Just look around you and you’ll see that there’s no doubt about it: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way the world works. AI refers to the ability of a computer programme to think and learn like a human, and globally we’re seeing how its impact on society is snowballing: From the healthcare industry, to manufacturing, transportation and even retail, AI is being embraced in more and more sectors, and the eventing sphere is no different.
There’s a lot of talk in the eventing industry about AI, but it’s important to note that we’re only at the beginning of the AI revolution – this is destined to rapidly change the way we work in coming decades. The investment that we’re seeing in AI is massive, with tech giants spending billions of Dollars developing it, and it’s already considered by many to be the best event technology not just of right now, but also of the future.
AI has the capability to personalise recommendations for event attendees and exhibitors on a scale that’s never been done before. By using an AI matchmaking engine that can interpret data from Social Media profiles, your attendees will instantly be informed how to get the most out of your exhibition. AI is able to recommend who they should interact with, which stands they should be sure not to miss, and even which products would best suit their business interests. In fact, they can even indicate which recommendations they’re not interested in, and the AI matchmaking engine will learn from this, meaning that their next set of recommendations will be improved. And for exhibitors, they’ll have a good idea of how many people are interested in their product before the event even starts, helping them to prep accordingly and save on potential unnecessary costs. When used properly, AI personalisation really can benefit everyone.
While mobile apps of the past might have been useful in preparing for or getting around an event, inbuilt AI tools now mean that event attendees are able to get all the information they need without having to leave the comfort of their cell phone. Today, over 25% of apps have some level of AI built into them, quickly learning from a guest’s preferences and updating as the day goes on. Chatbots, in particular, are easy to implement and can deliver unique value for guests. In a world that’s quickly getting used to virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa, an event-based chatbot could answer guests’ questions through an app and deliver fast, specific answers. Not only does this mean improved convenience for guests, but it also saves you on staff costs and ensures that the staff you do hire aren’t wasting time answering the same questions all day.
Reaching new attendees is a challenge that every event manager faces, but AI can be a powerful tool in getting your marketing material to audiences that you might not have otherwise been able to reach. AI has the capability to automate your exhibition’s Social Media promotions to work more efficiently, with machine learning able to help you specifically target those who would be interested in your event on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. By building and testing different segments of your most valuable potential attendees, AI can optimise your ads automatically to ensure that the most impactful messages are being sent. And once the event is over, the information gathered by your AI tools can help to ensure that you’re serving your guests relevant, personalised follow-up content.
With the AI revolution only just beginning, there’s still much to come in this exciting change to the world of eventing.