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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly gaining popularity in the event planning space. From marketing to data analysis, AI-powered event planning tools such as Lasso, Swapcard, Canva’s Magic Design and ChatGPT can help planners in a wide range of ways, such as:

• Analyzing large sets of attendee data to allow planners to tailor future events
• Creating marketing materials and presentations
• Personalizing experiences with targeted event itineraries, content and networking suggestions
• Automating customer service tasks
• Streamlining operational management

While AI is making a splash in the event planning industry, many planners and companies are reluctant to use it. Their reasoning revolves around trust and security. The concept of AI has been around for years, thanks to science fiction books and movies. And so has the way people have been taught to fear it. While the concept of AI may not resemble humanoid robots taking over the world, companies and planners still have concerns about how AI can be used in not-so-positive ways. The simple truth is, they are right.

The Security Issues of AI

AI presents many legitimate security concerns. Once planners collect attendee data, what do they do with it? And how do they protect it? How do they use it? Being upfront with how planners use attendee data is incredibly important. Clarifying how data is used should be a priority for corporate event planners.

Elyse Dawson is the senior manager of corporate events & conference centers at Invesco Ltd. in Atlanta, Georgia. Her team is responsible for executing meetings and events in the Invesco offices across North America. Wanting to have a true data point to share with her direct managers and stakeholders, she began using Microsoft Copilot to help her aggregate and analyze data for key trends and insights to help her plan future events. Because of the security concerns that come with the product’s AI functions, her firm is strategically onboarding the product’s beta version to ensure data safety within the organization.

“Our data digital security team and cyber security team is very much involved in that process and making sure we’re vetting the information,” she says. “So anything utilized in Copilot it is inside our Invesco universe. So it’s not necessarily pulling information from other sources unless I’m using it online with Bing.”

Dawson emphasizes that it takes a certain kind of skilled planner to know what information to feed Copilot or any kind of AI software used in the corporate setting to avoid data leaks online.

“Whatever that agreed-upon AI tool is for your organization that has been vetted by your cybersecurity team, that is the one to use,” she says. Even when it comes to using the incredibly popular ChatGPT for more creative purposes, such as helping with marketing copy and graphics, she suggests using it very generically, without using any info from your organization.

The Ethical Issues of AI

AI has no doubt helped planners make their jobs easier. But with faster and more efficient tools also comes a variety of ethical concerns. For example, AI bias stems from algorithms inheriting biases from training data that could lead to discriminatory practices or unequal treatment of certain groups of people. There are also concerns about the lack of consent when gathering information from attendees and speakers.

But planners can sidestep these ethical concerns by using these best practices:

• Partner with the company’s Information Technology (IT) department to develop and communicate clear AI policies
• Provide training for all teams working with AI in event management, focusing on privacy concerns and responsible AI use
• Educate users on how algorithms function, how data is processed and how decisions are made
• Clearly explain the purpose of data collection using AI and how it enhances the event experience
• Implement bias mitigation strategies to identify potential AI algorithm biases
• Perform regular audits for compliance
• Balancing Innovation with Privacy

Southwest Business is a corporate travel platform created by Southwest Airlines to help B2B customers, corporate event planners and travel agents manage flights and other aspects of travel quickly and efficiently. It also customizes offers for users based on the markets and volume in which they fly.

Last year, the company introduced a new AI tool to the platform that allows users to request customized proposals, easily switch travelers, access past meetings, request future meetings and gain incentive opportunities all within the Southwest Business portal.

Julian Azzam leads the company’s sales operations and products division, and oversees Southwest Business’s internal and external processes, products and tools. Azzam is also the data privacy champion for his department. Before the company introduced Southwest Business’ AI capability, it already had a rigorous process data security process. With its newest AI product, Southwest is taking the same precautions.

“We take cybersecurity and data privacy very, very seriously,” says Azzam. “That’s why when it comes to everybody’s favorite term, AI, we’re also doing the same thing. We have an internal department called Data Transformation Artificial Intelligence, and they are basically in the process of defining what AI looks like for Southwest Airlines, making sure that we have correct processes and data integrity.”

The data Southwest is putting into the Large Language Model (LLM) is of the utmost integrity and quality, he says. because AI is only as good as the data put into it. If the information that goes into it is unreliable, then the results are going to be unreliable. So Southwest is putting a focus on how its LLM is set up internally to leverage AI for the different use cases in the market. To do this, however, is a slow, meticulous process.

“What we’ve been successful with is taking it one step at a time and taking it slow,” Azzam says. “The two things that I would focus on is making sure that you feel good about your data foundation, data quality and data integrity. And then don’t go big all at once. Start with small chunks to test the waters and make sure that what you’re setting up is going towork the way you want it to work.”

Azzam also suggests having a feedback group. For Southwest, this consists of the company’s top customers and lets the company know if something is working correctly and if it’s meeting the demand from a travel perspective. While Southwest hasn’t yet utilized the feedback group for its AI features, Azzam foresees that they will once the technology becomes more prominent in the airline industry.

Don’t Fear the Future

Corporate event planner Katrina Stroganoff sees AI tools being implemented in various departments at the national financial advisory firm she works for in Philadelphia. She herself uses ChatGPT for crafting email blasts and web pages and also for activity suggestions for executives traveling to other cities for conferences and meetings. Like Dawson, she never uses exact locations, the company’s name or real dates for events to ensure safety and privacy. To help with event planning, she uses Cvent and its AI tools for event registration, messaging and guest management, which has its own built-in security features.

Stroganoff says that her company also hosts informational sessions about AI and how it’s being used in the financial industry. “It is at the top of people’s minds and it is one of our most attended sessions that we host,” she says.

For planners who are interested in implementing AI tools into their companies, Stroganoff says, “Don’t use any information that would tie it back to you or your events, or your company. Just throw generalized terms in there that you could then later fill in, and obviously make sure that you’re on your company’s VPN. And if it is allowed to go through, then absolutely. But if it is not, then I would stay away. The future is scary, but that doesn’t mean be afraid of it.”

AI and the Role of Event Planners

When introducing AI software into the corporate environment, planners have a responsibility to ensure that all ethical and privacy aspects are addressed prior before using it for events. Collaboration with IT is essential, and most likely already company policy. Planners should:

• Maintain transparency about how AI us used and ensure accountability
• Conduct regular risk assessments
• Make sure attendee data is used responsibly and privacy and rights are upheld
• Adapt to changing regulations

AI is the future of event planning. Planners must embrace its evolving place in the industry and balance the innovative potential with safeguarding attendee and company privacy. C&IT