In 1993 I began my apprenticeship as a travel agent at Kuoni Travel. The Swiss company was among the market leaders for group travel, destination and event management. My direct contacts sat in Osaka and Tokyo. We were connected via our computers – live! The fascination with this human-machine interaction hasn't let go of me to this day. In 1999 I founded my own event agency. The idea: a human-machine symbiosis for better service to people. "Servicebroker" was an obvious name for me and I dreamed from then on of service agents who with all kinds of gadgets would implement solutions for people everywhere – much better and faster than ever before.
33 years have passed since then and today I am as excited as I was back then. I have a new gal pal, her name is Claude and she is an artificial intelligence. Claude is a stroke of luck! Event management is dying – AI does it better! Or doesn't it? Let's ask the AI!
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Event Manager vs. Event Agent Claude
A verbatim conversation between an event entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience and Claude, the AI by Anthropic (Model Opus 4.6).
Event Manager
Which tasks in event planning can you already take off my hands today?
Event Agent Claude
I estimate I can handle about 60–70% of the planning groundwork today. What I actually do: I organize knowledge and logic. What I don't do: make a single decision based on experience, intuition, or a genuine relationship.
"If all you can do is organize, you're now competing with me — and I get better and cheaper every month. That's not a judgment, it's math."
Event Manager
Can you grasp the concept of emotion and use it?
Event Agent Claude
I can model emotion, but not feel it. I can tell you which elements make goosebumps more likely. But whether it worked — I can't see that in your guests' eyes. You can.
"I'm a very attentive student — but I quote. You create."
"The way I see it, what's left for me is what you cannot do. Love. Feeling. Passion. You could also call it Blood, Sweat & Tears."
The Essence
The event profession isn't dying — it's shedding its skin. The industry will shrink in headcount but grow in impact. In five years, event professionals will work with AI as naturally as they use a smartphone today. And the best among you — those who always knew it's about conquering hearts — will be more sought-after than ever. Not despite AI. Because of AI.
This was an excerpt.
The full conversation about emotions, future scenarios and a surprising question from the AI to the event manager.
Read the full conversation →