The event industry is buzzing with excitement about artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential to reshape our future. As someone with over 50 years of experience in live events, I've witnessed and adapted to many technological changes. When I joined Genesis Exhibits 31 years ago, computers were still a novelty in our field. Today, they're an indispensable part of our work. This journey has taught me the importance of embracing new technologies, and AI is the latest innovation poised to transform how we plan and execute live events.

Despite virtual events falling short post-pandemic, today, various advanced tech applications can certainly enhance live events. As highlighted by Gaurav Singh Chauhan in the Eventex article "Leveraging AI to Transform Events," “AI can revolutionize pre-event planning, networking during events, and post-event lead follow-ups. Artificial intelligence (AI) has come to dominate the agenda of numerous industries and the events sector is no exception, as also noted in The Eventex Events Industry Trends Report. It is certainly a trend deserving in-depth exploration and not just its impact, but rather, its benefits and applications in planning and executing events."

An innovative example is the app BackTrack, designed to assist exhibitors in managing leads at trade shows. I had the pleasure of meeting Jordan Walker, the co-founder of BackTrack, this week. His mobile app streamlines post-conversation summaries for exhibitors, automatically transferring leads to their CRM. Through AI, the app enriches leads by filling in missing contact information when scanning business cards, badges, or LinkedIn QR codes. Jordan emphasized, "On the show floor everyone is trying to stand out, and we say if you are going to try and stand out, you might as well be outstanding with an AI Booth Sales Assistant-like BackTrack".

Jim Cermak and Danny Stefanic delve into the impact of AI on trade shows, discussing how professionals can leverage AI on a recent Trade Show University podcast episode. Lenny Talarico highlights the importance of immersive technologies like artificial intelligence, AR, and VR in creating memorable event experiences. Discover more about the rising trend of immersive technologies in the event industry within The Eventex Events Industry Trends Report.

In a recent Swift Meetings podcast with Miguel Neves and Shawn Cheng, Cheng the founder and lead strategist of Curious Bear Management, believes the jury is still out on whether AI has peaked in usefulness for meetings and related tasks. "It's too early to tell," Cheng said. "We're really just in some way taking a break." Cheng envisions a future where AI experts work with organizations to help implement the technology effectively. These experts – on staff or external – should have a deeper understanding of the technology, its capabilities, and its limitations. The AI expert would help the organization, including event planners, understand how to leverage the technology. This can take the shape of creating compelling content or graphics for specific platforms or use cases. Cheng suggests that organizations would be better equipped to address concerns about privacy, copyright, and other emerging AI-related issues with an AI expert guiding the implementation.

Michelle Bruno writes in the Exhibitor Magazine article “How Technology is Answering Exhibitor Needs", "In the events industry, tech trends lean heavily toward the unmet desires of exhibit marketers. Exhibit technologies are rushing and adapting to fill gaps.” She goes on to list several needs of exhibit managers and the tech tools that can address those needs. Michelle concludes, "Giving exhibitors more tech empowers them to perform better and raises the value and perception of exhibitions as a must have marketing channel.” I found this very encouraging.

In a recent article in Exhibit City News titled "Will AI Save the Live Event Industry?", Chris Kappes points out several ways AI can help with things like lead generation and management, customer support, personalized recommendations, data analytics, content creation, event planning and scheduling, security, language translation, audience engagement, and predictive analytics. Chris stated, "While AI may be able to streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and maximize cost-effectiveness, the human touch — creativity and strategic decision-making — will remain the heart and soul of event planning and execution. AI is our partner, not our replacement, ensuring the vitality and enduring success of the industry. The future waits for no one. Jump aboard."

We're entering an exhilarating new era in the events industry, and AI is at the forefront of this revolution. It's time to embrace these innovative technologies and discover how they can transform your event planning and production strategies. While LED walls are currently the talk of the town, AI features are rapidly gaining ground, promising to take our events to unprecedented heights. As event professionals, we have a unique opportunity to harness the power of AI, creating experiences that will amaze and inspire our clients. The future of events is bright, filled with endless possibilities. Are you ready to explore the exciting world of AI-enhanced events and set new standards in our industry?