IBTM Wired wraps day one

Day one of Reed Exhibitions’ IBTM Wired event wrapped on 28 June, 2021, with the closing notes focussing on AI, industry trends in Asia Pacific and the future of the events industry. Speakers on day one of the event included: Dr Ayesha Khanna, co-founder and CEO of ADDO AI; Alistair Turner, managing director of Eight PR and Marketing; Oscar Cerezales, global executive VP of MCI Asia Pacific; and Mr Poon King Wang, director, Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities SUTD. Khanna highlighted the opportunity for AI and AR to change the face of events as we know it, encouraging events businesses to be on the look out for emerging technologies and to be early adopters. Khanna said: “You don’t need to be a technologist, but be open to new technology, be excited by it and be very responsible with it. Learn and embrace it!” Other topics covered on the day included collaboration between the gaming and cruise industries with events, the acceleration of existing trends due to Covid-19 and the increasing comfort delegates have with digital experiences.