AI was, predictably, everywhere, all at once, in every session at this year's conference, but there was a distinctly humanist air to it all as well. Trust, connection, authenticity, reality, face-to-face communication were thematic touchstones throughout. We still want recommendations from real live honest-to-goodness human beings, and AI can help facilitate that. (Right?)

No Show is at the 2025 Phocuswright Conference this week talking to a variety of exhibitors, innovators, and speakers and taking their temperature on the present and future of travel technology. We found out that:

• Levee founder Al Lagunas is done with the 3 pm check-in
• Ron Glickman from Innovation Launch People’s Choice Award Winner Acai Travel is ready for boundaries to be pushed
• Taylor Palmer from SiriusXM Connect is putting safety at your fingertips
• Etraveli Group's Peny Rizou has a prophecy about the future of fraud prevention
• The inimitable Mickey Beyer-Clausen from Timeshifter is thinking about the rhythms of life
• Tourism Tasmania CMO Lindene Cleary loves changing perceptions
• And Mirko Lalli from Data Appeal believes in the dual power of democratization and simplification

Mitra Sorrells, Senior Vice President, Content for Phocuswright, joins us on the eve of the conference to talk about the big themes, keeping hype in check, new trends around data and customer journeys, getting good answers from panelists, the shift of power between traditional travel brands and tech startups, and the risks of playing a drinking game based on how many times AI will be uttered on stage (please pace yourself accordingly).