Everyone knows about AI; that magical, all-knowing futuristic system that makes us wonder if Black Mirror was a prophecy rather than a quirky Netflix series.

But Artificial Intelligence is used for more than just writing apology letters to your ex and talking you out of existential crises. You can also see it in autonomous vehicles, opponents in video games, language translation, and weather forecasting (although that last one ALWAYS seems to say that the skatepark will be dry when, in fact, it is damper than a moist slice of bara brith (wow, that was a very niche reference, huh?).

However, did you know that you can also use AI in the event industry to heighten engagement, improve sales, and make sure that you’ve chosen the absolute BEST supplier of hors d’oeuvres (and yes, I did have to Google the spelling)?

Content Curation and Personalised Experiences

Suddenly, you’ve found yourself in the wonderful world of events. But this isn’t the same old world of events as you knew two decades ago — no, everything has somehow been tailored to your interests and seems to fit perfectly into place. How could this be?

Bam, AI, baby! 🐣

This strange little tool has been used to analyse attendee data and create interest-based schedules and activities, resulting in that warm special feeling in your heart. You feel taken care of, understood, and want to know how you can replicate this in future events.

You can use AI to track patterns and learn from them. For example, if someone’s past event participation shows that they love vegan cakes, skating, tiny Italian greyhounds, and oolong tea (yes, these are all my favourite passions and yes, I do accept gifts), then you can match them with future relevant sessions.

The attendee has formed a connection with the event, and shall go on living happily ever after.

Data Organisation and Insights

Now that your attendees have fallen completely head-over-heels with an event, you can go away and mull over the information. Begin to understand the type of content that resonates most with them, and create more engaging experiences going forward. More greyhound-and-skating-themed tea parties? Yes, please.

With AI, you can make better decisions and even predict future trends (and I’m BEGGING that future trends trash low-ride jeans and scooter kids — I’m a hater, what can I say).

Suddenly, you have a stronger understanding of what worked well and what didn’t, and each subsequent event will be more refined. Thanks, magical robot system.

Virtual Events and Global Participation

Since you mentioned virtual events, I recently attended an online tea tasting where organisers had matched us to our tea-related interests and sent products that fitted within this bracket. For example, I made it clear that I’m a MASSIVE fan of Japanese tea, so they sent me packets upon packets of hojicha and kukicha.

On one hand, I learnt that I actually knew nothing about Japanese tea and HATE Japanese roasted greens with a vengeance, but on the other hand, my Christmas gifts for the next year are sorted.

Either way, recent global events have opened up new possibilities for AI, making online events better than ever. Utilising interactive features such as virtual reality  experiences and using different engagement systems can offer an opportunity for people to participate from around the world.

However, with an unpleasant history of choking on the horrors of hojicha, I can promise to not attend another online tea event for a while.

Dynamic Price Strategies 💸

After all this wonderful AI input, you now truly know what your attendees love and don’t love, and you’ve started to move forward based on these interests. But did you know that you can also utilise it for smaller jobs?

We all want to hit that sweet spot with stable pressure and speed — but in this context, we want to hit the sweet spot in ticket pricing (even I wasn’t sure where I was going with that one).

You’re going to want to find somewhere that keeps pricing competitive whilst reflecting the value of the event — and the never-failing wisdom of AI can help you with that.

Dynamic pricing which has been based on historical data can result in a more efficient and profitable business model, making that sweet spot easier to reach than ever before.

Improved Sustainability

Are you conscious that the earth is due to erupt in a fiery ball of micro-plastics and suffocated turtles? Or that you’ve actually been providing UNETHICAL oolong tea (gasp!) at your events? If so, do I have the solution (kind of) for you!

Artificial Intelligence can also be used to improve sustainability in the event industry. By analysing data, AI algorithms can determine the most eco-friendly practices for event planning — for example, optimised transportation routes and resource usage, reduced energy consumption and waste, and recommendations for more sustainable suppliers.

No more sub-par oolongs: that’s a future I’m looking forward to🌈

Matchmaking (uwu)

Now I swear that I’m not going to bring every article back to the world of love, but sometimes, the topic just comes up naturally (right?).

In this case, AI could be used to analyse attendee profiles, networking history, and Italian-greyhound-related-interests to suggest potential connections. No longer do you have to waste your time talking to an English beagle sorta guy!

Imagine it: you arrive at an event where you receive personalised suggestions for people you might want to meet based on professional goals and shared interests. You don’t need to follow the traditional business card exchange or talk about things that you simply don’t vibe with (or understand — who would purposefully choose an English breed of any kind?), and can instead focus your time on fostering valuable connections with meaningful interactions.

Now, doesn’t that just sound lovely? 👉🏽👈🏽

Less Time Wasted

Imagine, the year is 2024, and smart check-in processes exist. Facial recognition technology, QR codes, and AI-driven registration systems are replacing traditional methods… The future is HERE, people! Doc and Marty would be so proud.

Using smart technology, you can make entry smoother than ever before: there’s no queues for the coat check, there’s no long wait surrounding registration, and all of a sudden, you have all of this extra time to simply enjoy yourself.

And in a world where TBBT will not be continuing with another season, we really do need all the joy we can get.

Strengthened Security Measures

Now, you’ve considered using AI’s facial-recognition technology to annihilate queues, but have you also considered using it to annihilate enemies? (Kidding… Maybe?) 👀

With new advancements, you can use Artificial Intelligence to identify those with suspicious behaviour, monitor crowds, and automatically detect threats, resulting in an all-round safer event environment.

Now, those who are infamous for walking in, eating all the hors d’oeuvres (new favourite word), and skedaddling without saying a word can be recognised upon entry.

Woo, go AI!

In Conclusion (❤)

Artificial Intelligence has brought an unexpected pizazz to the event industry: you can optimise operations, enhance engagement, and set-up successful business matches all in one go. What a truly wonderful world we all live in.