< PreviousPersonalisation Personalisation is one of the current trends in the sector and AI is ceainly helping to achieve this. According to a McKinsey study, for example, 71% of consumers expect personalisation from the brands they interact with. Knowing the individual preferences of paicipants, for example through social media analysis, can make it possible, for example, to hand out a personalised bag on arrival at the event or to serve their favourite drink at the cocktail pay without having to ask for it. These are remarkable gestures that remain in the memory of those who experience them. AI can give recommendations for activities at the destination according to the paicipant’s tastes, and in the area of gamification and facilitating networking, the possibilities are immense. Personalisation not only increases satisfaction, but also pa icipant engagement. Decisions based on data With all the technologies at their disposal, event organisers can access a vast array of data. With this data, AI can make predictions that can help improve the event, for example in terms of staff, space occupied, etc., but it can also help with personalisation, as we saw earlier. Filinto Francisco, from Rise, a Pouguese AV Company, in an interview with Event Point, points to AI as an increasingly relevant trend ‘with growing data analysis playing a key role in the events sector’. Analysing and interpreting data in real time is an appo that can be crucial to the success of an event, for example in terms of analysing the movement and dynamics of a©endees, which stands they go to, which sessions they a©end, whether they interact, etc. Post-event, this information is also crucial in order to be be©er aligned with paicipants’ expectations for future events. In terms of ROI (return on investment), aificial intelligence can help by providing metrics. Content and marketing This is where everything seems to be most advanced. Tools like Chat GPT and the like have brought a whole host of oppounities. Ideas for events, themes, speakers, creating the agenda, creating descriptions, polls, biographies, composing emails, transcripts, translation, you name it, the possibilities are vast. In terms of promotions and marketing, the possibility of helping to create social media posts, videos, images, promotional materials and press releases. WWW.EVENTPOINTINTERNATIONAL.COM 20 FOCUS ON Ethical implications There are precautions to be taken. According to a white paper by The Hague & Paners Convention Bureau and O©awa Tourism, the ethical implications of using AI to organise events raise concerns. 63% of association buyers surveyed are very concerned or slightly concerned about the ethical implications of using AI to organise events. The document states that 63% of respondents believe that governments should legislate on the use of AI in the organisation of events. However, 65 per cent do not think that these same governments have the necessary knowledge to be able to legislate effectively. The professionals surveyed are concerned about the use and retention of data obtained by technology companies through AI: 20 per cent said that AI technology providers are not very reliable and 13 per cent said that they are not at all - and this 33 per cent exceeds the 27 per cent who showed confidence. For 52 per cent of respondents, one possible solution is the creation of an international standard (ISO) covering the use of AI at events; in this chapter, 29 per cent said ‘maybe’ and 7 per cent agreed. Although in a much smaller universe, the white paper presents results for the corporate segment. Half (50%) of the corporate event organisers surveyed are slightly concerned about the ethical implications of using AI to organise events. In addition, 71 per cent think that governments should legislate on the subject, which is the same percentage as those who don’t believe that governments have the necessary knowledge to do so. Half (50 per cent) of those surveyed trust their technology suppliers, while 28 per cent were concerned about the reliability of these suppliers. Natália Rosa, CEO of Big Ambitions, warned at the APAVT Congress (Po uguese Travel Agencies Association) this year that: copyright belongs to AI, unless the text is edited; the user should always check the facts and be careful about the information they share (sensitive information should not be shared). NETWORKING AND TRANSPARENCY WWW.EVENTPOINTINTERNATIONAL.COM 22 OPINION NEW CHALLENGES – NEW OPPORTUNITIES The event industry is recovering from the most existential crisis – those agencies that have used that time to prepare themselves for the future are outgrowing their competitors. This is the conclusion that we are seeing from our member agencies from all European countries from Scandinavia to the Iberia peninsula and all other pas of the continent. Preparing for the future requires agencies – like all other players in business – to find answers to the pressing questions of this day and age: How do we aract and retain talent? How do we leverage the oppounities Aificial Intelligence is offering? How do we design event formats that do not create a negative sustainability impact? How do we manage the ever-increasing time pressures of sho-term decisions? Associated with this are even more pressing challenges. The increasingly sho time it takes to plan and produce the event, security (especially at mass events), and the dizzying speed with which new technologies and trends emerge. Consumer today is also always anxious for new and immersive experiences. Brands need to create links and stories, quality and price is no longer the key factor. All of this means that agencies today, have to be terribly agile and effective, but at the same time, it means that an event manager today has to master many skills simultaneously. So how do we face and respond to this “new normal”? One of the answers lies in networking and transparency among peers. Associations, international panerships and belonging to networks bring obvious advantages. Broadened knowledge and vision, new perspectives and, above all, sharing experiences. The same problem oen has different solutions depending on the culture of each agency. For instance, employees in 27Names member agencies enjoy paicipating in the group´s Talent X program, a regular 2-day training and workshop format in which professionals experience inspiration, knowledge sharing, and networking on the latest key topics of the industry. These sessions are exclusive to member agencies – feedback from paicipants and agency leaders suggest they are a great lever in both a©racting as well as retaining the best talent for their agencies. In these challenging times, the purpose of 27Names (To help our members thrive through shared growth and development) is more impoant than ever. Rui Batista, Live & Digital Events Director at UP Paner in Lisbon has a clear view at the role that this community plays for their local business: “27Names provides us with unique inspirations from the best of the best in the industry. We help each other when other members execute events in Pougal – they can rely on the same high standards that we provide. And of course, the other way around.” Faced with today’s many challenges, the events industry must move towards a community where all members are not always competitors, but pa ners at the same level who believe in the share of knowledge, inclusion and diversity. We shouldn’t want to do everything, but do well what we’re good at. And it’s impo ant that there is a strong union and sense of community among peers, in order to strengthen and create rules that help aract and capture talent. We live in complex times, with a society that moves at high rates and values. Whether it’s environmental protection, immersive experiences, or technology. This makes it impossible for industry professionals to assume that they can mastered all the techniques. The best thing is to analyse the context around us and identify the communities, clients and pa nerships we need in order to be successful. Without ever forge©ing three main axes that I think are the most impoant. Capturing and training talent, real sustainability (meaning generating return value in the service chain where we act). And always being on the lookout for new trends, technologies and tools that can help differentiate us. Last and most impoant, for todays new challenges nobody can expect to survive alone. Now more than ever cooperation and networking is key. Ralf Specht is the Chairman of 27Names. The organization currently includes 25 member agencies from 25 European countries with more than 1,000 talents. The agencies account for more than 1 billion € in revenues. Ralf Specht Chairman | 27Names WWW.EVENTPOINTINTERNATIONAL.COM 24 OPINION WHEN SPONSORSHIPS BECOMES SMALL EVENTS AND PURE IMPACT: STOP SPONSORSHIP, WELCOME EXTRAPERIENCE! It sounds logical: those who sponsor an event, festival, trade show, or congress are best suited to add an extra experience instead of waving with their flags and logos. That extraperience is what sticks with visitors and event guests. But what exactly does it entail? With the answer to that question, sponsorship managers of major brands and festival and event organizers in the Netherlands collectively proclaim: stop sponsoring, welcome the unprecedented impact of extraperience! The flags at the entrance of the festival or event. The sign at the keynote speaker’s podium or the slide-deck at the congress. The logo on the entrance ticket. It’s all not wrong, of course, but you don’t stand out, you broadcast, and you don’t connect with anyone. If you really want to make an impact with sponsorship, it’s be©er to go for extraperience: as a sponsor, alongside your visibility, provide the visitor and event guest with an extra experience. Only then will you enter the minds and heas of your guests and visitors. WWW.EVENTPOINTINTERNATIONAL.COM 26 CASE-STUDY What is Extraperience exactly? A definition: Extraperience(s): Combination of extra and experience. Since the end of the second decade of the 2000s, the standard for sponsors of events, festivals, and congresses. Extraperience refers to the fulfillment of sponsorship: this has nothing to do with displaying logos, waving flags, or offering a product. Extraperiences are sponsorship actions/events/activations that contribute to the experience of the visitor(s). Extraperience is oen stipulated as a requirement by the festival organization. “In the Netherlands, you see a two-step process when it comes to extraperience: the event and festival organizer demands an extra experience for their visitors from a sponsor, and the brand, event, and sponsorship managers of the brands now know that visibility has li©le impact and brand experience has much more,” says Sjoerd Weikamp of the NEXTLIVE.nl plaµorm. Let’s have a look at two pe¶ect examples of extraperience: Extraperience: Wagner Moto Cross Pizza Delivery Brand: Wagner Sponsor of: Zwae Cross Extraperience: In addition to the pizza distribution points at the festival, Wagner used cross bikes to deliver pizza to the campers at the festival, easily ordered via the festival app. Effect: 40,000 half pizzas sold at the festival and: ‘From an online survey conducted by Wagner together with the Zwae Cross among approximately 900 festival-goers aer the event, it was found that 75% of the paicipants indicated that Wagner Big Pizza fits very well with the festival. The Big Pizza couriers at the campsite were described by 90% of the visitors as ‘nice’ and ‘awesome’. Also, the brandimage of Wagner among Zwae Cross visitors has improved significantly,’ says marketing manager Henrik Jäger of Wagner. Extraperience: Mielepower Wash Brand: Miele Sponsor of: Lowlands Festival Extraperience: They could have put up a few flags at the entrance of Lowlands. But Miele opted for the Powerwash: a huge washing machine, with the festival’s most popular pay. Visitors could go into the gigantic Miele washing machine in their swimwear. Before entering, their festival clothes were taken, washed, dried, and folded. Aer the foam pay in the gigantic washing machine, the visitor emerged fresh and lively, and they received their own clothes back completely clean from the Miele team. Effect: Tracking research shows that aer this brilliant extraperience, Miele scores be©er on both brand pe¶ormance, brand preference, and brand closeness. As an extra bonus: half a million euros woh of media value. Sjoerd Weikamp Partner | nextlive.nlCONVENTA WANTS TO INCREASE ITS IMPACT WHILE MAINTAINING ITS SIZE Conventa took place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from 20 to 22 February, with 3,500 meetings taking place. © Marko Delbello Ocepek WWW.EVENTPOINTINTERNATIONAL.COM 28 REPORT From Helsinki to Istanbul, Milan to Baku… this is the New Europe of events and Conventa is its meeting point. The figures for this edition, marked by the ‘sweet 16’ anniversary, are impressive for the size of the fair: 3,500 meetings, 112 exhibitors from 16 countries, and 162 buyers from 31 countries. In all, more than 500 events professionals were in Ljubljana for this event, which has established itself as one of the leading events in the sector in Europe, although it doesn’t want to rival IMEX and IBTM. Gorazd Cad, one of the event’s founders, explains to Event Point that the organisation’s desire is to keep the event in this format, at this size, only increasing in quality, impact and sustainability. Celebrating its 16 th edition, Cad says that the team that produces the event is still “full of energy”. Miha Kovacic, another of the event’s founders, recalls how it all began: “In the beginning nobody believed in this Conventa dream, but we decided to go ahead and create our own sea, instead of being a small fish at IMEX and IBTM,” and the fruits are there to be seen, as the Slovenian event is fully consolidated on the agenda of European meetings industry events. Since its first edition, Conventa has been commi©ed to sustainability and this year it is proud to be the first event produced and evaluated according to the ESRS standard and in accordance with the criteria of “Planet Positive Event”, a tool created by Slovenian event professionals specialising in sustainability. Geing to know new destinations for events Andrea Santos, events manager for the International Water Resources Association (IWRA), was one of the hosted buyers at Conventa and at the end she was very pleased with the event. “I thought it was fantastic,” she told Event Point, praising the format of the fair and the meetings. “I managed to make some very interesting contacts for our congress,” she explains, noting that the destinations for the IWRA congress are chosen based on the water-related projects that are taking place. Other impoant aspects are accessibility, as © Marko Delbello Ocepek Next >