SITE
AI emerging from the Hidden Heartlands to mainstream
PÁDRAIC GILLIGAN , CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER , SITE , TELLS US WHY INCENTIVE TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS SHOULD FOLLOW IRISH FARMERS BY ADAPTING TO , AND ADOPTING AI
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I is not at all new in Ireland , at least not in the Hidden Heartlands . Since the 1940s , it has been a thing in rural Ireland where I have deep roots . Purist farmers may still opt for the real thing but , for the majority , AI is now fully integrated into their day to day life there and accusations about it putting anyone out of a job are all bull ! It ’ s a horse of a different colour , however , when it comes to the business events industry . In the Incentive Travel Index ( ITI ), SITE and the IRF ’ s joint annual study of the nature and direction of incentive travel , AI is given short shrift with only a net 7 % of respondents agreeing that , “ ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence will significantly disrupt incentive travel marketing and communications ”.
In fact , the horse has bolted and AI is already busily disrupting incentive travel marcomms . I ’ m in that 7 % who firmly believe that AI will continue to disrupt and , I say , bring it on ! Here are just three ways that AI is already disrupting and making the job of the incentive travel professional much easier .
First up , Content Creation and Optimisation . AI-powered tools like ChatGPT and Spark (‘ Transforming how event teams work with generative AI ’) can generate and optimise content for marketing materials , including website copy , social media posts , email campaigns , and promotional videos . While the content will require editing , that is far easier to accomplish than creating the content yourself from first principles when you ’ re just not in the flow .
Above : Pádraic Gilligan
Next , Customer Service Automation . AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide instant ‘ triaging ’, answering straightforward queries in real time and providing updates about the qualification process to potential incentive travel qualifiers . This saves time for both the qualifier and the organiser . It is important , of course , to triage effectively , ensuring that the process leads quickly to human intervention when the query is not straightforward .
Next , Performance Tracking and Optimisation . This applies in two ways . First , in relation to the qualifier , AI can provide a real time , personalised running tally against programme goals , ensuring the qualifier knows where they stand at any stage . It works the way a FitBit works for a runner , providing clear data points at crucial times .
For organisers , AI can track key performance metrics , such as conversion rates , engagement levels for marketing campaigns , helping to optimise strategies , allow for iterations and allocate resources more effectively .
Now back to the Irish farmers . A farmer in West Clare had left his wife in charge when the AI man was visiting . “ Just make sure he has a bucket of boiling water ,” he told his wife , “ he ’ ll sort himself out ”. She was ready when the AI man arrived . telling him proudly : “ Here ’ s the bucket of hot water and there ’ s a nail on the back of the stable door to hang your trousers on ”.
AI in rural Ireland , in this case , stands for “ artificial insemination ”. Arguably it was as radical and transformative in rural Ireland in the 1940s as the other AI is across human society in the 2020s . It just took some getting used to . AI is definitely not bad for business . It ’ s something we need to exercise our curiosity on and the best way to do that is by using it . AI won ’ t put us out of a job , the person using AI will . We just need to resolve to be that person . n
ISSUE 129 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 13