B(O)Est of Inspiration - Our outlook for 2026

New year, fresh perspective, clear mission: gather inspiration. Right after the Christmas holidays, BOE (Best of Events) is the perfect start to the new year for the ottomisu team. This year, we once again traveled to Dortmund together to gather ideas that will help us shape our plans for 2026.
Once again, it became clear how valuable different perspectives are: Our team spread out across the exhibition grounds, as each area had its own focus topics. While some delved deep into technological developments, for others it was creative output that was most important. The topic of artificial intelligence was particularly prominent – not as an abstract future trend, but in very concrete applications, tools, and approaches for events, communication, and processes.
The Content Creation & Design team focused primarily on impact, staging, and concepts: Which ideas stick? How do brands tell their stories? How can strong visual approaches be translated into holistic event concepts? And, of course, what role does AI play in this?
For the Production team, on the other hand, it was, as every year, a highlight to see materials, test technology, and experience the latest trends not only on paper but in real life. Exchanging ideas with service providers and partners and networking with the industry were also high on the list – regardless of how extensive one's own network is: Direct contact on site is at least as important as gathering inspiration and new technology.
As different as our roles and focus areas are, the impressions we took away from Dortmund are just as diverse. Our team members themselves explain what BOE meant to each of them and what ideas we are already thinking about for 2026:

Jan, Head of Event Production:

What I found particularly exciting was how concrete the ideas at BOE were. This year, I was particularly impressed by a certain paper partition solution that is ideal for dividing rooms thanks to its flexible installation options. It's one of those ideas that you immediately start thinking about further because it can be really helpful in practice.
At the same time, personal interaction was clearly the focus for me – with a handshake and not via Teams. Through the many conversations I had, I got a very honest sense of what is currently happening in the various companies in the industry: how customer behavior is changing, how the order situation is assessed, and what issues are currently occupying us all. It was precisely this open exchange that was so valuable that I didn't actually make it to any of the presentations – because one conversation led to another.

Sebastian, Head of Project Directorship / Expert Digital Technologies:

I take away with me how strongly AI has already established itself in the event industry – from encouragement to simply try out new tools, to prompt workshops, to assistants who can take on different customer perspectives. I found take-aw.ai particularly exciting: a tool that allows you to reflect on sessions directly and generate content from them together – a really good idea for getting more output from event content. Overall, it was very interesting to see the diversity of the stages, and I am excited to see how the industry continues to develop in this area.

Ole, Senior Production Manager:

Every year, BOE demonstrates how large the event industry has become and how many offerings there are in a wide variety of areas. This raises the question for me of whether the industry can or must continue to develop every year. In my view, everything needed for successful and effective events is already in place – you just have to use it. Many presentations also show that staging, a common theme, a holistic idea, and the conscientious implementation of these are often much more important than the use of the latest technologies or show elements.

Beke, Consultant:

In my opinion, the focus is on the symbiosis between technology and people. I found some of the ideas about how we can use technology to work with it on a human level and what role it plays in this to be almost philosophical. My favorite quotes:

"The future is not when everything is technologized, but when relationships work."

"Smart systems create space for emotional experiences."

"Personalization happens in the mind, not in code."

In the end, however, I was particularly inspired by a quote from Roncalli founder Bernhard Paul, perhaps because it beautifully captures our self-image at ottomisu: "You can only ignite a fire in others if you yourself are passionate about something." So find your fire and ignite it at your events by using smart technologies, staging, messages, and touchpoints and linking them together in a meaningful way!

Nico, Production Manager:

For me, BOE was above all a great opportunity to engage in intensive discussions with partners and service providers and to further strengthen existing contacts.
At the same time, a visit like this always gives you the chance to sharpen your own perspective and find inspiration: what technology, what equipment, and what solutions are currently available, and how versatile they are in different concepts. Even though I discovered only a few genuine innovations this year, I am still taking away many ideas – above all as a reminder of how extensive the range of products is and how much potential there is in making sensible use of the right components.

Johanne, Consultant Trainee:

The multitude of impressions at BOE was overwhelming for me at first. This made two ideas with a positive outlook on the future all the more valuable: "A Guide to Angry Optimism" and, in particular, the masterclass "AI Event Assistant Playbook." One of the things I took away from the AI lecture was that we have the freedom to do the things that bring us joy, even if AI will (eventually) be able to do them better. For me, this thought is a positive impulse for the coming period.

Zabiullah, Production Assistant:

I was particularly impressed by the diversity of topics and the varied nature of the presentations. I also found the exchange with the other participants very exciting. Their experiences and perspectives helped me to view many topics from a new angle.
An important insight I took away from BOE is how important clear communication, good prioritization, and close teamwork are.
I also found the topics of digitalization, sustainability, agile working methods, and networking to be particularly relevant for the future. All of this showed me how important it is to remain open to change and try out new ideas.

As every year, visiting BOE was once again more than worthwhile. Meeting familiar and new faces, taking inspiration from the stages, seeing new things – all of this makes the event lover's heart beat faster. Right on time for industry gatherings such as BOE, a wave of "event trends" and new buzzwords rolls through the channels at the beginning of each year. Of course, we also deal with this – in exchanges with others and internally within the team. But this year in particular, we are asking ourselves more than ever: How much of this is really new? And above all: Is all of this really necessary?

The importance of attention and magic moments, of relationships and credibility, and the strategic potential of events – none of this is new. And we have held these beliefs for a long time. Not because they are "trends," but because we believe in them.
Even when we were refining our positioning in the summer, it wasn't about finding the next buzzword or sounding particularly "new." We simply asked ourselves a simple question that forms the basis of all our work: Why do we actually organize events?
Our answer is actually quite simple and encompasses so many "trend statements": Because we believe in the transformative power of events!

For us, an event is not a marketing tool that has to be reinvented every year. Technology, AI, and new formats – we use all of these, of course. But not because they appear on some list of "things event planners should know for the new year" in January, but because they can help amplify our planned impact.

So perhaps in 2026, we should focus less on the "new" trends or trying to replace something with them, and instead remember why events are so important and how we can use new opportunities and ideas to make the experience even better for participants.

Because trends come and go – but the power of good events remains. Even in 2026.