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Innovation & Technology Unlocked – Embedding Future-Ready Thinking and Tech Across Your Organisation

Moderators Dahlia El Gazzar together with ICCA Regional Directors Andres Escandon (Latin America) and Shawn Cheng (North America) take you on a future-focussed journey.

Set against the extraordinary backdrop of CEiiA, Portugal’s cutting-edge research institute on future mobility, sustainability, and space, this track is more than a workshop - it’s a hands-on experience in applied innovation.

In a world where 78% of organizations use AI but only 1% consider themselves mature in adoption; the gap isn't knowledge, it is confidence. And confidence grow when you see innovation in action, hear stories from peers who have done it, and build your own action plan alongside others who understand your world.

The future of business events isn't on the horizon—it’s here now. At CEiiA Innovation Centre, one of Portugal's most advanced institutions in sustainable innovation and product engineering, you’ll innovation journey includes two experiences:

• INSPIRED & DEEP DIVE – Hear real stories from venue innovators breaking down walls, AI practitioners cultivating innovation-driven cultures, and data experts showing us how to extract business intelligence from raw information.
• TOUUR & CO-CREATE – Walk through CEiiA's research labs where sustainable mobility meets space technology and roll up your sleeves and co-create your own AI playbook with industry experts guiding you step-by-step.

This track isn't about futuristic predictions or technology sales pitches. It's about illuminating the path to innovation, building confidence, and leaving with tools you can use immediately. Everyone experiences both sessions—because the best way to understand innovation is to see it, hear it, and do it yourself. 

Venue: CEiiA Innovation Campus

Track 4 takes place in a setting like no other - the renowned CEiiA Innovation Campus (ceiia.com). This cutting-edge research institute is shaping the future of mobility, aerospace, and sustainability - and now it opens its doors to the business events community.

More than just a venue, CEiiA is a living lab of experimentation, creativity, and purposeful innovation. It's also where tomorrow’s talent is being nurtured today, through bold thinking and hands-on development.

Be inspired by an environment where innovation isn’t a buzzword — it’s the air they breathe. Learn how your organisation can adopt the same mindset.

Explore how to turn vision into practice - and stay relevant in an accelerating world.

This is where we break old patterns and build new blueprints.

Innovation isn’t something you talk about - it’s something you do.

Track 4 is your gateway to next-level innovation - not just in theory, but in action. This isn’t about chasing the latest tech buzzwords. It’s about transforming how we think, work, and lead in an increasingly AI-powered world.

This track dives deep into key elements:

• Hear stories from ICCA members on how they drive innovation within their organisations
• Learn practical strategies to extract business intelligence and drive data-informed decisions
• Build your own AI playbook and transform overwhelm into action with expert guidance

Part 1: Innovation in Action: Story from the Field 
1. Maximizing Every Square Meter – Venue That Adapt
This session challenges the traditional fixed-venue mindset by showing how two pioneers transformed their spaces using dynamic and flexible configurations. Instead of building bigger, they built smarter—maximizing revenue per square meter, hosting more diverse events, and future-proofing their venues against unpredictable demand.

Through a fast-paced conversation, the audience will hear real implementation stories: the business case that convinced stakeholders, the operational changes that surprised them, and the unexpected events they can now accommodate. This isn't theory about "venues of the future"—it's what's working today in Switzerland, Hungary, and venues worldwide.

Speakers:

• Christophe Leyvraz, former CCO, SwissTech Convention Centre
• Ágnes Opitzer, HUNGEXPO
• Robert Heimbach, VP, Gala Systems Inc.

This session is sponsored by IBTM 

2. AI Uprising: When Technology Makes You More Human
This session challenges the common fear that "AI will replace us" by showing how K.I.T. Group implemented AI to free their team from operational tasks, enabling them to become strategic consultants delivering deeper, more human-centered client services.

Our speaker will share how he drove the initiative forward—from overcoming initial resistance to building team buy-in—and what changed when people realized AI wasn't a threat, but a tool for empowerment.

Speaker: Alexandre Meyrieux, Conferences Accounts Director, K.I.T. Group.

Part 2: Data/Business Lab

Drowning in event data but starving for insights? At this interactive lab, our expert will show you how to turn raw numbers into strategic decisions. Learn AI-powered approaches to lead scoring, conversion strategies, and personalized sales tactics you can implement immediately.

Speaker: Juliano Lissano, Managing Director, MCI Group

Welcome and Split Groups

Representative form Porto: Marco Martins, President of TMP, Chairman, Transportes Metropolitanos do Porto 

Part 3: Co-creating Your Own AI-Playbook

This hands-on workshop transforms AI fatigue into AI action. Instead of another presentation about AI's potential, participants will actively create their own personalized AI assessment and implementation playbook—a practical, step-by-step action plan they can put to work the moment they return to work.

With guidance from EventTech wizard Dahlia El Gazzar and supported by three technology mentors circulating the room, participants will identify their specific challenges, match them with appropriate AI solutions, and leave with a concrete first step. This isn't about becoming a tech expert—it's about becoming confident enough to start your own exploration journey.

Speakers:

• Dahlia El Gazzar, DAHLIA+Agency
• Vamshi Velmajala, GEVME
• Pavvi Singh, EventsAIR
• Prathmesh Kalubarme, ICCA

Part 4: Learn from Researchers from CEiiA