How to power the next era of personalised events
The best events of 2025 won’t be the biggest - they’ll be the most personal. Here’s how smart organisers (and AI) are driving smarter matchmaking, adaptive schedules and high-value conversations
I planned to attend a high-brow AI event in London next month, organised by a respected institution with a solid track record. The speaker lineup looked decent, the venue was central, and the ticket price of €99 seemed fair.
But then, I read the agenda - a familiar fatigue set in.
It was generic. It was linear. There was a list of panels, followed by more panels, with no breakout sessions, no audience-driven content and no clear way to connect with people who shared my interests. In other words, it wasn’t designed with me - or any other attendee - in mind. I decided not to go.
This is 2025. Events designed for everyone - and engaging no one - should be a thing of the past. The most talked-about events today share one defining trait: personalisation. Not just in marketing emails or post-event recaps, but embedded into the structure of the experience itself - often powered by AI.
In the B2B space, especially, expectations are rising while attention spans shrink. The shift is clear: it’s no longer about providing access but delivering outcomes. The most effective events now feel like they were built with each attendee in mind.
How do we achieve this?
Start by understanding that personalisation is no longer a bonus - it’s the most basic baseline. We’ve moved beyond putting someone’s name on a lanyard or sending a “recommended sessions” email after they’ve registered. True personalisation means designing an event journey that adapts in real time to an attendee’s goals, interests and behaviours.
It’s not just about showing them what might be useful - it’s about making sure their time onsite (or online) is genuinely well spent.
Take the recent NOAH Conference in London, one of Europe’s top gatherings for digital leaders and investors.
In 2024, NOAH introduced an AI-enhanced attendee experience that included:
Dynamic agenda building – Attendees selected themes of interest before the event. Based on this input and real-time engagement data, their app-generated agenda evolved throughout the day.
Matchmaking with purpose – Instead of a static list of names, the app recommended specific 1:1 meetings powered by AI agents trained on company profiles, investment preferences and pre-event signals.
Smart content surfacing – During breaks or quieter moments, attendees received push notifications suggesting relevant sessions or nearby booths. These were tailored to attendees’ stated interests and live app behaviour.
The result? Higher session attendance, longer average dwell time and improved post-event satisfaction scores.
Behind the scenes, much of this was powered by AI models trained on years of NOAH attendee data. These tools weren’t replacing human curation but amplifying it - automating the mundane so organisers could focus on the meaningful.
This is what personalisation should look like in 2025: responsive, data-driven and integrated into every stage of the attendee journey.
More matchmaking made in AI
The most forward-thinking events are now using intelligent matchmaking tools that connect attendees, sponsors and speakers based on intent, shared interests, behavioural data and business alignment - not job titles.
Platforms like Swapcard and Brella are at the forefront of this shift. Their algorithms analyse everything from pre-event survey responses to real-time app engagement, LinkedIn profiles and session attendance to suggest introductions.
The result: curated meeting schedules that prioritise business relevance over random chance.
Take IBC in Amsterdam, Europe’s flagship media and broadcast event.
In 2024, IBC focused on facilitating connections through a larger variety of networking touchpoints -both digital and in-person. These included::
Targeted networking events – Curated sessions like the Women Networking meetup offered attendees opportunities to connect with peers and professionals aligned by interest, sector or expertise.
Booths with intent – Exhibitors were positioned not just as vendors but as conversation hubs. Attendees could explore new products, engage in demo-led discussions and explore potential partnerships.
Conference-driven engagement – Keynotes, panels and breakout discussions were designed to fuel thought leadership and post-session interaction among attendees with shared professional interests.
The IBC app – While not powered by advanced AI matchmaking, the official event app helped attendees locate others with shared goals and schedule meetings, both in advance and during the event.
Digital channels for continuity – IBC also made use of social media and online communities to keep conversations going before, during and after the event. This extended the networking value long after the bums left the seats.
The result? While not yet driven by predictive AI, IBC 2024 demonstrated how structured, intentional touchpoints can still deliver high-quality interactions. For attendees, the experience offered a mix of discovery and design, setting the stage for future personalisation at scale.
DMEXCO in Cologne - Europe’s leading event for digital marketing and tech - offered AI-guided networking lounges. Attendees could enter preferences and get instant meeting suggestions, complete with conversation starters pulled from publicly available professional profiles
These are all examples of matchmaking with intent and intelligence. And it's no longer a nice-to-have - it's becoming a defining feature of events that deliver measurable ROI for attendees and sponsors.
From agendas to adaptive journeys
In the past, an event agenda was fixed: keynote at 9, panel at 10, sandwich at 12, ‘fireside’ chat at 14, drinks at 17. Attendees had two options: follow the herd or drift.
That model is cracking under the weight of rising expectations.
In 2025, adaptive agendas are emerging as the next big thing in event design, with AI helping to personalise the experience as the event unfolds.
Instead of a static programme, delegates receive dynamic content suggestions based on their stated interests, behavioural signals and in-event interactions. Think of:
Session recommendations that adapt as the day progresses
Alerts for pop-up breakouts aligned with your professional focus
Priority access to curated roundtables where the discussion matches your industry challenge
This isn’t hypothetical. At VivaTech in Paris in May last year, the annual technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups, attendees using the official app were guided through their day with personalised session prompts based on industry tags and browsing habits. If a user showed sustained interest in sustainability or deep tech, their content feed evolved accordingly, suggesting startups to visit, panels to attend or investors to meet.
Similarly, at TNW Conference in Amsterdam, AI-driven schedules helped users decide whether to attend a session or skip it in favour of a curated networking cluster - a shift redefining event success from ‘number of sessions attended’ to ‘value of each interaction’.
Time is currency and adaptive journeys are giving events the edge, transforming agendas from rigid schedules into responsive experiences.
What’s the wake-up call here? What should we do in practice?
Invest in personalisation tech that delivers. AI platforms like Brella, Grip and Swapcard are raising the bar for matchmaking and adaptive content delivery. Choose tools that integrate with your registration data, CRM, and on-site behaviour analytics.
Design for outcomes, not optics. Don't just fill rooms - create moments that matter. Focus on enabling meetings, delivering relevant sessions and letting participants self-direct their event journey.
Start small, scale fast. You don’t need a Netflix-level algorithm from day one. Begin with better tagging, smarter data capture and modular agendas. Use what you learn this year to double down next year.
The most successful events this year and beyond won’t be those with the biggest halls or flashiest speakers. They’ll be the ones that feel uniquely useful, as if designed for just one person at a time.
That’s not just personalisation. That’s performance.