YOU CANNOT RUN FROM AI , SAYS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION PCMA AS IT SETS A NEW SPARK TO OUR THINKING

CMA is committed to blazing a trail forward for the global business events industry .

In January 2023 , during Convening Leaders , PCMA and CEMA president and CEO Sherrif Karamat , CAE , committed to all participants that , “ We will innovate . We will take risks . We will get outside our comfort zone . And we will always do it for our audiences .”

Fast forward to Artificial Intelligence ( AI ), which perhaps has quietly been a part of our lives for many years – or perhaps not so quietly , in the case of Siri .

But since early 2023 , with the widespread accessibility of tools like ChatGPT , the reality is hitting home . The potential social and economic benefits of AI are so profound that the question is not IF we will use AI , but HOW .

AI , as a broader topic , has become even more popular than ChatGPT and sustainability .

We can fear it . We can ignore it . But we cannot run from it .

Over the last four months , the PCMA and Gevme teams have been collaborating on Project Spark , an innovation initiative built by event professionals for event professionals . Project Spark is more than a technology tool , it is a platform to foster collaboration , and the latest example of how a disruptive technology can positively impact the global business events industry .

We believe three key elements are critical to ensure our industry benefits from AI – community , education , and tools .

And the HOW , we believe , begins by putting our humanity front and centre , doing all we can to ensure that AI works for us – both collectively and individually – in positive ways .

Innovation , specifically AI , today plays an even more significant role in the global business events industry . It plays an incredible role in replacing routine tasks to free up time for strategic planning . Ultimately , AI plays a role in every facet of event planning – for all , including associations and corporations .

Business event strategists , who have long wanted a seat at the strategic table , now have a tool to help get them there faster .

Since launching Project Spark at IMEX Frankfurt in May , we have been receiving user feedback and refining the product roadmap , all while educating our global community through

“ Three key elements are critical to ensure our industry benefits from AI – community , education , and tools ”

webinars , in-person tech labs and in our Catalyst Community .

During the recent EduCon 2023 in Montreal , we released the BETA version of Spark 1.0 – with a 90-day free trial for all PCMA members . With fewer resources , more stress and less time , business event strategists are often in the middle of chaos . Spark will help clear those ‘ to-do ’ lists from routine tasks and allow for time to focus on what is possible with business events . Session descriptions , speaker bios , video transcriptions agendas and more . Spark can do in 30 seconds or less what previously took 30 minutes or more .

Every so often , something comes along that transforms society and industries . Such is the case with AI . Project Spark was designed for business event professionals to shape the inevitable change ignited by AI and not be swept away by it . We look forward to an exciting future for our global business events community .