcements and programme updates will follow in the coming weeks.

trAIbhaus Lab: How AI is transforming creative processes

A central component of the programme is the trAIbhaus Lab. In collaboration with the innovation network treibhaus, a workshop track is being developed that explores the practical application of generative AI in creative processes.

The aim is not simply to make existing ways of working faster. The focus is on how AI opens up new possibilities for concept development, design and experience design. The programme includes the following workshops, amongst others:

• In her session ‘Disruption – the kryptonite of AI? How we hack experience formats with GenAI instead of reproducing them’,Simone Schwartz ( East End) demonstrates how creatives can use AI to develop new experience formats.

• Eligio Maffezzoni explores the use of generative AI in day-to-day agency work and demonstrates how ideas, images and videos can be developed using new tools. At the same time, he addresses the key question of how events can retain their uniqueness even in the age of AI.

• Moritz von Graevenitz explores the organisation of tomorrow and explains why event teams need new structures and skills to use AI successfully, and how clear role definitions can be used to build AI assistants tailored to their own workflows.

Leadership & Strategy: AI as a strategic challenge

As well as creative applications, neo summit 26 also explores the strategic dimension of the AI transformation. The Leadership & Strategy track examines how companies and teams can integrate AI effectively. Speakers in this track include:

• Manuel Kremer-Jansen explores the question of which AI tools actually create added value for event managers. His session, ‘Invest first, reap the rewards later – AI tools for event managers: effort, benefits, reality’, outlines which applications work in day-to-day event management and where the challenges lie in integrating them into everyday work.

• Henning Harfst and Ralf Neugebauer from the Meet Germany Corporate Event Circle provide guidance on getting started with artificial intelligence in their “AI Kick-off” session and show how managers can take their teams on the AI journey with them.

• Kevin Krüger turns his attention to attracting attendees and communicating about events. In his session ‘Full halls instead of full registration lists. How the right signals attract the right decision-makers to your event’, he explores how data-driven approaches can help reach exactly the right target audience whilst optimising resource allocation, based on the 2–5 per cent rule.

“The first part of the programme already shows what the neo summit 26 is all about: we don’t want to talk about AI, but rather work with the industry to find out what this technology means for our day-to-day work. From creativity and strategy right through to practical applications, there are many perspectives that need to be considered together. I’m therefore all the more excited to welcome everyone from the industry who wants to be part of this brand-new format,” says Maxi Neßmann, organiser of neo summit 26.

The neo summit 26 programme continues to expand

The first block of the programme is just the start: over the coming weeks, neo summit 26 will be announcing further speakers, sessions and programme items. This is shaping up to be a programme that brings together different roles within the events industry – from decision-makers and creatives to those who are already integrating AI into their processes in a practical way.

The full programme, featuring all sessions and speakers announced to date, is now available on the neo summit 26 website: www.leatcon.com/neo-summit/

neo summit 26 will take place on6 and 7 October 2026 at Hamburg Messe. Their ticket also grants participants access to leat con 26: www.leatcon.com

>> Tickets for neo summit 26 are available online.<<