Anca Platon Trifan is the Founder and CEO of Tree Fan Events Productions, a woman-owned AV production and event technology agency, and the Producer and Host of Events Demystified, the Top 5 podcast in event production, event technology and AI. Her career was built backstage long before the spotlight. Anca came up through live production, calling shows, mixing audio, and leading technical teams under pressure, where decisions have real-time consequences. That hands-on foundation gives her rare credibility with both leadership teams and production crews, and informs her clear, no-nonsense approach to execution and strategy. Today, Anca speaks globally on AI, event technology, and leadership, advising organisations on how to adopt AI in ways that support people, performance, and scale. She is also a competitive bodybuilder, bringing discipline, resilience, and mental focus from training into her work as a business owner and speaker. What sets Anca apart is her ability to translate complex technology into confidence. She carries backstage trust onto the stage, elevates the professionals behind the scenes, and reminds audiences that great events and great businesses are built through care, judgment, and execution. Anca Platon Trifan Anca emphasises that the events industry is currently using AI primarily for efficiency and saving time on daily tasks, which is a tactical approach. This lags behind the broader enterprise world, where AI is leveraged as a strategic, transformative engine to reinvent operational models and gain a competitive advantage. For events to stay relevant, professionals must look beyond simply adopting tools and instead develop a comprehensive AI strategy. This strategy should align with broader business goals, address attendees’ desire for genuine connection, and use AI to enhance the entire event lifecycle—from planning to post-event follow-up—rather than just solving isolated problems. Technology alone cannot solve the core challenges of trade shows and events. Anca points out that many events fail to facilitate meaningful conversations, citing examples of poor booth engagement and follow-ups that occur months later. The real deficit, she argues, is often in human skills: curiosity, problem-solving, and the ability to be genuinely present. The industry needs to invest in training and intentionally staff booths with knowledgeable, engaged individuals who can provide value, even if it means directing a prospect to a competitor. In an AI-driven world, this “human factor”—character, creativity, and storytelling—becomes the key differentiator for creating memorable, effective experiences. While event technology has advanced dramatically in tracking data and attendee behaviour, the industry struggles to integrate these tools in ways that respect human psychology and capacity. Events often become overwhelming, with over-packed agendas leading to attendee fatigue and diminished retention. The future, therefore, lies in the thoughtful integration of technology to support— not replace— human-centric goals. This means designing for “permission-based engagement,” reducing digital distraction at booths, and using data to create more space for quality interactions. She stresses that success requires a mindset shift towards discipline and building habits that support intentional experiences, mirroring the approach she applies to health and fitness. Run time – 01:18:52 Links for Subhanjan subhanjan@pitch.link https://www.linkedin.com/in/subhanjansarkar Links for Anca Platon Trifan: Speaker website: https://ancaplatontrifan.me/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ancatrifan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anca.platon.trifan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eventsdemystifiedpodcast
