How to Plan a Corporate Retreat in Ontario: A Step-by-Step Guide for 2026
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Hailey Dawood, Owner and Chief Huntress of The Idea Hunter, is featured in International Business Times. The article, “What AI Means for The Future of Human Gatherings,” was published on October 2, 2026. It looks at how AI is changing the work behind corporate events, and why people still need to meet in person.
Read the full article on International Business Times
The article opens with a Gartner forecast on AI spending and a Gallup figure on engagement. Gallup reports that global employee engagement fell to 20% in 2025, its lowest level since 2020 (Gallup, State of the Global Workplace). The article’s point is that the two trends are moving in opposite directions.
Hailey’s view is that AI and in-person events work together. AI takes on more of the planning workload. That gives our team more capacity for the parts of an event that depend on human judgment and creativity.
“There is no fear that AI will replace the human experience,” Hailey says in the article. “If anything, it’s allowing us to create more of it faster.”
In the article, Hailey names the planning tasks where AI helps our team:
These are the checks where one missed detail shows up on event day, such as a guest count that did not carry over from one document to the next.
Hailey is also clear on what AI is for: “AI will always be a tool, but no matter how advanced it gets, it will never replace the need for human gathering.”
The article ties this to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the human need to belong. Faster communication has not removed the need to feel connected to other people. Events give people a reason to be in the same place and share an experience.
Hailey points to a four-day program our team planned and produced in Toronto for a U.S.-based association, with 350 guests. The team coordinated themed events, business sessions, entertainment, local excursions, curated gifting and transportation.
Small details were part of the plan. Each guest received a welcome package of gifts from local vendors, with pieces of local context that doubled as conversation starters. Over the four days, guests attended a Streets of Toronto themed night, heard keynote speakers and visited Niagara Falls.
“The smallest personal detail can sometimes give someone permission to participate,” Hailey says. “It gives them something to talk about, something to recognize, and a reason to connect.”
Read the case study for the full program.
The full piece is on International Business Times: What AI Means for The Future of Human Gatherings.
The Idea Hunter is a Toronto-based corporate event planning and production company. We plan and produce events across Canada and throughout North America, and we have been in business since 2003.
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The Idea Hunter stands as an award-winning, premier source for corporate entertainment, interactive experiences and event management.
