IBTM World 2026 will welcome award-winning documentary filmmaker Deeyah Khan to its Main Stage on the final day of the show.
Khan will join interviewer Oisin Lunny for ‘The Courage to Connect: How Listening Can Bridge Divides, Transform Relationships and Inspire Hope’, on 19 November at 9.15am, exploring what her extraordinary encounters can teach us about listening, challenging assumptions and creating meaningful human connections.
With more than 30 international awards, including two Emmys, two Peabodys and a BAFTA, Khan is recognised for her documentary work exploring some of society’s deepest divisions. Her films have brought her into direct contact with extremists and convicted terrorists.
She has built relationships in circumstances where trust might once have seemed impossible and will reflect on what these encounters have taught her about empathy and the power of listening, and how human connection can create change and inspire hope in the most unexpected places.
Set against IBTM World’s 2026 theme, ‘The Age of Disruption’, the wider Main Stage programme on 18 November will see another documentary filmmaker, Cheryl Miller Houser, take part in the Exceptional Experiences Forum where she will explore how storytelling can help event professionals create more emotionally engaging experiences.
And Ruth Balbach, head of global brand creative at Universal Destinations & Experiences, will explore the power of lasting memories in ‘We Are Not in the Experience Business. We Are in the Memory Business’, while Delisha Fields, global event strategy & experiential marketing leader at Waymo, will examine the growing role of community in ‘The New Community Economy: Why Community is the Next Growth Strategy’.
Exploring the value of face-to-face interaction, Michelle Kennedy, founder and CEO of Peanut, the social networking app for women, and former executive at dating app Bumble, will examine the growing value of face-to-face interaction in ‘Why AI Is Making IRL the Next Gold Rush’ in her session on the Main Stage on ‘17 November at 12.20.
The conference programme will also look at how event professionals can put AI to practical use. In ‘You’re Not Behind. You’re Just Getting Switched ON’, taking place on the Main Stage on 17 November at 16.10, Nishma Patel Robb, founder of SwitchedOn, a media and advisory company that helps people and businesses understand and navigate AI, will offer an accessible introduction to using AI to save time and support creative thinking.
Artist and creator Doddz will bring art and technology together in ‘Technology You Can Feel: Live Experiments in Art, AI and Human Connection’, taking place on the Main Stage on 17 November at 15:30. Through live experiments involving the Main Stage and its audience, Doddz will demonstrate how creative technology can make complex ideas tangible and turn delegates into active participants.
Claudia Hall, exhibition director, IBTM World, said: “We’re incredibly excited about this year’s Main Stage programme and the range of perspectives it will bring to the conversation around disruption. From the impact of AI and emerging technologies to the growing value of human connection, our speakers will explore how the events industry can respond to change and turn it into opportunity. These aren’t just conversations about the future of events, they’re about giving our industry the ideas, confidence and connections to help shape it.”
IBTM World aims to bring together more than 12,000 event professionals and 2,500 exhibitors, 17-19 November, for three days of business meetings, knowledge sharing, interactive experiences and networking.
