IBTM World has named Nathalie Nahai as the opening keynote speaker for its flagship conference. Her talk is titled “The power of human connection and empathy in the age of AI. It will examine how empathy, creativity and real relationships interact with artificial intelligence. Organisers frame the session as a practical and psychological enquiry into AI’s perils and possibilities for events, work and human collaboration.

Day-one highlights: economy, storytelling, robotics, diversity and youth engagement

Day one also features a wide range of speakers and formats. To nmae a few: Grace Blakeley addresses economic, climate and democratic pressures in a session titled “Capitalism in crisis? Where next for the global economy, the climate, and democracy?”. Natalia Talkowska presents “The neuroscience of storytelling for event success,” explaining how narrative shapes attention, trust and emotion. Julius Solaris will share a stage with Ameca, the humanoid robot, in a session probing whether AI and robotics are ready to augment events.

Claudia Hall, IBTM World Exhibition Director, says: “This year’s conference programme is one of our strongest yet. We’ve curated a platform designed to motivate, educate, and inspire.” Lucy Dyer, Conference Content Manager, added: “The programme debates big ideas and highlights the power of people to make a difference.”