In Conversation with Tom Gavazzi, Founder & CEO, WoomAI

Tom Gavazzi is an accomplished entrepreneur and the Founder & CEO of Woom AI Marketing Agency, a company specialising in AI-powered conversational marketing solutions. In 2025, Woom became a global partner of Infobip, one of the world’s leading communication platforms. Under Tom’s leadership, Woom has developed innovative AI assistants that enhance engagement and communication on WhatsApp, particularly for events, trade shows, and brand experiences. With more than 25 years of experience in the event industry, Tom has led and executed over 1,000 business events across the B2B and B2C sectors. From 2019 to 2023, Tom worked with several AI-driven global startups, where he was responsible for client acquisition and sales across European markets. He played a key role in developing and scaling go-to-market strategies for cutting-edge AI technologies. Earlier in his career, Tom spent nine years in the financial sector. In the early 1990s, he was part of the founding team that helped establish the Croatian capital market and the Zagreb Stock Exchange and contributed to the development of the national money market. He served nearly a decade as Secretary and President of the Croatian Brokers Association and, for one year, as Secretary-General of the European Brokers Association. Today, Tom is focused on transforming the way brands and event organisers communicate with their audiences through AI-driven automation, with a strong emphasis on global impact and innovation. Tom Gavazzi Tom Gavazzi says that the trade show industry is shifting from one-time booth interactions to long-term, data-driven engagement. So, expos should no longer focus only on footfall or badge scans, but on understanding attendee intent and building personalised communication journeys. A major challenge in the events industry is the gap between engagement and actual conversion. AI-powered assistants can help identify attendee needs, segment audiences, and nurture only relevant prospects. According to Tom, the future of trade shows lies in smarter data collection, AI-driven qualification, and customised communication rather than mass lead generation. The future of trade shows will be transformed by agentic AI, AI avatars, and intelligent assistants that manage attendee journeys in real time. He predicts AI agents will help to schedule meetings, identify relevant exhibitors, and optimise event experiences. Although human relationships will remain the core value of in-person events, exhibitors will use AI avatars and conversational systems to extend face-to-face interactions into continuous digital engagement. Run time – 00:47:35 mins. Links for Subhanjan  [email protected]  https://www.linkedin.com/in/subhanjansarkar