Convention and exhibition centres are operating in a different world than the one we knew even five years ago. Customers expect the same speed and personalisation they get from every other digital experience in their lives. Decisions happen faster. Communication is constant. And the events sector no longer competes only with other venues: it competes with every channel chasing marketing budgets and audience attention.
At the same time, teams are leaner, and people who power great events are still spending most of their days on low-value, repetitive tasks. Yet, recent industry research shows that venues are lagging well behind on AI adoption, compared to organisers and service providers.
The infrastructure problem behind the gap
The constraint is not motivation or awareness. It is that meaningful AI cannot run on top of legacy venue management software - systems that evolved incrementally over decades, adding capability in modules rather than rethinking the foundation. The result is platforms that are effective at storing information but poor at activating it.
The commercial cost is already visible
The same architecture that blocks AI also blocks the basics. According to Cvent's 2026 Global Planner Sourcing Report, 80% of organisers expect an RFP response within four days, and 24% cite delays in getting responses as one of the most difficult challenges in the sourcing process. A slow response is not just a lost bid. It is a reputational signal that shapes whether an organiser considers a venue viable at all the next time around.
A new generation is emerging
New venue management platforms are emerging that are open, enterprise-grade, and built on the latest technology. They connect commercial and operational teams on a modern foundation, automate the routine, and evolve as fast as the businesses they support.
Thynk belongs to this new generation. Powered by Salesforce and shaped by a team with years of experience in venue management, Thynk runs every event end-to-end and brings and brings CRM, sales, operations, and financials on one open, AI-native platform, complete with online portals for organisers, exhibitors, suppliers, and operations staff. It's the modern foundation that lets venues compete on speed, personalisation, and service, without losing the rigour that complex operations demand.
AIPC has long helped the world's leading convention centres raise the bar for what modern venue management looks like. The technology layer is finally catching up, and the centres that move first will set the standard for the next decade.
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