In events we trust: the power of HI

Our most recent research into global event trends (as well as that by organisations like Forrester and AMEX) shows clearly that brands and their CMOs recognise the power of corporate events, making them a vital B2B marketing channel.

That’s good news for the industry, and good news for my team and me!

I put this down to four main reasons:

1. No other marketing channel can match the opportunities that events provide to collaborate, network, and celebrate to drive change and inspire growth.
2. Events create unique marketing content, which can be captured and re-shared to prolong an event’s lifecycle.
3. Event audiences are captive audiences, allowing for deeper engagement with your messaging and enhanced connections (which will remain with delegates even longer than the content they consumed).
4. In a world where AI fakery is on the increase, the power of human intelligence in events to motivate, educate, and communicate is unparalleled.

And on that last point, I would go so far as to say that events are now the only real trusted source of truth for your audiences.

It doesn’t mean that AI in events doesn’t have its place. And it’s clear that many event organisers recognise the benefits AI can bring. Our own research shows that it represents the single biggest opportunity for progress in event tech in the short to medium term, with 31% of survey respondents planning to use it at their events in the next 12 months.

Audience experience (76%) and audience engagement (70%) are cited as the main reasons for adopting AI, with content and messaging personalisation following close behind. The other ways in which I can see AI becoming useful include:

1. Increased efficiency in project management for more streamlined event planning and logistics.
2. More effective data analysis to gain insights into attendee preferences and behaviour, allowing for data-driven decision-making and more personalisation in future planning.
3. Virtual assistants to improve attendee engagement, provide real-time support, and manage event inquiries.
4. Event content creation and curation, ensuring that sessions and speakers are aligned with the interests of the event audience and content is repurposed effectively.

Clearly, as the industry continues to adapt and evolve, AI is set to become a useful tool for event professionals, driving greater engagement, efficiency, and innovation. But the danger that AI is making marketing content commoditised is real. Live presence, in-person or online, provides the authenticity and trust humans seek and need.

In the words of one of our largest global clients, “technology is exciting, and people do love it, but I think it’s important that we keep working on being creative about what really engages people. We don’t leave our personalities behind when we enter the workplace, so human to human content and connection is important. Let’s use digital tech innovations to our advantage but not at the cost of telling stories to connect emotively.”

Bringing people together at an HI-enabled event, whether in-person or hybrid, is still – if not more so than ever before - the safest way to ensure you reach, engage and connect with your audiences in a meaningful way. If human-led events are now the only real trusted source of truth (and I believe they are), they are also the most powerful marketing and communications channel in your armoury.?