SPONSORED CONTENT at a digital or in-person event , it ’ s become increasingly difficult to map a ‘ perfect ’ buyer journey . In reality , perfection doesn ’ t exist and striving for such a goal can make us too near-sighted . Actual value comes from connecting your event data with deep learning processes to develop prescriptive recommendations . AI supports this initiative .
For decades , collecting event data was a menial task due to the limited resources needed to combine , create and test its accuracy . Now , it ’ s become the cornerstone of enterprises ’ internal operations across industries , allowing us to measure strategy impact and success through real-time customer feedback .
As marketers , we must contextualise event information to get the most out of datasets by combining their first- , second- and third-party data . Then AI can be deployed to automate the process of interpreting data to recognise patterns , adding a layer of reasoning to develop personalised and relevant recommendations based on specific content demands . Over time , this repetition will fundamentally change how we can detect and influence users ’ behaviours that matter most with the right messages , reducing the potential for missed opportunities . Subsequently , end-to-end event management platforms that prioritise building contextualised data catalogues will continuously enrich attendees ’ experiences by delivering intuitive content .
Eliminating binary thinking Faced with heightened customer expectations , there needs to be a mindset shift to eliminate binary thinking that has long pitted physical and virtual events against one another . In recent years , the name of the game has been agility – how quickly can one pivot the format of an event . We ’ ve always known
Kai McKechnie
the event format affects whether a customer ’ s journey is relevant or not , but to date , the ability to measure its impact positively or negatively on a customer ’ s experience has been just out of reach .
By integrating AI into an end-to-end event management platform , we can standardise an array of sources from which to collect information , including registration , social profiles and previous channel interactions . This enables the achievement of a new level of sophistication that will allow us to forecast the effectiveness of event portfolios and strategies to best connect with their target audience .
Looking ahead , eliminating looming customer uncertainties will be key to the ability to achieve optimal engagement across big , small and mid-sized events without straining budgets .
Measuring event success
Traditionally , event success has been measured by attendance numbers , revenue generated , or attendee feedback surveys . However , these metrics only provide a limited view of event success and do not provide organisers with actionable insights for improving events .
Event marketers often want to precisely allocate their resources to the most effective channels to achieve the highest ROI , prioritising profit instead of relevancy for the customer .
It ’ s important to infuse our marketing processes with AI to avoid being stuck in a loop of perpetual uncertainty . Meaningful change begins by understanding the effectiveness of current efforts and learning how to elevate them to deliver more impact to stakeholders , customers and endconsumers .
By providing more comprehensive metrics , AI can help event organisers identify areas of improvement for future events , where it can highlight types of content that attendees are not engaging with . This will enable organisers to adjust the agenda to focus on more engaging content in the future .
Experimentation and curiosity are key parts of our marketing DNA . By continuing to consider new avenues and strategies , it will usher in a new age of hyper-personalised attendee experiences that earn customer loyalty again and again .
AI ingests all marketing data – including visual assets – and creates marketing strategies with full marketing campaigns built out from the ground up . They can be selected at will , morphed and edited at any point in the campaign based on feedback from the event team . Or the AI can simply change the campaigns themselves based on live performance data . As of yet , the use of AI in the events industry is in its infancy and still very much misunderstood . Training will be critical for employees across departments and disciplines to understand that it is not simply a copywriting tool , but an intelligence system capable of reasoning , combining multiple abstract concepts and creating unique and insightful takeaways for business leaders .
Whitespace Group is a leading global partner in live events , exhibitions and brand experiences , leading a new way for the industry . To find out more about our brands , visit www . whitespacegroup . uk
Summer — 59