Is AI about to take over the events industry?

​ChatGPT is the hot topic on everyone’s lips right now - causing waves and dividing opinions across every industry. In this month’s blog, we share our initial thoughts about the potential of AI technology on JTPM services and the future of events.
 
What is ChatGPT? Basically, it’s a chatbot or chat robot which uses AI technology and allows you to have human-like conversations with it. You can type in almost any question or instruction, and it will spit out an impressively detailed and articulate response in seconds. The whole purpose or idea behind ChatGPT is to help us to perform repetitive manual tasks.
 
It’s only natural to be resistant to change and have doubts and suspicions about new technology – especially AI. Thanks to sci-fi movies and books, many of us instantly imagine a scary dystopian scenario where robots take over our jobs and then the world…

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Our approach:
At JTPM, however, we have always actively embraced the opportunities and capabilities that technology provides our industry. Just look at the huge advances we’ve experienced in the past few years, as a result of COVID. We’re continuously experimenting and looking to incorporate innovative ways that have been tried and tested, to not only make our jobs easier but can also help us deliver events to the highest possible standards.
 
We like to take a collaborative approach, not only with our clients and suppliers but with any new system or process we adopt. Finding a middle ground where everyone wins is our ultimate goal. So, we’re actually pretty excited to test our ChatGPT and see how it can support our goals and vision.

The opportunities:
It’s still early days, but we have already identified several areas where we will be able to draw on AI for support. Here are a few examples:

1. Brainstorming:
We asked ChatGPT to come up with 10 name suggestions for a dementia conference in Australia; here’s what it came up with:

1. Minds Matter: Dementia Conference Australia
2. Unraveling Dementia: A Conference for Understanding and Support
3. Living with Dementia: Strategies and Solutions
4. Dementia in Australia: Current Challenges and Future Directions
5. Memory Keepers: A Conference on Dementia and Aging
6. Embracing Dementia: Empowering Caregivers and Patients
7. Building Bridges: Connecting Communities and Professionals in Dementia Care
8. Navigating Dementia: Innovations and Best Practices in Treatment and Care
9. Dementia Care 360: Perspectives from Patients, Caregivers, and Experts
10. Dementia Forward: Collaborating to Improve Dementia Care in Australia

2.Drafting content:
We asked ChatGPT to write an introduction paragraph for a Dementia conference running over three days with a welcome dinner on the first day and an awards function on the third day. Here’s what we got:

Welcome to the Dementia Care Conference, a three-day event focused on advancing the care, treatment, and understanding of dementia. With an aging population and rising rates of dementia, this conference brings together healthcare professionals, researchers, caregivers, and advocates to share knowledge, insights, and strategies for improving dementia care. The conference will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities. In addition, attendees will have the chance to connect with peers, learn about new research and innovations in dementia care, and participate in meaningful conversations around this important issue. The conference also includes a welcome dinner on the first day and an awards function on the final day to celebrate and recognize the achievements of those working to improve dementia care. We invite you to join us for this important event and be a part of the conversation around dementia care.

3.Planning:
 
We asked ChatGPT to plan an event for 50 people at the National Gallery of Victoria – we deliberately kept this one very general to see what it would generate, but you could certainly add in more information to produce a more accurate result. 
 
Here’s ChatGPT’s event plan:
 
Event Type: Corporate Networking Event
Venue: National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)
Guest Count: 50
Budget: $10,000
Duration: 3 hours
Date: Saturday, May 14th, 2022
Time: 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Theme: Art & Wine Pairing
Menu: Canapés & Wine Tasting
Entertainment: Art Tour

Here's a plan for your corporate networking event at the National Gallery of Victoria:

6:00 pm – 6:30 pm: Guest Arrival and Registration
As guests arrive, they will be greeted by the event staff at the entrance of NGV, who will help with registration and welcome them to the event. Each guest will receive a name tag, which includes their name and company.

6:30 pm – 7:00 pm: Art Tour
The guests will be divided into small groups and will be taken on a private tour of the NGV, showcasing some of the iconic art pieces from various collections. The tour will be guided by a curator who will provide insights into each artwork, making the experience engaging and informative.

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm: Canapés & Wine Tasting
After the art tour, the guests will be invited to the function room where they will be served a selection of canapés paired with wine. The menu will include vegetarian, gluten-free, and non-vegetarian options.
To elevate the wine tasting experience, a sommelier will be present to guide the guests through the wine selection and explain the wine pairing process, making it an interactive and educational experience.
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8:30 pm – 9:00 pm: Closing Remarks & Networking
To wrap up the event, the host will deliver closing remarks and thank the guests for their attendance. Guests will be encouraged to network and exchange contact details with fellow attendees and share their favorite artwork and wine pairing from the evening.

Conclusion:
This corporate networking event at the National Gallery of Victoria is designed to be an unforgettable experience for all guests. With a theme of art and wine pairing, the evening will be informative and engaging, offering guests the opportunity to explore some of the iconic art pieces while enjoying canapés and wine. The event will conclude with networking, allowing attendees to exchange contact details and build meaningful connections with their peers.

It’s important to remember that ChatGPT is not and cannot possibly be factually correct – note the American spelling too. The quality of the response will always depend on the quality of the prompts - ask a silly or vague question and you’ll get a silly or vague answer. This means it will always rely on humans and you’ll always need someone to check, edit and customise everything.
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In summary:
While we may utilise the benefits of ChatGPT to save time and be more productive, we certainly won’t be replacing any staff with this handy tool. Events, and many other service-based industries, will always rely on that personal human touch.​

“At the end of the day, events are about connecting people and creating memorable and engaging experiences and that’s something technology will never be able to replace.”
- Creative Director, Julia Truong

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Finally, we asked ChatGPT to write this blog for us. Have a read below, compare it to our human version tell us what you think!
 
Q: ChatGPT, can you write a blog about the impact of AI on the events industry?
 
A:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been transforming various industries for several years now, and the events industry is no exception. With the help of AI, event planners can achieve better event planning, increased engagement, improved customer experiences, and better revenue generation. In this blog, we will discuss the impact of AI on the events industry.

1. Personalized Experiences AI technology enables event planners to create personalized experiences for their attendees. They can leverage AI to analyze attendee data to understand their preferences, interests, and behaviour patterns. This data can then be used to personalize the event experience for each attendee, including personalized recommendations for sessions, networking opportunities, and other activities that they might enjoy.
2. Improved Event Planning AI can help event planners streamline their planning process, from the initial event design to the post-event analysis. They can use AI to manage their budgets, create event schedules, and analyze data to make informed decisions about what works best for their events. Additionally, AI can be used to automate repetitive tasks such as registration and ticketing, freeing up event planners to focus on more strategic tasks.
3. Enhanced Audience Engagement AI can also help to enhance audience engagement during an event. For example, AI-powered chatbots can answer attendee questions in real-time, allowing attendees to get the information they need quickly and efficiently. AI-powered event apps can also provide attendees with real-time updates and personalized recommendations, keeping them engaged throughout the event.
4. Better Analytics and Insights AI can be used to analyze data collected during an event to provide insights that can help improve future events. For example, AI can analyze attendee behavior and feedback to identify areas for improvement and suggest changes to the event format or schedule. This data can also be used to better understand attendee demographics, allowing event planners to create more targeted marketing campaigns for future events.
5. Increased Revenue Generation Finally, AI can help event planners increase their revenue generation. By analyzing attendee data, event planners can identify potential sponsors and exhibitors that are a good fit for their event, increasing the likelihood of successful sponsorships and exhibitor sales. Additionally, AI-powered ticket pricing algorithms can help event planners optimize ticket prices based on attendee behavior and demand, maximizing revenue potential.

In conclusion, AI has the potential to revolutionize the events industry by improving the attendee experience, streamlining event planning, enhancing audience engagement, providing valuable insights, and increasing revenue generation. While AI is not a one-size-fits-all solution for every event, incorporating AI into event planning and execution can help event planners stay ahead of the curve and deliver exceptional events that attendees will remember for years to come.

 

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