Talk to an Inntel expert
Last month at CHS Manchester, our Head of MICE Sales and Account Management, Sharon Bannister, joined fellow panellist Christine Wassel for a discussion exploring one of the biggest questions facing our industry: Is AI genuinely transforming meetings and events, or is it simply another technology buzzword?
Moderated by Paul Hollywood from Radisson Hotels, the session explored the opportunities AI presents, the challenges we need to overcome and, importantly, where human expertise will always matter. Below, Sharon reflects on her key takeaways from the discussion.
From venue sourcing and proposal creation to reporting and customer communications, AI is already helping teams work smarter. In an industry where speed of response and resource pressures are ongoing challenges, technology has a real opportunity to remove administrative burdens and free up time for higher-value activities.
At Inntel, we’re embracing this opportunity through our instant booking technology for simple meetings, giving customers access to instant pricing and live availability. By streamlining the booking process, we can deliver the speed and efficiency that agencies, suppliers and customers increasingly need.
One of the strongest themes from the panel was the importance of the human touch. Trust, creativity, negotiation, empathy and understanding the nuances of a customer’s requirements remain fundamental to delivering successful meetings and events.
AI can provide information and support decision-making, but experience and human judgement are still essential, particularly when managing complex requirements or high-value events.
The question isn’t whether AI will change our industry. It already is. The real opportunity lies in how we use it to improve productivity, enhance customer experiences and enable our teams to focus on what they do best.
As we discussed at CHS Manchester, the value of AI isn’t simply the time it saves. It’s what we choose to do with that time. At Inntel, we’ll continue to explore how technology can simplify processes and improve efficiency, while maintaining the expertise, service and relationships that our customers value.
A huge thank you to CHS Manchester, Paul Hollywood, Christine and everyone who contributed to such an engaging discussion.
Technology changes. Relationships endure. And the future of meetings and events will depend on both.
Sharon Bannister is Head of MICE Sales and Account Management at Inntel and joined the company in 2026. Sharon has worked in the meetings, incentives, conference and events industry for more than 20 years. She is the past MICE Chair of the Business Travel Association (BTA) and board member of the Meetings Industry Association (mia).