MPI St. Louis Education Meeting - October 16, 2026

AI Is Changing How We Work. The Question Is Whether We're Managing It or It's Managing Us.

AI can speed up everything from content creation to analysis to decision-making. Used carelessly, it can just as easily introduce errors, bias, and real compliance risk. This session gets specific about how event professionals are actually using AI tools right now, and where those tools quietly go wrong.

Emily Hardin, Associate General Counsel for Maritz, breaks down where AI genuinely earns its keep, why human oversight isn't optional, and the practical guardrails that let teams move faster without sacrificing quality or putting the business at risk.

You'll walk away knowing

• Where AI adds real value in day-to-day work, and where it tends to fall apart
• The quality risks hiding in plain sight, including overreliance on AI-generated content and unnoticed errors slipping into client communications, attendee messaging, and event content
• How to build human oversight that actually works, not just checks a box
• When to pause and validate AI outputs before they influence a real business decision

If your team is using AI in event planning, this is the session that keeps you sharp instead of exposed.

Emily Hardin serves as Associate General Counsel at Maritz, partnering with teams across the events, consumer loyalty, and channel incentives solutions. She loves diving into complex negotiations and turning legal jargon into something humans can understand. Emily joined Maritz in 2023 after starting her career at a tech start-up, and she still has a soft spot for dreamers who think their ideas can change the world. She earned her law degree from Wake Forest University and holds a B.A. in English Literature from Florida State University.

Outside of work, Emily enjoys reading, gardening, and spending time with her husband and their cat Bean, who is absolutely convinced he is the CEO of their house.

This program has been approved by the Events Industry Council (EIC) for CMP Preferred Provider review for 1.0 credit hours. MPI St. Louis Area Chapter has been approved by the Events Industry Council as a Preferred Provider of the above-listed continuing education course, which qualifies for CMP continuing education credit. Determination of continuing education credit eligibility or Preferred Provider status does not imply EIC's endorsement or assessment of education quality.

Join us at the historic Magnolia Hotel St. Louis, a landmark property originally opened in 1925 and reopened in 2014 following a multi-million-dollar renovation that preserved its architectural character while introducing refined boutique updates. Past guests have included Douglas Fairbanks, Cary Grant, and Presidents Harry S. Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson.

The event will be held in the Magnolia Ballroom, a distinguished space featuring detailed columns, chandeliers, and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Old Post Office Plaza.

Lunch will be provided courtesy of the hotel's in-house catering team, known for their contemporary American cuisine and attentive service.

The hotel is centrally located downtown, one block from Washington Avenue and within walking distance of the Gateway Arch, Busch Stadium, and America's Center Convention Complex.