Is Agentic AI the Future of Event Planning?

As someone who has spent over two decades in AV production and event strategy, I’ve seen technology evolve from analog gear and manual workflows to real-time automation and AI integration. But the rise of agentic AI—AI that can act with autonomy and carry out goal-based tasks—is not just another tech trend. It’s a fundamental shift in how we approach our work as event professionals. We’re entering a new phase of AI in events. One where we move beyond assistants that need constant direction (like ChatGPT or Copilot) and begin experimenting with systems that can initiate, collaborate, and even execute with minimal human supervision. And yet… this doesn’t mean planners are becoming obsolete. Far from it. Let’s break it down.

1. From Task Executor to Strategic Architect—Where Are We Really?

If you’ve seen those viral LinkedIn graphics showing the evolution of AI agents—from Task Executor to Strategic Architect—you might be wondering how much of that is grounded in reality.

I recently explored one of these frameworks, which outlines AI growth in five stages:

Task Executor
Adaptive Actor
Problem Solver
Systems Thinker
Strategic Architect

It’s a compelling narrative. But as someone implementing AI in actual workflows, I can tell you this: most of today’s tools still operate at the Task Executor or early Adaptive Actor level. They’re great at completing defined tasks—like building timelines, parsing data, or summarizing emails—but they don’t make strategic decisions without guidance. A few tools, like AutoGPT or emerging open-source models, attempt goal-directed behavior. But even these are fragile, heavily dependent on prompt engineering, and require human guardrails. We are not yet at a place where AI can plan, adapt, and innovate at a strategic level. That’s the domain of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), and while it may come, we’re not there today—and we won’t be for a while. That said, the progress is real. Tools like Mistral and Manus are helping developers and operations pros build lightweight, responsive, and semi-autonomous AI agents that can collaborate and execute multi-step processes across systems. That’s a leap from the tools we had just two years ago.

2. AI as Empowerment, Not a Replacement

Let’s get one thing straight: I don’t believe AI will replace planners. It will, however, replace the parts of our job that drain us—the manual, time-consuming, often error-prone tasks that keep us from focusing on strategy and connection. When used intentionally, AI extends our capacity. It gives us leverage. It helps us do more of the creative and human-centered work that actually moves the needle. But it’s not plug-and-play. The biggest gap I see isn’t tech—it’s training. The tools are powerful, but without a clear strategy and thoughtful implementation, they won’t solve your problems. In fact, they might create new ones.

3. Where AI Can Go Wrong (and How I’ve Seen It Happen)

AI still lacks cultural nuance, emotional intelligence, and contextual awareness. That makes it risky in an industry where context is everything. Take this real example: I used Midjourney to generate scenic design ideas for an international event. One concept included a pattern that looked visually beautiful—but resembled a culturally significant religious symbol. If we hadn’t caught it, that could have easily turned into a PR issue. In another case, we used AI to translate a session title into a second language. Technically, it was correct—but the tone missed the mark, coming across as too casual and slightly disrespectful given the formality of the audience. These are small examples, but they highlight a bigger truth: AI can’t feel the room. It doesn’t read the crowd, anticipate a shift in speaker tone, or adapt when something goes wrong. That’s what humans do—and why we’ll always be needed.

4. AI Tools That Actually Work in the Event World

Let’s talk practical tools—beyond ChatGPT and DALL·E. Here’s what I use in real workflows:

NotebookLM: My go-to for organizing and summarizing large documents, RFPs, and content outlines. The mind map feature helps me visually connect related ideas and stakeholders in a way that supports smarter planning and faster approvals.
Hugging Face: I use it to build models that cluster attendee feedback, generate personalized thank-you messages, or improve DEI language across comms.
Midjourney Editor: For pitch visuals, mood boards, and scenic concepts—especially helpful when trying to win over stakeholders early in the creative process.

These tools aren’t “set it and forget it.” They still require a human touch—but they remove so much friction from the process. I showcase these tools in depth in my new 30-minute workshop, “11 AI Tools You’re Not Using (Yet).” If you think you’ve seen it all with AI, you haven’t.

5. Automation in Action: My Workflow Examples

My favorite part of AI? Automation.

Make is my automation backbone. I use it to connect Google Sheets, Notion, and even WhatsApp to manage speaker workflows, track tasks, and keep project data up to date without lifting a finger.
Bardeen handles web scraping, competitor monitoring, and browser-based actions.
Power Automate routes SharePoint uploads, creates Planner tasks from emails, and pings team members in Teams.

Here’s a real build I use:

Pull: AV, AI, and wellness news feeds into a Google Sheet
Clean: Perplexity AI summarizes and formats the content
Generate: OpenAI creates visual assets sized for each channel
Schedule: Content is auto-posted to LinkedIn, Instagram, and my podcast feed

Another: my Podcast Script GPT, custom-built for Events: Demystified, pulls guest bios and discussion points from a public form, formats them into a structured script, and allows live editing as I record. It saves hours—every week. ⚡ I break this all down in my AI, Augmentation & Automation 60-minute in-person workshop—perfect for event teams, marketers, and operations pros ready to cut through the noise and apply AI where it counts.

6. Solving the #1 Hidden Problem: Reconciliation

If I had to name the most painful part of the event planning process, it wouldn’t be onboarding speakers or marketing the event—it would be post-event reconciliation. This is where time, money, and energy get lost:

Chasing vendor invoices
Matching actuals to budgets
Tracking freelance hours
Creating reports for clients or leadership

It’s also where errors happen—because no one has the energy left to do it right. This is where AI can make a huge impact. With the right workflows, it can pull data from badge scans, contracts, crew logs, and accounting tools, then flag discrepancies or even generate draft reports. No more hours of spreadsheet clean-up. No more last-minute reconciliations holding up final payment. AI won’t just help you save time. It can help you finally get clean, reliable data from every event.

7. Can AI Replace Human Decision-Making?

No. And it shouldn’t. AI can assist, recommend, summarize, and automate. But it doesn’t understand emotion, doesn’t manage conflict, and doesn’t inspire a room. In live events, you need instinct. You need empathy. You need someone who can make a judgment call in the middle of a show flow going sideways. That’s the human edge—and it’s not going anywhere. AI should support decision-making, not replace it. That’s the balance I focus on in every AI session I lead: augment the human, don’t erase them.

Final Word: So, Is Agentic AI the Future?

Yes—but not in the way people think. Agentic AI is already transforming how we work, but we’re still early. Tools like Mistral and Manus are pushing us toward smarter, more agile systems—but they still need human oversight, intention, and integration to be truly effective. The future isn’t AI or humans. It’s AI with humans—leading, designing, and deciding.

P.S. Want to Go Deeper?

Book a session with me ✨ I’m currently offering:

“10 AI Tools You’re Not Using (Yet)”– a fast, tactical 30-minute workshop to upgrade how you plan, market, and produce events using lesser-known but game-changing AI tools.

“AI, Augmentation & Automation”– a 60-minute, in-person sessionpacked with real examples, custom workflows, and use cases built for the way event professionals actually work.

Let’s take the mystery out of AI and make it something your team can actually use. Because the future of events isn’t automated—it’s augmented.