Mark Cuban is doubling down on events. Crazy move?
Mark Cuban posted on June 5, 2025 that AI video will get so realistic in the next three years that people won't trust what they see online. His prediction: face-to-face engagement and events will explode.
I'm building the event copilot for startups and want to hear from founders and product people.
My questions for you:
Are you already pitching or exhibiting at more events in 2025 compared to 2024? If yes, which ones delivered actual results?
If you've cut back on events, what replaced them? Paid ads, async video demos, LinkedIn outreach?
And here's the bigger question: do you think Cuban is right? Will deepfakes and AI-generated content drive people back to live events, or will trust mechanisms (verification tools, blockchain proof) solve the problem online?
I want to know if this shift is already happening or if it's still speculative. Drop a comment with what you're seeing for your product.
Thank you!
Replies
Cal ID
For us, live events started making more sense in 2025.
Video demos and async outreach are great, but we're in the age of deepfakes and AI slop - events stand out.
Will AI push more people back to IRL? For now, I think live experiences + strong verification tools online will both grow.
@sanskarix thank you for your feedback; agreed with the combination of both here :)
I'm soooo here for the comeback of events! I also believe that we'll all be so exhausted from AI slop (I already am lol) that anything implying in-person attendance will skyrocket. Glad to see Mark Cuban has the same perspective!
@ruxandra_mazilu what are your top event experiences so far?
@bencostantini ahh I have so many! I'd say that for smaller formats, my favourite event experiences come from Creative Mornings - it's a worldwide morning event happening 1/month, usually on Fridays, to enjoy a creative talk, a short networking moment, and a delicious breakfast. I couldn't recommend it more if you're a morning person (or want to be)!
When it comes to bigger events, I'd say my favourite experience so far has been attending Web Summit Rio (maybe part of it because I went to Rio de Janeiro 😆).
What about you?
@ruxandra_mazilu a did Creative Mornings a long time ago, it was a great format. I'm doing the bigger events lately, which isn't where you usually have a great "experience" but I'm a big fan of the way Slush manages to balance things in terms of size and curation.
WS Rio sounds amazing 🏄🏻♂️
@bencostantini I've been having Slush on my agenda for quite a while now! For tech events in Europe, I'd also recommend How to Web in Bucharest if you haven't been yet 🙌
minimalist phone: creating folders
As someone who is remote, I lack any social contact so I would be up for meeting face-2-face. Even right not attending a lot of types of conferences, business speed datings etc.
@busmark_w_nika can you share some names of events?
minimalist phone: creating folders
@bencostantini It can be a hackathon as well. But I really enjoy business speed dating. Was at one local held by my hometown :)
Pretty Prompt
I was an event producer for 10 years before going into tech and becoming a founder (building Pretty Prompt.)
I'm super bullish on IRL events. Especially in the AI world. I think more companies will invest more money in this form of marketing (+ community) than the old ads.
I think the raise is happening and will be:
founder-led content
events
community
At least it has worked for us so far to get to 10k+ users in 3 months.
Pretty Prompt
The problem with events is that is not such an easy measurement on ROI like with ads.
@ilaiszp exactly, how are you approaching it these days?
Pretty Prompt
DiffSense
Brand will be more valuable. SoMe rate-limits will curb AI slop. Will IRL be more valuable? I think just because IRL is the opposite of AI slop. It doesnt automatically mean that IRL will now be favoured. If you look under the surface, what attracts people isnt IRL or AI slop. Its rather scarcity. It always had been through the ages.
DiffSense
@bencostantini What is scarce? What is not readily available? 100 years ago it was a ride on the titanic. Today its getting into YC or having a flat in NYC. Or playing basketball in Williamsburg Brooklyn. Sometimes scarse isnt obvious when your experiencing it as well. Like that last The police concert everyone is talking about. Or watching Messi score 5 goals in a single CL match. Scarcity has always interested me. When something is not scarce it ceases to have value sort of.
@sentry_co agreed but at the same time large events are built on FOMO, not scarcity. I mean you can get your Slush ticket easily when they open ticketing but you may wait until the deadline to get yours. But 13K attendees isn't really scarcity in that sense. So maybe it's a mix of memorable experiences, perceived scarcity and FOMO that we talk about in B2B events?
DiffSense
@bencostantini FOMO and scarcity are the same no?
Great point. If online trust declines, the value of in-person events will surge
At ActlysAI, we’re already seeing how AI can enhance these experiences - by helping speakers prepare, automating attendee communication, analyzing feedback, and syncing everything with calendars and Google Sheets. AI doesn’t replace live connection, it makes it more efficient
@mreksar thank you - what type of events are using it?
Atlas
IRL is back! it's already happening. we use a combo of large and small intimate events. we use large events as brand marketing and lead gathering and then invite them to our dinners.
@laura_cruickshanks can you share some large event names?
I agree with Mark in many ways here, but I'm concerned that the opportunities and benefits of face-to-face meetings -- as with many things in the world -- will accrue in a lopsided way across society.
People that can afford the time and money to engage with others face-to-face in personal and business contexts will be at a competitive advantage to those who can't :(.
I do believe optimistically that genAI will be a great equalizer in many contexts, but I genuinely worry that in contexts involving assessment of identity and accuracy -- a lot of society may be left behind.
@thatadamguy this is a great point and it makes me think that early stage founders are a bit like those who can't afford the time and money that you mention in your post.
Do you think robots or a similar version of virtual avatars for F2F will have a role to play in that context?
Like Black Mirror stuff.