June 9, 2026

Stop Making Expensive YouTube Videos at Your Events

Brent Turner shares why participation is the most valuable thing live events can offer.
AI can summarize a keynote in seconds. So why would anyone spend four hours experiencing it live?

On a recent episode of Event Everything, EVP of Strategy & Solutions Brent Turner explores why participation is the answer. 

He challenges listeners to filter every session through two questions:

  1. Why live?
  2. Why together?

“We’re moving to a world where if anything can be summarized, it will,” he says. “At the same time, people want to ask questions and be involved. When you put those together, you answer why live and why together. If you can’t do that, you’ve just made a really expensive YouTube video.”

With host Kristin Nagle, he dives into how new tech like voice interfaces and Google’s AI Mode are reshaping audience expectations and what that means for designing for participation.

Listen to the full episode for Brent’s take on participation, the future of events, and why peanut M&Ms are the ultimate gas station survival food.  

Stay tuned to Happenings for more perspectives from the leaders fueling the future of brand movements.