5 Easy Ways to Skyrocket Attendee Satisfaction & Event ROI with Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is the future of events – and that future is here. How do we know? Consider meteoric rise of ChatGPT:

• This free, AI-powered chatbot debuted in November 2022.
• It amassed more than 1 million users in less than a week.
• In January 2023, Microsoft confirmed plans to invest $10 billion in ChatGPT creator Open AI. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella called AI “the next major wave of computing.”

AI technology is a game changer – especially in labor-intensive, customer-facing industries like meetings and events. In this article, we share five ways you can use artificial intelligence in event management to save time and enhance attendee experiences.

What exactly are AI and ChatGPT?

Artificial intelligence is “the capability of a machine to imitate intelligent human behavior.” Examples include searching data, discovering patterns, translating languages, answering questions, and making predictions. AI technologies enable computers to analyze vast volumes of data and perform tasks more quickly and accurately than people.

ChatGPT advances the technology as a text-generating chatbot with a remarkable ability to produce human-like, conversational responses to short prompts or queries.

Given the recent innovation and investment in AI, it’s no wonder this market is expected to surge from $387.45 billion in 2022 to $1,394.30 billion by 2029 at a compound annual growth rate of 20.1%.

How is AI changing events?

Event professionals have used AI for things like matchmaking, content recommendations, translation, data analytics, and more for years.

But recent advancements promise to take the attendee experience to exciting new heights.

Imagine hosting a happy hour where attendees walk up to the bar and get their favorite cocktail or mocktail without even asking. Or enlivening your exhibit hall with roaming robots that provide demos and custom answers to attendee questions about your company’s new products. These are just two examples of artificial intelligence at work in trade shows and conferences.

How else can meeting planners use AI to enhance their events?

Here are five easy ways this technology can help you hyper-charge planner efficiency, attendee satisfaction, and event ROI.

1. Do more with less.

Think of AI tools as your personal assistant that frees you up to spend more time connecting with attendees and finetuning strategy. Take these examples below:

Create copy fast: A recent experiment by Skift found that ChatGPT is good at generating accurate, straightforward promotional copy and surveys for attendees and sponsors.

True, the technology didn’t push beyond the norm. But you could hand off your AI draft to a human pro to fact-check, revise, and take it from so-so to fantastic copy loaded with brand personality and style. The result could be emails and upsells that grab your audience’s attention, save time, and help you achieve event goals.

Get lightning-fast answers: The possibilities are endless when you use AI for research. Get instant answers with ChatGPT prompts like these below:

• What are the pros and cons of using the in-house audio-visual company at [insert hotel name] in Las Vegas?
• Suggest possible sponsors for a new conference about AI and machine learning in event management.

Your initial results may not be all-inclusive, and you’d need to fact-check answers, of course. But you can still up level productivity and get lists that provide excellent starting points.

 

2. Personalize the attendee journey.

This is one way AI event tech shines. Virtual event platforms and mobile apps provide access to more attendee data than ever. It’s far too much information to plow through manually.

Fortunately, AI does the heavy lifting. The technology can segment groups to help you plan activities based on demonstrated areas of interest. For instance, let intelligent registration systems gather info you can use for insightful recommendations about networking opportunities, sessions, exhibitors, experiential activations, and more.

Go beyond registration. When attendees opt in, digital interactions are trackable. This data provides a window into attendee preferences. You can offer hyper-personalized suggestions by combining AI and machine learning in event management.

Think of your mobile app and online platform as Netflix or Amazon for events.

Let AI and machine learning help you curate guest experiences that hit the mark because they reflect attendee preferences as they evolve.

In short: These technologies can help you give attendees and stakeholders more relevant content, better connections, and more opportunities to close deals.

3. Customize experiences.

Over 20 years ago, search engines changed how event professionals source suppliers. Now, AI tools are set to revolutionize search. Their ability to crunch vast amounts of information with lightning speed adds a layer of sophistication. Take advantage of AI to give attendees exactly what they want.

For example, you’ll get instant answers and awesome ideas with ChatGPT prompts like these below.

• Memorable meetings. Task the chatbot with identifying under-the-radar experiences for executive retreats in your preferred destination, including heritage tours, ecotourism options, and opportunities to give back to local causes and charities.

• Lower emissions. Prompt the technology to source top-rated audio-visual suppliers in a different country for your international event. You can reduce emissions linked with moving equipment across regions.

4. Make events accessible.

Artificial intelligence event software like Stova also gives attendee communications and customer service a hefty boost.

Chatbots: For example, with a chatbot-enabled event app, people attending in-person gatherings can get quick answers to common questions about everything from parking to the agenda, wi-fi, sponsors, dining, and more. Let your event app free you up to focus on more complex, strategic tasks.

Another great thing about chatbots? They never sleep, so you can engage attendees easily across time zones.

Translations: Enhance communications even more by layering on real-time, AI-powered translation and closed captioning services for video streaming. Automatic translations break down language barriers, so people across the globe can connect and share ideas in real-time with ease.

5. Deliver event ROI.

In-person meetings have made a strong comeback. After years of travel restrictions and social distancing, people want to reconnect.

At the same time, we continue to see pandemic–era criteria for measuring event ROI. In a challenging economy, finance departments pay close attention to investments like in-person events.

The good news: Artificial intelligence events help you make sound decisions and demonstrate the return on investment.

Follow these best practices below from Stova:

• Capture ROI metrics. Use advanced analytics to assess the percentage of registrants who attend your events. Also, analyze how long people stay in specific sessions, how much they participate in chat, what content they download, which exhibitors they connect with, and more.
• Put AI to work scanning social media to understand consumer sentiment better.
• Let integrated survey and polling solutions collect feedback directly from attendees.
• Build on data from past events to provide a comprehensive ROI picture.
• Keep the process simple with all-in-one artificial intelligence event software. Modern platforms store event interactions in one central database and deliver focused reports immediately.

Bottom line: Using AI strategically, you’ll glean valuable insights to demonstrate event ROI and deliver exceptional experiences in real-time and in the future.

 

 

Will artificial intelligence replace event professionals?

Certainly not! Event management is above all a people-to-people business. It requires the human touch.

But AI will help outstanding event professionals do their jobs even better, faster.

Remember, humans tell AI what to do, so take charge of these innovations. AI creates a need for GREAT event profs who have a deep understanding of their audience, products, market, and industry best practices.

How will you benefit from artificial intelligence events?

Take advantage of AI to make your events even stronger. These tools can help you:

• Super-charge productivity
• Delight attendees with ultra-personalized experiences
• Improve customer service with chatbots that provide instant answers
• Make events more inclusive, using automated translation services
• Reduce carbon emissions through AI-powered solutions
• Bolster decision-making via data analytics
• Gain customer insights to improve event impact

Want to learn more about the latest innovations to skyrocket attendee satisfaction and event ROI? Schedule a free demo to learn how Stova’s artificial intelligence event software can help.