Although AI agents cannot replace the human leadership of events, they are becoming increasingly more important for managing events. During the recent RainFocus INSIGHT 2026 conference, our speakers emphasized that professionals who master AI-powered technologies will advance in their careers, while those who cling to legacy systems and processes will lose their edge.
Event industry leaders at INSIGHT discussed the impact that AI will have on event careers and what event professionals should do now to climb the corporate ladder during this monumental shift. Here are the top three recommendations for growing your career in the age of agentic AI:
Create an AI-Powered Workforce
If it isn’t already, AI will soon be integrated into your daily routine. Taking command of AI agents is the key to advancing your event career, explained Marius Milcher, VP of platform strategy and AI at RainFocus.
“By letting AI handle mundane tasks like drafting abstracts or managing schedules, you free up your time to focus on human connection, creativity, and strategy,” he said during an INSIGHT session. Use AI to solve big challenges, not just small ones. For event professionals, experimenting with AI for tasks like building schedules or sending recommendations demonstrates the forward-thinking leadership needed to get ahead in your career.
Strategize Like a C-Suite Member
Because AI is capable of streamlining event execution, business strategy becomes more important. The key to becoming a strategic advisor requires framing conversations with C-suite members around business trade-offs, risks, and impacts rather than event technology, said Nicola Kaster, CEO of Event Leaders Exchange.
Similarly, INSIGHT keynote speaker Sasha Frieze, author of the Chief Event Officer’s Playbook, recommended that event professionals investigate what their CEO cares most about (e.g., product launches, renewal cycles) and then design events specifically to support those goals.
Master the Art of Gathering and Sharing Data
To think like a C-suite member, you’ll also need to capture the right data. During our industry expert forum, several panelists mentioned the importance of determining return on objective. For events, this means moving beyond vanity metrics like registration numbers and focusing on pipeline influence, deal acceleration, and customer retention. To capture these data points, set up integrations with your CRM and marketing automation platforms. Once you’ve established a bi-directional flow of data, you can give your leadership compelling proof that your event is driving business and, in turn, illustrate your value as an employee.
AI can make these processes much easier. RainFocus Nexus agents enable strategic collaboration with the company’s leadership team by surfacing important event metrics at a moment’s notice. With this data, you can inform sales and marketing of event-generated opportunities, which directly impact closed-won business.
Read more about RainFocus Nexus here or request a demo for more information. For more INSIGHT content, visit RainFocus On Demand.
