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Professionals in a wide range of industries — meetings and events included — are only just beginning to tap into the potential of artificial intelligence (AI). While some planners are still educating themselves about the technology’s tremendous capabilities, others have been using it in a variety of ways for some time. Either way, AI is proving to be hugely beneficial in almost all aspects of the planning and execution of events, and its potential seems limitless.

As director of education and events for the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA), Lin Guba says she has been using AI “heavily” in various capacities since she started with the organization approximately 18 months ago. According to Guba, the technology helped her get acclimated to her role, and she’s currently using it more for backend tasks, such as data collection and analysis associated with hotel contracting.

“I realize now we [have] to be able to specify the types of rooms we need, and that’s not something that was typically tracked,” Guba says, adding that she can upload pickup data to figure out her room list. “I can put it all into ChatGPT and ask it to compare data,” she says. She’s also using it to analyze post-survey data. “I can upload the surveys and ask: ‘What are the most frequent comments you’re seeing?’ Organizers get so bogged down in the comments — I like that I can dump it all into AI, and it will pull out the top comments,” she says.

In addition to ChatGPT, most often Guba uses Spark, PCMA’s AI platform for meeting professionals. It is equipped with time-saving tools to help users write RFPs, brainstorm event themes and refine content. As it’s designed specifically for the meeting industry, Spark has a repository of standard information that planners can customize for their specific needs. “We revamped our program from last year — if I needed to write a summary, I could put it into Spark and ask it to write me a description of the program. I could just feed it information, and it would come back with my summary,” Guba says.

AI is a time-saver for planners, as tedious tasks that once took a few hours can now be completed in just a few minutes. “When I first started using it to draft information, I felt almost like I was cheating,” Guba says. “But by the same token, I thought: ‘I could spend an hour writing this,’ and now I’ll have something in five minutes and just tweak it. I’m not cheating — I’m just saving time.”

Yet there’s still so much to discover. “I’m learning new things every day. If I go to a PCMA event and there are sessions on AI, I’m in them. If there’s a session on ‘deep diving’ into AI, I participate,” Guba adds. “I think we’re in a strong education phase in this industry, learning about how this can be helpful to us.”

Getting the Message Across

Besides data analysis, planners are turning to AI for marketing and idea generation. Michele Connelly is one of them. She is director of development for a nonprofit called Dream Project, which helps students whose immigration status is a barrier to higher education. The group’s mission is to provide access to scholarships, resources and mentors. Connelly typically oversees an average of three events a year, and when AI came on the scene, she felt that it was worth looking into. However, when she started using it approximately two years ago, none of her younger colleagues were using it yet. “I kind of had to figure it out on my own,” she says.

Now, Connelly says, she relies on it regularly for research and help with writing. “Sometimes, I’ll take something I’ve written and it doesn’t have the tone I want it to have, so I’ll ask AI to help me say things differently. Or I’ll ask it to help me find things like titles for sponsorship levels,” she says. She adds that as she learns more about the technology, she expects to do even more with it, particularly tasks such as tracking RSVPs and creating budgets. Yet, Connelly remains cautious, knowing there are still concerns to be addressed regarding confidentiality and AI accessing sensitive information. “I’m not sure how I would feel about putting a donor list or guest list into AI,” she admits. “How do we get the benefits and still keep it safe and secure?”

According to Debi Rice, president of Fun-Nominal Events & Marketing in Bethlehem, PA, while there are obviously many benefits to using AI, it should never be trusted completely.

“Yes, it saves time by populating concepts and format for you, but it has to be unique to your event,” Rice says. “It has to be creative and not too over-the-top. It helps start the process, but a lot of the time, it doesn’t finish.” She describes a time when she was using AI to create some artwork for a function that was taking place at a farm — but the machine-generated imagery didn’t quite fit the theme. Rice cautions: “Make sure the unique features of your event are being highlighted [in artwork.] You don’t want images of a generic craft show, trade show or corporate event [and] you don’t want the uniqueness of your event getting lost in the AI content generation.” Still, Rice adds, as the graphics continue to evolve, she expects to take full advantage of AI. “Starting with an image it can work from and can be customized — that’s one way I’d love to continue using it,” she says.

More and more people also now totally rely on AI to help them write almost everything, as well as check spelling and grammar. However, it’s important to remember, once again, that perfection is never guaranteed — particularly for planners using this new technology to create business-critical contracts, RFPs and other key documents. Before delivering anything to a client or vendor, it is essential that you carefully review any and all AI-generated content, to ensure that everything — from important legal terminology to overall messaging — is correct.

“Always thoroughly read and check the written work,” Rice advises. “[Writing assistant software] Grammarly, for instance, can change a whole sentence, [including] the meaning of what you’re trying to say. Wording can change a whole document.”

AI Elements at Events

While some planners wade cautiously into the AI waters, others are fully embracing it, implementing the technology in a variety of ways at events of all kinds. And this is just the beginning. By now, attendees have certain expectations of what they want to see and experience at events, but AI is changing everything while driving a dramatic increase in engagement.

“The world of AI and technology is advancing in remarkable ways,” says Cache Merrill, founder and CEO of Zibtek, a custom software development company. “We’ve observed the use of AI for personalization, interactivity, real-time data analysis and even generative AI for engagement purposes. Event planners now utilize chatbots for immediate guest assistance, facial recognition for geofencing check-ins and AI content recommenders to customize experiences for users.”

Apps have been widely embraced by planners as a way to keep all event data — from registrations and agendas to information about offsite excursions and attendee contact details — in one place. Zibtek has developed custom software applications to help businesses automate event processes and improve interactions with the audience. AI at events isn’t an entirely new concept — it’s simply more noticeable, with more sophisticated technology that enables event attendees to interact with it in different ways.

Rice recalls an interaction she had with AI at a trade show as far back as a decade ago. Seeing a lady on a video screen, she walked up and asked her a question. “The ‘woman’ gave me an answer, I talked to her — I didn’t even realize I was talking to a hologram for the first two questions,” Rice says. “We’re starting to see more interactivity with AI — when people can walk up to keypads and it generates questions for you, it’s amazing how much tech is out there.”

Merrill has seen an uptick in requests for these types of interactive experiences. “More of our clients are requesting integration for more efficient and effective engagement with event management applications, interactive kiosks and analytics of participants in real time,” he says.

Zibtek’s technology enables the creation of interactive digital displays that change depending on the audience’s reaction. “For example, AI screens can display personalized messages, conduct live voting and even analyze the crowd through computer vision to use space more effectively,” Merrill explains. “This enhances the attendee experience as these events become more immersive and driven by data.”

Using AI for Post-Event Engagement

Attendee engagement doesn’t have to end when the event does. In fact, 24/7 connectivity and AI capabilities make it possible for planners to build on relationships with clients and event attendees all year round.

Platforms such as Kampfire utilize facial recognition through AI to build on the post-event experience through photos. “In the old days, you had to find the photos and send them to people to identify everyone,” says Kampfire CEO Asaf Shuster. He got the idea for the platform when he attended a busy event in Miami. “You dress up, you see friends, you want to get photos from the evening. I hardly ever got photos. I went to a simple event in Miami — there were 10 photographers, several VIPs. I asked the organizer if he could send me photos. He laughed — he said he’d have 20,000 photos from that one evening. That’s where the idea for Kampfire came into play.”

Launched in October 2023, Shuster’s company creates personalized photo albums for event attendees using facial recognition technology. “Event organizers get all the photos [and] send them to our app. We have our own [secure] method … where all stakeholders can upload the photos, recognize faces, bundle them into albums and send them to the organizers to share with the attendees,” Shuster explains.

The app can be personalized with organization logos or other branding elements, which is a big draw for event stakeholders. “Instead of sending simple messages or invites to register for another event, we just share something attendees really want to get,” Shuster adds, noting that over 91% of social media messages are image-based.

“Not only do you have photos, but you have powerful analytics to track where they’re sharing and what they’re sharing,” says Shayne Smith, director of business development at Kampfire. “You can now give your sponsors and exhibitors personalized albums and they can take surveys or answer questionnaires. When we present it, we’ve seen a huge increase in people completing the post-event surveys.” These personalized elements have a huge impact on attendee engagement and brand loyalty. “The idea is, at the end of an event, you want to encourage people to do a little more,” Smith adds. “Any of these little things goes a long way.”

It can be overwhelming to consider all of the possible uses for AI at events. That’s why, as with any new aspect of event planning and execution, planners should start small and stay within their comfort level, client budget and event goals. “My best advice for planners is to set a target, such as increasing attendee engagement, minimizing logistical nightmares or optimizing personalization,” Merrill suggests. “Find suitable solutions based on your event’s budget and scale, and partner with a reliable tech firm with practical experience in implementing AI.”

Still, Merrill expects planners will continue to take full advantage of AI for the foreseeable future. “With the continued development of machine learning and automation, we can look forward to advanced predictive analytics, [and] augmented and virtual reality experiences, as well as AI-powered networking solutions in the future,” he says. “The most important factor is knowing how to keep up with emerging technology and using it to the fullest potential.”

Despite fears that AI will take over the industry, planners widely believe their jobs are secure. Events, after all, rely on the power of human connection. “I don’t think AI will replace any of us,” Guba says. “You’re always going to need a person. There are limits on how far you can go with a machine. Meetings are personal — we’re all going back to in-person events. You can’t replace human contact in the event industry. You just can’t.”

Says Rice: “I don’t think AI is going to take over my job — the uniqueness, creativity, personality. It can design where vendors are laid out, but it doesn’t know the human side of event planning. That side, the human negotiation — AI isn’t even remotely close yet.” | AC&F |