Should Trade Shows Use GenAI? Absolutely. But Where?

GenAI is no longer a futuristic add-on. It is now embedded in how people think, decide, and work, and that includes how they experience trade shows. A 2025 Harvard Business Review article by Marc Zao-Sanders notes that GenAI use is now almost evenly split between personal and professional life, with many tools serving both spaces at once. That shift should be a wake-up call for event organizers and exhibitors.

​If attendees have become comfortable asking AI for therapy, medical advice, and even legal guidance, they will expect more than a printed floor plan and a generic event app at your next trade show. They will expect intelligent support: help deciding which sessions matter, which booths are worth their limited time, and how to translate three days on-site into real outcomes back at the office. Exhibitors, as well, will have their own expectations in regard to AI support: guidance on which prospects to prioritize, which messages resonate most, and where the next opportunity is hiding in their data.

​The question then is not “Should trade shows use GenAI?” but instead “Where and how does GenAI genuinely improve the experience without eroding trust?”

There are three immediate, high-impact opportunities:

1.      Communication: Use GenAI to help draft and tailor exhibitor updates, FAQs, and attendee messaging, so teams spend more time on strategy and less on first drafts. But remember: Human review of AI-generated content is critical.

2.     Discovery: Deploy AI assistants that turn complex programs and floor plans into personalized agendas, recommended routes, and quick recaps of session transcripts.

3.     Insight: Analyze post-show surveys, exhibitor performance, and engagement data quickly enough to shape the next show, not just the post-mortem.

​But the message in the HBR article is clear: responsible GenAI use matters. When AI touches anything sensitive — contracts, medical or health-related content, financial or legal themes — human oversight and clear boundaries are non-negotiable. Organizers must be transparent about where AI is used, what data is accessed, and how output is reviewed before decisions are made.

​Event and trade show leaders can implement AI transparently, utilizing the technology as a system for supporting staff, empowering exhibitors, and guiding attendees, while making sure humans remain accountable for judgment, relationships, and risk.

As HBR’s 2025 analysis underscores, the real advantage is realized by organizations that know both the capabilities and the limits of these tools. ExpoVention’s role is to help shows get there: not employing AI for AI’s sake, but using targeted, governed GenAI that makes every event sharper, faster, and more valuable.