Innovating Together: Technology to Maximize 2026 Event Impact & Budgets

We know event planners are currently facing familiar challenges: Budgets are tight, costs keep rising and the expectation to create memorable experiences is higher than ever. The question isn’t just how to do more with less — it’s how to maximize ROI and ROE with what you have and ensure every moment delivers the most value for your participants.

Despite the pressure, your responses from our 2025 Planner Pulse survey reveal that planners are optimistic about their ability to execute event goals, with over 90% expressing confidence in their plans for the year ahead.

We transform your toughest challenges into opportunities for success. By listening to planners’ concerns in conversations, and through direct feedback and industry insights, we’re able to create new solutions in collaboration with you. This ensures that our innovation truly meets your ever-evolving needs.

As we look to 2026, these key themes are shaping the future of your events:

• Leveraging AI for accessibility & inclusion
• Content production & engagement
• Delivering WOW
• Maximizing efficiency

With these themes in mind, our product experts have curated thoughtful solutions that are designed to solve your challenges and deliver exceptional experiences.

AI-powered accessibility & inclusion: elevating every experience

Earlier this year, over half of planners reported using AI for brainstorming, content creation, summaries and event reports. Have you considered how you can use AI to design engaging, personalized events for all? Our commitment is to ensure that everyone is included, regardless of ability or circumstance. Understanding the everyday, practical needs of participants allows us to offer options that provide more capability to welcome, connect and inform.

As planners have become increasingly comfortable with generative AI tools, we’ve adopted AI solutions that redefine what’s possible for every event participant:

• AI transcription & captions: Live captioning on large format displays offers benefits for every participant: people with hearing impairments, participants who step out for a moment or need a break, or for those who simply prefer reading along. It’s akin to watching subtitles during your favorite show on your preferred TV streaming platform: Captions are delivered instantly within your event environment on displays or directly to your mobile phone.
• AI translation: Real-time AI language translation breaks through communication barriers by opening up sessions to multilingual audiences. With AI translation, all participants are included and able to engage, regardless of the language they speak.
• AI session summaries: Worried about missing critical information? Pulling from real-time presentations, AI session summaries eliminate the need to furiously scribble notes — the data is organized into key points and important takeaways. Users can also share summaries with colleagues who are not in attendance.
• Real-time engagement: Interactive event technology tools like Polling+ Q&A empower participants to ask questions, vote on important topics and contribute instantly. Whether present in the room or joining remotely, everyone becomes a part of the dialogue.

Content Everywhere: engagement beyond the ballroom

Your event’s message belongs everywhere – in hallways, lobbies and everywhere your event participants are.

We help you extend your event content using a variety of solutions to keep participants connected before, during and after the event:

• LED banners: Portable digital banners display event branding, amplify sponsor involvement and messaging and provide directional signage in different spaces throughout your venue to extend your event’s reach.
• Event platforms: Event-specific apps place essential information, session details and networking tools right in the palm of every participant’s hand. These apps make it easy to navigate the event, participate in polls or Q&A and connect with fellow participants, bringing your agenda and community to life.

Immersive experiences: wow moments within reach

Immersive art experiences are now accessible to the average audience, with the Sphere, Beyond Van Gogh and similar attractions drawing people every day. With this new standard, event participants expect “wow” — and you want to create “wow” moments — but you also need to maximize every dollar you have. Our innovative combinations of these elements enhance the event experience:

• Immersive displays: LED walls and banners attract all the attention as the host for vibrant graphics and video content. For a general session “wow” moment, LED walls, made of slim design tiles, can be built in custom configurations to add interest with different display shapes. LED banners catch everyone’s eyes to convey important info about sessions and messages from sponsors throughout the venue.
• Audio solutions: Music is a mood-booster, and every room with music enhances the experience. Encore Music is a fully licensed, programmable playlist platform available exclusively for events. We’ll help you find the preset playlist that matches the right genre with your event type and desired ambiance. To give your audience an equal listening and learning experience, column speakers distribute sound better with top quality audio and a modern, streamlined footprint — no more clunky speakers throwing sound at your feet or craning your neck to see beyond speaker boxes on poles.
• Scenic and lighting design: To get the visual impact of an LED wall without the cost, our Backdrop Pro system utilizes easy-to-assemble modular flats that can be customized to suit your space, creating a stunning canvas to project imagery upon. For that additional “wow” factor, tube lights give a warm, dazzling glow to any space, and we can build them in cool, custom designs.

When you tell us your vision, we’ll craft impressive multi-sensory events with displays, audio, scenic and lighting that command attention, foster connection and most importantly, work within your budget.

Maximizing efficiency: tools designed for planners