7/17/2026

Editors: Rebecca Morgan & Ken Braly

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Miscellaneous Tips

AI enters the world of B2B events, directly impacting speakers — Vickie Sullivan

AI is poised to upend the attendee experience at B2B marketing events, according to a recent MarketingProfs article.

Author Brian Gates outlines two major shifts that will directly impact speakers:

  • A shift in formats: In the name of personalization, traditional stage presentations and teaching formats will take a hit. Smaller, more interactive settings will drive deeper connections. The new arena for speakers: discussion groups. Facilitators will have the inside edge here.
  • Recommendations go digital: AI will replace the static program guide with personalized agendas — essentially deciding where attendees go and what they see. This will significantly impact attendance at concurrent sessions, especially those designed to promote other services.

In other words, you won’t control the room the way you used to.

Another likely shift: Speaker evaluations will become more data-driven. Expect AI to move beyond open-ended forms to more detailed, performance-based insights.

These changes will happen sooner than you think. Now is the time to adjust your formats and promotional approach.

This could be a bumpy ride.

Technology Tips

Perplexity: You’ve heard of it, but are you actually using it? — Julie Holmes

Perplexity isn’t new. You probably tried it once and then went back to whatever you were doing. I get it. But it’s been quietly shipping some genuinely useful features and paired with the following prompt, it’s worth a catch-up lunch.

What makes it different: it searches the live web and shows you exactly where every answer came from. I love that every source gets cited right in the response. No more hoping the answer isn’t from a 2022 blog post somebody’s dog wrote.

Two newer features worth knowing about are scheduled searches, which runs research for you on a weekly schedule without your lifting a finger, and memory, which means it now remembers context across sessions so your research compounds instead of starting from scratch every time.

Go search your own business. Then search a competitor. It’s the fastest way to understand your GEO situation without needing to know what GEO stands for. The free plan works fine to start; Pro is $20/month. But honestly, just try the search first. It’s either going to reassure you or send you straight to this week’s prompt. Possibly both.

Travel Tips

Heat wave travel tip — Rebecca Morgan

I just spent a month speaking and vacationing in Europe, where every day was in the 90s or even 100° F (32–37° C). Since this summer is exceptionally hot in most of the world, I wanted to share this invaluable tool.

It’s a 3-speed fan that hangs around your neck and is charged with a USB-C cable. The neck strap adjusts to closer to your face or farther away. I used it every day, sometimes even at night in non-air-conditioned Airbnbs. I used it in non-airconditioned cars, stores, museums, restaurants, and while walking.

When I stayed in a non-air-conditioned lodging, I would plug it into a charger and use the built-in stand to cool off at night. It would still charge and be ready for the next day. I like that it is hands-free and doesn’t use replaceable batteries. It’s the best $14 I’ve spent in a long time! Pals have shared that they have the wrap-around-your-neck style fans, but they said they were uncomfortable or didn’t produce much wind.

Requests for Info / Advice

Constant Contact question — Hardy Smith

I understand that Constant Contact’s confirmed opens are actual people and proxy opens might be people or something else. Do you know if the mix of opens is the way it has always been and maybe just now being recognized for what it is? Or is Constant Contact’s new reporting on opens reflecting the changing nature of email marketing? I’m trying to figure out how many real people I’m really reaching.

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