AI in B2B Events: The Excitement and the Unease
AI has quickly gained solid footing in the industry, with tools being implemented across B2B events companies at a pace that would have felt ambitious just a few years ago. It is hard to deny the positive impact it has had, and across our ongoing conversations with senior professionals, the optimism is tangible.
A president of a leading B2B events business captured it well when speaking to us about AI’s data-collecting capabilities:
“The number of conversations, round-table discussions and panels provide high amounts of up-to-date information, and now with AI, there’s the ability to capture that.”
There is a real sense of excitement flowing through the industry, and there should be. As the same senior figure put it, “I’m intrigued to see who utilises AI’s data-collecting capabilities in a good fashion.” The potential AI has to reshape how event companies operate is considerable, and for many professionals it has already delivered, streamlining processes, freeing up time, and reigniting the space for human connection that sits at the heart of the industry.
The reach of AI across the space has been wide-reaching, and we are truly excited to see the innovative ways in which it is being implemented. Not only have we had enriching discussions with senior leaders about the doors that AI could open, but the most productive have been the frank ones, where industry professionals have felt comfortable enough to voice the uncertainties that don’t always make it into the public discourse.
In a conversation with a conference producer they shared with us how they have found it difficult to draw the line between using AI to boost their productivity and handing it too much responsibility: “When you know what AI is capable of, and it is right there at your fingertips, it becomes very easy to lean on it more than you probably should.”
This is a concern that resonates widely, especially when with the rapid rate that AI is growing, it can be hard to gain understanding of how to implement it correctly. However, an important sentiment to hold is this: put nothing of value in, and you will get nothing of value out. AI is great at undertaking tasks and supporting workload, but it can only do this efficiently if it is being fed strong data in the first place. So, although AI may be handling key responsibilities, it would not be able to succeed at doing so without the knowledge and input of the people behind it.
The feelings of unease attached to AI use seems to be cropping up most amongst conference producers, particularly because their skills are grounded in research and writing, and AI is quickly learning how to perform these skills expertly.
There’s no doubt that AI can surface information that would have otherwise taken hours to dig through, but a notion shared with us by a senior professional was that AI will never be able to replicate industry expertise, particularly as the only information available to it is online. There is only so much you can learn from desktop research, and where AI adds real value is in freeing up the time to go beyond it, stepping away from the screen and gathering the kind of insights that only come from real people.
The way research is defined is also important, because it’s not solely about finding information, but being able to analyse it. AI simply does not possess the expertise to analyse information while considering the intricacies of the B2B events space, and as said by this senior professional, “People who will win with AI are the ones who can understand why it came to a decision. You don’t want to give away your critical thinking to the tool; you want it to augment your critical thinking for its decision.”
What is clear is that AI is not a finished conversation, and the industry is still finding its footing. The professionals who will navigate it best are not necessarily those who have adopted it most quickly, but those who are engaging with it most honestly.
Visit Jackson Barnes Recruitment’s website www.jbrecruitment.co.uk to learn more about how we connect top commercial talent with world-class media and events organisations.
About Jackson Barnes Recruitment
Jackson Barnes Recruitment delivers international recruitment solutions within the events, media, and publishing sectors. Jackson Barnes recruits Graduate to MD level in the following positions:
• Sales – delegate, sponsorship & Business Development
• Editor
We recruit for organisations in the UK and overseas, with success in London, Dubai, New York, Singapore and Australia.