In Case You Missed It
Our editors recently rounded up some top event trends for 2025—and unsurprisingly, the growth of technology was a major one. “AI will continue to be a driving force, especially in content delivery, making events more engaging, accessible, and reusable,” predicts Catie Henderson, director of product management at event tech company GlobalMeet. ”Data analytics will provide organizers with deeper insights into attendee engagement, sentiment, and the key factors that drive value for their audiences.”We also compiled some of the most memorable moments at CES—including stunning, tech-forward activations from brands like Delta, Bose, Pinterest, Abbott, and Amazon Ring—and took a deep dive into drone shows, outlining some key tips for creating a safe and effective show at your next event. And over on our sister site, TSNN, we chatted with Maritz's tech leaders about how to navigate cybersecurity threats in an increasingly AI-driven industry.
More Event Technology We're Excited About This Month
To simplify the virtual event production process
Communications company RingCentral Inc. has enhanced its RingCentral Events platform with the introduction of Studio, a new feature designed to simplify and professionalize the production of virtual events. Studio allows event organizers to manage and stream engaging branded content directly from a unified interface, eliminating the need for multiple tools or external production agencies. It supports real-time streaming with no delays, integrates event management tools like pre-uploaded content and backstage chat, and offers advanced customization options for branding and speaker layouts to enhance audience engagement.
Additionally, RingCentral has introduced AI Clips, a feature that enables the automated creation of AI-generated highlight snippets from event recordings, helping organizers efficiently produce post-event reels. These clips can be quickly edited and shared across marketing channels, facilitating better post-event engagement and maximizing the return on investment for the event. “We are thrilled to see the value our customers are deriving from our platform, and we’re excited to keep rapidly innovating and launching new AI tools, like AI Clips, to better support businesses in simplifying and powering exceptional event experiences," said Kristen Koenig, RingCentral's regional vice president and GM of video and events.
To boost exhibitor ROI
Trade show operating system Map Your Show (MYS) has launched Sales Accelerator, an AI-powered tool designed to help exhibitors generate better-qualified leads, expand their reach, and boost business opportunities. The tool leverages proprietary data on attendee activity and behavior, helping predict attendees’ needs, interests, and intent—thereby enabling exhibitors to focus on converting leads into customers and accelerating the sales cycle. Besides employing advanced AI-driven lead scoring to rank prospects based on intent—thus allowing exhibitors to prioritize high-value leads—the tool also integrates third-party data to provide additional information about leads and potential contacts within their organizations.
“The goal of Sales Accelerator is to help our customers leverage artificial intelligence,” says MYS CEO Don Kline. “We are using AI to analyze the unique attendee behavior generated on our platform to help exhibitors get more out of their trade show investment. This extends the value proposition of the event and creates more ROI for the exhibitor.” Read more on our sister site, TSNN.
For AI-powered planning assistance
New York City Tourism + Conventions has launched Ellis, the first AI chat platform specifically for meeting and event planners, developed in collaboration with GuideGeek from Matador Network. Using the ChatGPT-4o platform and integrating resources from NYCTourism.com and other travel data, Ellis offers expert planning guidance in 45 languages through nyctourism.com/meetings and WhatsApp. Named after Ellis Island, the service helps professionals find venues and incorporate local elements into their events, like skyline views or Chinatown cuisine.
“Ellis opens up an exciting new chapter for business event professionals,” said Jerry Cito, executive vice president of convention development at New York City Tourism + Conventions. “We’re thrilled to enhance our convention development services with this innovative new feature, helping planners customize their events with endless possibilities across New York City’s five boroughs.” 
This spring, NYC Tourism will also introduce Libby, a consumer-facing AI chat platform named after the Statue of Liberty, to assist leisure travelers in planning and experiencing their visits to New York City.Photo: Courtesy of New York City Tourism + Conventions
To easily create and manage a virtual event
XtendLive was launched at CES 2025 to simplify digital event management for event planners. The platform—a ProExhibits brand—is aimed at making the creation, management, and analysis of digital events straightforward and effective; it offers a high-gloss platform purpose-built for event managers who want to extend their brand experience beyond the booth. Features include easy setup; engaging user interfaces for speakers, attendees, and event managers; and tools to measure event impact and ROI. XtendLive provides both a basic free option and customizable solutions, targeting event managers who need to handle complex event details seamlessly.
“The best brands of tomorrow will master digital event management today,” says XtendLive President Dick Wheeler, describing the platform as "where simplicity meets power." “The future of events is hybrid, and our platform empowers companies to expand their reach and create polished, engaging experiences that deliver measurable results."
To improve sales and customer relationships
Value management platform Propel Software has launched Product Spotlight, a new feature for Salesforce that provides users with real-time, detailed product information directly within Salesforce applications to enhance sales, customer relationships, and service operations. Showcased at the Salesforce Manufacturing Summit in mid-January, Product Spotlight offers Salesforce users efficient access to enriched product data, helping to speed decision-making and improve business outcomes such as upselling, customer support, and field service. This integration does not require complicated setup or data duplication, making it a seamless addition for users needing up-to-date product information for sales and service tasks.
“Propel is the only single-platform solution that enables a continuous product thread, linking connected items to SKUs and to serialized assets. In this way, we infuse Salesforce objects with detailed product information contextualized for each role. This allows companies to grow sales, streamline support, and deliver highly effective service,” said Eric Schrader, chief product officer of Propel. “Product Spotlight completely changes how companies work—making smart decisions swift and easy with access to real-time product information directly within Sales, Service, and Manufacturing Clouds.”
The Latest Updates, Promotions, Funding, and Merger News
Virtual event tech company GlobalMeet has announced the appointment of Richard (“Rick”) Smith as vice president of global sales. Leading the teams that service worldwide customer relationships, Smith will leverage his 20 years of experience driving profitable revenue growth at large, publicly traded software companies to help customers and partners achieve better business outcomes and ROI with GlobalMeet’s streaming-as-a-service technology.Event platform Events.com has acquired key assets of Remo, a virtual technology product known for its immersive digital environments. The move brings Remo's technology and team into the Events.com ecosystem, expanding its product suite and customer offerings, delivering enhanced options for digital engagement, and broadening the Events.com platform's reach to new regions, while further expanding its markets into hybrid events, online webinars, hybrid conferences, and even perpetual online meeting spaces.
Public company WiSA Technologies has agreed to acquire CompuSystems Inc., a provider of registration, lead retrieval, and data analytics services for about 150 events and trade shows in 2024, including industry staples such as the HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition, InfoComm, the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) Show, and Informa U.S. Boat Shows like the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Read more on our sister site, TSNN.
Music AI, creator of the popular Moises app, has successfully raised $40 million in a funding round led by Connect Ventures—an investment partnership between Creative Artists Agency, NEA and prominent Brazilian investor monashees. Other participants included Kickstart, Samsung Next, Toba Capital, Valutia, and Pelion along with music industry professionals including 3LAU and Alexander 23.
—with additional reporting by Danica Tormohlen and Lisa Plummer Savas
