Smart Start Radio: Fuel for the Purpose Generation of Meeting Planners
Smart Start Radio is Smart Meetings’ award-winning podcast for meeting planners, event professionals and hospitality leaders looking for practical ideas, fresh perspectives and the latest industry trends.
Hosted by Eming Piansay, the series explores attendee engagement, event technology, artificial intelligence, wellness, accessibility, entrepreneurship, empathy and the evolving expectations of today’s workforce. Through expert interviews and candid conversations, Smart Start Radio helps event professionals create more intentional, inclusive and engaging meeting experiences.
From Gen Z digital dreamers and millennial masters to boomer bosses, every generation has something to learn and something to teach.
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Smart Start Radio: Fuel for the Purpose Generation of Meeting Planners
Coffee Chat — What Should Meetings Protect From Automation?
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In this Smart Start Radio Coffee Chat, Eming Piansay looks at AI’s growing role in meetings and asks a more human-centered question: not just what can AI do, but what should still be protected from automation? Inspired by Malik Anderson’s story on highlights from IRF Invitational 2026, this episode explores how planners can use AI to reduce operational friction, streamline repetitive tasks and support better workflows without losing the warmth, judgment and emotional intelligence that make in-person meetings meaningful.