EVENT VISION 2026: From AI to Gen Z – How Events, Audiences and Expectations Are Changing
The event industry is evolving faster than ever. Artificial intelligence, data, emerging technologies and changing audience expectations are reshaping how events are designed, delivered and measured.
EVENT VISION 2026 explores the future of event marketing through the lenses of audience experience, engagement, generational shifts, event design, business impact and the latest industry trends, including honest conversations about event failures and lessons learned.
Expect inspiring case studies, practical know-how, real experiences from leading professionals, innovative projects and valuable insights from the people behind outstanding events, live experiences and brand activations.
Once again, EVENT VISION 2026 will bring together inspiration, expertise, emotions, innovation and practical knowledge that will help shape the future of modern event marketing.
Great content determines the value attendees take away from an event. This session explores how to create programmes that captivate audiences, support business objectives and deliver measurable results. Learn from Czech and international event professionals, discover successful content formats and gain practical insights into what truly works. Because outstanding content is often what transforms an event from simply memorable into genuinely impactful.
Audience attention has become one of the most valuable assets of every event. How do you capture it, maintain it and turn it into meaningful participation? We'll explore innovative engagement formats, interactive programme design, emotional storytelling and techniques for creating memorable moments that stay with attendees long after the event ends. Successful events are not defined by what people see, but by what they experience.
Data enables better decision making throughout every stage of the event journey. Discover how audience insights can improve programme planning, personalise experiences for different attendee groups and demonstrate the real business value of your events. We'll also cover engagement measurement, reporting and effective ways to communicate ROI to clients, management and partners. Attendance numbers alone are no longer enough. Understanding the actual impact of an event is what truly matters.
Technology is transforming the event industry at an unprecedented pace. Artificial intelligence has become an integral part of creativity, production, communication and attendee experience. We'll showcase practical AI applications alongside innovative projects that demonstrate how technology is already changing the way events are conceived, managed and delivered. This isn't the future. These are the tools shaping events today.
Audience expectations continue to evolve. Generation Z, Millennials and the emerging Generation Alpha each bring new behaviours, preferences and expectations to live experiences. Through current research, industry insights and real-world examples, we'll explore how event professionals can better understand today's audiences while preparing for tomorrow's. Events that want to remain relevant must evolve alongside the people they serve.
Some of the greatest lessons come not only from success, but from failure. Discover exceptional projects from the Czech Republic and around the world, bold creative concepts and innovative approaches that push the industry forward. Alongside inspiring success stories, speakers will openly share production challenges, unexpected setbacks and valuable lessons learned that rarely appear in award presentations. Because honest experiences often provide the most valuable inspiration for event professionals.
Maris Altsoo
Founder
ALL•SET Experience
Maris has built an integrated ecosystem where creativity, strategy, production, and manufacturing operate under one roof. This has led to the creation of ALL•SET Experience, an experiential marketing company that helps brands grow and stand out internationally through events and immersive brand experiences, including exhibition stands and brand installations. ALL·SET exports both its services and turnkey project solutions worldwide, while operating its office, team, production facilities, and showroom in Estonia.
Salvatore Sagone
Co-Founder & President
ADC Group
Salvatore is co-founder and president of ADC Group, a media holding company. The group includes the communication news agencies ADVexpress and e20express, Nuova Comunicazione and e20 magazines, and the I Quaderni della Comunicazione reading series. In 2006 he launched the Best Event Awards, that are now acknowledged as the main international events award. In 2014 the Awards evolved to the International Festival of Events and Live Communication, and to a worldwide competition, involving 40 countries so far. Salvatore also organizes other Awards and initiatives dedicated to the Italian communication and event market, such as the Italian Best Event Awards, NC Awards, NC Digital Awards, Branded Content & Entertainment Awards. Born in 1960, Salvatore has been a professional journalist since 1991. His interests and hobbies include reading, hiking, and traveling. He also loves sports such as cycling, running (he run 11 marathons) and scuba diving. He has grown up in Florence and now lives in Milan.
Niels Janssen
Co-CEO
Daymakers Group
Originally from the Netherlands, Niels spent part of his youth in Washington, D.C., giving him an international perspective from an early age. He studied Media Technology before earning a Master's degree in Business Studies from the University of Amsterdam. Immediately after graduating, he co-founded FX Agency, a digital experience agency that grew into a successful company with a team of more than 40 professionals, where he serves as Creative Director. Today, Niels is also Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Daymakers Group, which brings together FX Agency and D&B Eventmarketing. Combining his passion for technology and innovation with a strong creative vision, he specialises in creating modern experiences that seamlessly blend physical and digital worlds. Niels is recognised for designing immersive customer experiences that connect brands with audiences in meaningful and memorable ways.
Alexandros Makris
CEO & Co-Owner
Magna Events
Alexandros Makris is CEO and Co-Owner of Magna Events, one of Greece's leading event agencies. As a second-generation leader, he continues the company's 25-year legacy while driving its future through creativity, innovation and a bold vision for live experiences. Under his leadership, Magna Events has received numerous prestigious international awards, including Eventex Awards and the Grand Prix at the Conventa Best Event Award. Alex specialises in strategic marketing, event concept development and immersive storytelling that connects brands with audiences through powerful emotions and unforgettable experiences. He believes exceptional events are created by combining bold ideas, flawless execution and authentic human connections.
Martin Mathisen
Account Director & Partner
JCP Event
Martin Mathisen is one of the leading figures in the Nordic event industry and serves as Account Director and Partner at JCP, one of Norway's most respected communication and event agencies. Throughout his career, he has contributed to award-winning projects that combine creativity, strategy and outstanding audience experiences. One of the most remarkable examples is OBOS 24, an innovative concept created for Norway's largest property developer, OBOS, which transformed Oslo into a citywide music festival with 24 concerts across multiple locations within 24 hours. The project received international recognition, winning BEA World in the Music Event category and HSMAI Awards for Best Event, while becoming a benchmark for innovative brand engagement through live experiences. Martin focuses on creating events that successfully combine business objectives with emotion, culture and genuine audience engagement. He believes the most successful events are driven not only by flawless production, but by powerful ideas that people want to experience, share and remember.
Gaby Sittová
Creative Director
YORD Studio
Gaby is the Creative Director at YORD, a Prague-based creative technology studio. She designs and leads the development of installations, immersive experiences, and digital products powered by virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. Rather than seeing technology as an end in itself, she views it as a tool—carefully selecting and combining technologies where they best serve communication, storytelling, emotion, and the overall audience experience. Her work spans campaigns, culture, education, and live events. Alongside her work in creative technology, she is also a filmmaker and is currently directing her debut feature film.
Máté Molnár
Head of Corporate Communications
Lounge Group
Máté Molnár serves as Head of Corporate Communications at Lounge Group, one of Central Europe's leading communications groups. With an extensive background in media, marketing and corporate communications, he specialises in brand reputation management and strategic communications at both local and international levels. He also serves as PR Lead and Board Member of the Business Event Industry Club (BEIC), where he is responsible for the organisation's communication and PR strategy, international positioning, reputation management and strengthening the visibility of the global events industry. His work connects marketing, communications and live experiences, with a strong focus on building meaningful relationships between brands and their audiences.
Eva Veisová
Executive Director
Ipsos
Eva Veisová is a member of the management team at Ipsos, the largest market research company in the Czech Republic. She leads the Qualitative Research team and has spent more than 25 years helping organizations transform research insights into practical marketing and business strategies. She works as a workshop facilitator, moderator, and strategic consultant, with a strong focus on understanding human behaviour, motivations, and decision-making. A key area of her expertise is generational research—exploring how different generations think, what shapes their attitudes and expectations, and how these insights can be effectively translated into business strategies, customer experience, and brand communication. Eva holds a Ph.D. in Sociology with a specialization in Research Methodology from Charles University in Prague, where she also lectures.
Vojtěch Toman
Content Creator
Game of Life
Vojtěch Toman is a content creator and the founder of Game of Life, a community-driven project built around a series of unique offline experiences designed to inspire young people to step outside their everyday routines and embrace life to the fullest. His work is driven by a simple belief: that the best life is lived when we spend our time doing what we genuinely love. He shares his adventures and experiences across social media, where he primarily connects with Generation Z. Through authentic content, a strong community, and real-life experiences, he demonstrates how brands and creators can capture the attention of younger audiences beyond the digital world.
Kateřina Horynová
Co-Owner & Director
Event Arena
Kateřina Horynová has more than 25 years of experience in event management. She is the co-founder and co-owner of Event Arena, an event agency established in 2000, where she also serves as Director. Her primary responsibilities include developing creative event concepts and maintaining client relationships. She is actively involved in delivering the agency's most significant projects.
Jakub Hofmann
Internal Communication Manager
Asahi Europe & International
Jakub has more than 20 years of experience in media, public relations, corporate communications, project management, and event organisation. He began his career at the age of 16 at Prague's Fajn Radio and later worked for some of the Czech Republic's leading media outlets, including TV Nova, Deník Sport, and Frekvence 1. After serving as a spokesperson in the public sector, he progressed to local, regional, and global management roles in the private sector. He spent many years in the pharmaceutical industry, where he received several prestigious awards, including the Czech PR Award of the Year and an Event Grand Prix. As he likes to say, he then found his dream job. For the past five years, he has been working in the FMCG and beverage industry at Asahi Europe & International, where he is responsible for regional internal communications, strategic projects, employee engagement, and corporate events across the Czech Republic and international markets. In his free time, Jakub enjoys martial arts, skiing, cycling, and hiking. He has a great sense of humour, has been deepening his expertise in beer for more than a decade, and jokingly says that one day he would like to become a police officer and catch the bad guys.
David Borovka
CEO & technical supervisor
Borovka Event
David Borovka is the founder of the family-owned company Borovka Event & Rental, where he serves as both CEO and Technical Director. The company specializes in comprehensive event production and technical event solutions across the Czech Republic and internationally, delivering more than 500 events each year. David is recognized as one of the industry's innovators, consistently introducing new approaches and cutting-edge solutions.
Daniel Olszyna
CEO & Event strategist & Creative producer
CONCEPT LINE
Daniel Olszyna has been active in the Czech event industry since 2000. As the founder of CONCEPT LINE, he has long specialized in creative production and event communication strategy. Through his leadership role within the Czech Event Association (ČEA), he focuses on strengthening relationships between clients and event agencies. His goal is to help advance the Czech event industry by promoting higher quality standards, fairness, and long-term sustainable partnerships between clients and agencies.
Aleš Burger
CEO
NEXT LEVEL
Aleš Burger is the CEO of the event agency NEXT LEVEL, which operates offices in the Czech Republic and Slovakia while delivering projects across several international markets, primarily within the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region. The agency works with leading brands including BMW, Red Bull, Orlen, Allwyn, JTI, Net4Gas, and Oktagon. Beyond the event industry, Aleš co-founded AutoOutlet, the largest importer of vehicles from the United States in the Czech Republic, the crowdfunding platform Hithit.com, and Eunoto, an AI-powered age verification service. From 2014 to 2019, he served as a Show Producer for the Red Bull Air Race World Championship. Between 2015 and 2025, he was also a lecturer at the Prague University of Economics and Business (VŠE Prague).
We'll be announcing more speakers soon!
The conference is designed for:
PVA EXPO PRAHA
Beranových 667, 199 00 Praha 9 – Letňany
GPS: 50.130889, 14.515417
Opening hours:
Event Expo: 8:30–18:00