The rapid growth of machine learning and generative artificial intelligence has paved the way for the rise of chatbots, leading to speculation about their potential impact on exhibition marketing workflows. As chatbot technology becomes increasingly prevalent, it is crucial to explore its benefits and potential pitfalls. In this article, we will delve into the world of chatbots, examine their application in exhibition marketing, and discuss the implications they may have for event marketers.
AI’s Influence on the Events Industry
The use of AI in the events industry is not a recent development. In 2018, IBM employed an AI-powered chatbot named Watson at their THINK 2018 conference. Watson successfully handled over 25,000 inquiries, providing real-time responses and personalised recommendations through integration with the event’s mobile app. Additionally, the Chatbot Summit, an annual event held in various global locations, has been exploring the potential of chatbots since 2016. This year, the summit is taking place in ExCeL London, a city renowned for its AI-driven environment and thriving AI sector.
While the ethical implications and reliability of AI-driven chatbots are subjects of ongoing debate, event marketers are gradually recognising the advantages of leveraging machine learning to automate processes and enhance data segmentation. By harnessing the power of chatbots, marketers can allocate more time to creative and emotive tasks.
The Benefits of ChatGPT in Marketing
Many marketers have already started embracing the benefits of ChatGPT, a chatbot that has gained significant popularity since its launch in November. According to research conducted by the Influencer Marketing Hub, 61.4% of surveyed marketers have utilized AI in their marketing activities, with Jasper.ai being the most commonly employed AI tool (32.8%). Moreover, over 60% of marketers plan to incorporate AI or machine learning into their influencer campaigns, highlighting the growing significance of AI in the industry.
Sam Harper, managing director at Creation Exhibitions, explains how ChatGPT can assist in content creation. She emphasises that ChatGPT can generate creative content ideas for blogs or social media posts based on specific keywords, serving as a valuable source of inspiration. Furthermore, ChatGPT can summarise lengthy content pieces according to specified word count and format preferences, such as bullet points. By delegating such tasks to ChatGPT, marketers can alleviate the burden on their teams and enhance overall productivity.
However, it is essential to exercise caution when utilising ChatGPT for content creation. Sam advises the inclusion of human oversight, as Google may penalise AI-generated content. While ChatGPT can be a valuable asset, human input is still crucial to ensure quality and relevance.
AI’s Impact on Content Creation
Guarav Sharma, founder and CEO of marketing agency Attrock, suggests that content creators should view AI as a highly efficient assistant capable of enhancing productivity. Leveraging AI’s data processing and analysis capabilities, content creators can craft customer-specific content. With the imminent shift towards a cookie less future, capturing customer data while adhering to regulations becomes an increasingly crucial aspect of content creation.
Sharma highlights the potential of natural language generation (NLG) processes in automating content writing. Content writers can establish frameworks and guidelines for their content requirements, allowing NLG tools to efficiently complete the narratives. Unlike humans, whose writing speed is limited, AI-driven processes can automate content creation with minimal human intervention. This approach presents an excellent opportunity for B2B content marketing, enabling businesses to supercharge their content creation, generate higher traffic, and increase leads.
Incorporating AI into Event Management Platforms
AI integration is gaining momentum across various sectors, including event management platforms. For instance, HubSpot recently introduced two new AI tools, ChatSpot.ai and the Content Assistant. ChatSpot.ai offers conversation intelligence, data quality tooling, data enrichment, predictive AI, and content optimisation, all powered by OpenAI’s intelligence systems. The Content Assistant facilitates the ideation, creation, and sharing of high-quality content, promising to save time and boost efficiency for marketing and sales teams.
Eventex, another industry player, has also incorporated ChatGPT into its event management platform. This integration enables instant and personalised responses to attendee inquiries, thereby reducing the workload on event staff and enhancing the overall attendee experience. Additionally, the platform enables post-event surveys and feedback collection, providing valuable data for future events and enabling data-driven decision-making.
Cvent, a prominent event management software provider, has developed ChatGPT integrations within its platform, offering functionalities such as translation and SEO automation.
The Value of Human Interaction in an AI-Driven World
As the growth and application of AI raise ethical concerns, the value of human insight and oversight becomes increasingly critical. Tech leaders such as Steve Wozniak and Geoffrey Hinton have expressed caution about the potential misuse and uncontrolled advancement of AI. Human interaction and decision-making play an indispensable role in curbing the risks associated with AI systems.
According to a survey conducted by the Influencer Marketing Hub, 40% of respondents agreed that high-level marketing strategy and decision-making would remain in human hands, even if AI were to dominate the majority of marketing operations. Nathalie Haxby, the global head of corporate communications at RX, emphasises the importance of human involvement in content creation. While AI can automate certain types of generic content, the ability to personalise a brand through clever, creative writing and editing remains a unique human skill.
Embracing the Future
While machines offer vast potential to streamline processes, it is essential to recognise that human imagination and creativity are unparalleled. AI, in its current state, lacks the ability to provide contextual understanding and abstract problem-solving. Human interactions, layered with diverse sources and types of information, are indispensable for effective decision-making.
In conclusion, chatbots powered by AI have the potential to revolutionise exhibition marketing workflows. The benefits of utilising chatbots like ChatGPT for content creation and automation are evident. However, it is crucial to maintain a balance between AI-driven processes and human oversight to ensure quality, relevance, and adherence to ethical standards. By embracing AI as a valuable assistant and leveraging its capabilities, event marketers can enhance productivity and efficiency while preserving the essential human touch that drives successful marketing strategies.
