Me and AL my AI pal — reshaping events one curious question at a time.

This week at beam 2025, I had the chance to present on how AI is changing the full event lifecycle — from planning and design, to delivery and post-event insights.

But I didn’t do it alone.

I brought along my unofficial co-presenter: AL, my AI pal. Part satire, part stand-in, part very smart assistant. (Al didn’t interrupt, but he did try to suggest some punchlines.)

I opened the session with a few playful questions:

• Did AI write this talk?
• Did it pick my outfit?
• Did it format my slides and make them look cleverer than I am?

The laughter told me: we’re all a little fascinated, a little cautious, and very ready to talk about it.

And yes, AI had thoughts on my slides and my shirt!

So I asked something more serious:

"When you think about AI and the future, how do you feel?"

We ran it live. Over 90 responses came in. And they were honest, sometimes raw:

• Scared, worried, intrigued, unsure, excited, amazed, nervous
• Excited but scared for my job.
• I need more training.
• Uneducated. Out of my depth.
• Helpful. Game changer. Smarter working.

This blend of excitement and anxiety tells us everything. People want to engage. They’re not resisting. But they want support — not assumptions.

Here’s what else we learned from the audience:

• 65% of attendees use AI already — mostly of their own initiative
• AI is being explored more for communication and content than core strategy
• What people really want? Practical support. Step-by-step guidance. Use cases they can trust

What I heard in that room was not fear. It was vulnerability mixed with curiosity.

And for us at Open Audience , that’s a signal: We don’t need to sell AI. We need to shape it though and into Event Delivery — thoughtfully, strategically, and humanely.

The best use of AI in the event space isn’t flashy automation. It’s:

• Designing smarter agendas
• Reducing noise, not adding to it
• Capturing insight that humans can actually act on

And always, always keeping people at the centre of the experience.

AI is an enhancer. A helper. A backstage hand. Al won’t be replacing me anytime soon — but its definitely earned a place on the team.

To the BEAM audience: thank you for your honesty, humour and openness — and for having me.

Thanks also to my AI pal AL for the help with the images — they are getting quite handy with lighting angles.

To everyone still trying to work it all out — you’re not alone.

Until next time, stay curious.

Leslie Robertson CEO, Open Audience