Gatherings have always done more than bring people into the same place. In our work, we see how they create the opportunity for conversations that spark an idea, shared moments that build trust, and connections that continue long after the event ends. Whether it’s a conference, leadership summit, trade show, brand activation or celebration, there’s real value in sharing an experience in person.
That value matters even more today. So much of what we see is being shaped by technology and AI. Content is being created faster than ever, and it’s difficult to tell what was actually created by a person. Often, the content looks polished enough but feels strangely interchangeable. Much of it is now being dismissed as “AI slop,” contributing to the growing skepticism about what people see, hear and read online. As digital content becomes easier to fabricate, “real” things become even more valuable.
A 2025 iHeartMedia Human Consumer Study found that nine in 10 people say it is important to know whether media was created by a real person. This study highlights a broader shift in consumer expectations. People don’t need more information. They want to know there are real people and real substance behind the brands asking for their attention.
AI may scale content, but gatherings scale belief.
Human connection builds brand trust
The more artificial the digital world becomes, the more human the physical world needs to feel. Consumers are placing a greater value on experiences that cannot be generated with a prompt. We see it in our own work with clients: People respond differently when they gather, have a real conversation and share an experience.
Gatherings do more than communicate a brand message. They bring people together to experience it in a shared environment. A gathering makes a company tangible to its audience. Suddenly, the brand isn’t something appearing in an inbox or social feed. It’s a person you can talk to, a product you can experience and an idea you can react to in real time.
A gathering is proof that relationships matter.
That renewed appetite for gathering matters to hospitality, too. Hotels, resorts and venues don’t simply host live events; they help determine whether those gatherings become meaningful human experiences. For hospitality leaders, the gathering experience is more than an operational responsibility; it becomes part of how a hotel builds preference, loyalty and the desire to return.
We remember what we experience
Research published through ScienceDirect identifies meaningful differences between passive information consumption and active participation, with active engagement supporting learning and memory. The more actively people participate in an experience, the more likely they are to form stronger associations with what they have learned and experienced.
- Reading about a new technology may be informative, but experimenting with it during a live demonstration can be transformative.
- Watching a product video is efficient, but tasting, touching or testing the product creates a richer impression.
- Scrolling through a company’s portfolio online provides information, but walking a trade show floor where each brand is brought to life creates energy and emotional recall.
At a live gathering, the message isn’t only something people see. They hear it, discuss it, move through it and attach emotion to it. That gives the experience staying power that a fleeting digital impression rarely has. At WITS Experiential, we’ve seen firsthand how those memories spark real business outcomes.
Connection happens between the agenda items
Ask someone what they remember from a conference years later, and it often isn’t something that appeared on the agenda. It’s the spontaneous introduction over coffee, the engaging discussion after a keynote, the shared laughter at dinner, or the conversation that began with, “I’ve been hoping to meet you.”
These are the moments that turn an organized gathering into a human experience. They cannot be scripted or automated. They rely on curiosity, chemistry, trust and the willingness to be present with another person. AI can recommend who an attendee should meet, personalize a schedule or streamline networking, but it cannot reproduce the energy when people discover a shared challenge, exchange a new idea or recognize the possibility of working together.
Hospitality makes the gathering human
Hospitality is sometimes treated as the backdrop to a live event, but hotels and venues do much more than provide event space. They shape the conditions in which relationships develop and influence how the gathering ultimately feels.
- Was the welcome genuine?
- Did the environment encourage conversation?
- Did attendees feel comfortable, cared for and able to participate?
- Did the experience connect them to each other and to the destination?
The hospitality industry has always been built on serving people. We see this through the catering manager who accurately prepares the event details, the banquet team that serves without disrupting the program, the bartender who remembers a guest’s name, and the hotel employee who offers a personal, local recommendation.
These interactions may seem small, but together they create trust, belonging and a sense of place. They are what can transform a meeting on a calendar into an experience people remember. They also reinforce the value proposition of hospitality at a time when so many transactions are becoming automated and impersonal. This is where live events and hospitality intersect, creating the environment, care, and human interaction that turn gatherings into experiences centered on people and purpose.
The role of AI
AI absolutely has a role to play. Let it handle more of the logistics, matchmaking, registration and follow-up, especially when doing so gives event and hotel teams more time to focus on people.
Used well, technology can make a gathering easier to navigate, giving people more time to focus on connecting with one another in person.
Being real is a competitive advantage
Brands face an important question about where they invest in producing more content or in creating experiences that build belief.
Live gatherings offer something increasingly rare; they provide the evidence there are actual people behind the brand. People you can meet. Ideas you can challenge and improve. Experiences you can share with someone else.
No algorithm can replace the feeling of shaking someone’s hand, discovering a shared idea over coffee or experiencing a unique moment where meaningful relationships begin.
Human connection carries a premium in an AI-infused world. That gives live events and hospitality an important role in turning gatherings into human experiences that spark conversations, strengthen relationships, and inspire action. For hotels and hospitality brands, those experiences can build preference, loyalty and the desire to return. For the organizations bringing people together, they build belief, deepen relationships and drive meaningful growth.
Penny Fondy is Managing Partner/CEO of WITS Experiential, an experiential marketing and event production agency known for its work with leading hospitality brands, including IHG Hotels & Resorts and its hotel brands, as well as management companies, including Davidson Hospitality.
This column is part of ISHC Global Insights, a partnership between CoStar News and the International Society of Hospitality Consultants.
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