< PreviousInterview with Sérgio Ferreira Artificial intelligence has transformed the lives of companies... Totally. It was already there. We’ve had traditional artificial intelligence for many years being used in terms of algorithms to bring about efficiencies and automation. What is happening today is the democratisation that ChatGPT has brought; it has democratised access and also brought the potential and all the power that these technologies have to the ordinary user. And this is causing a torrent of new opportunities for transformation in the areas of finance, marketing and sales, where the creativity and ability of these machines to produce content is much faster than that of a human being. And so companies that are already embedding all this capacity into activities or tasks are clearly taking advantage of it and differentiating themselves in the market. What advantages does artificial intelligence have, for example, in business tourism? In business tourism it’s very clear. In the sales area, we want salespeople with customers, because that’s where the transaction takes place and the opportunity is converted. In most cases, we have these people doing mundane, repetitive tasks of searching for information, systematising and producing documents. If these companies look at the tools and manage to create these agents to produce this content automatically, with the supervision of a human being, they will clearly win and greatly boost conversion. In marketing, it’s the same. Producing a marketing campaign, from strategy to go-to-market, can take weeks and weeks of work. Today, we’re doing it in two days. From ideation, strategy and campaign design to the final validation of the campaign that goes to market, with video, images, sound, everything from email marketing to copy and content for the different channels, it’s all done in two working days. In the events industry, artificial intelligence is also already being used a lot to improve the participants’ experience. For example, here at the APAVT Congress, AI is being used for machine translation. These machines are very good at summarising, extracting and producing information. And so, in the events industry, where we need to quickly have a voice being spoken in real time and have it translated in real time, it’s an obvious use of a use case of great impact and benefit... There are transformations here, just as we had before. I always give the example of banking, when ATMs came in to give and receive money and pass on paperwork. We moved people on to higher value-added tasks, customer service and selling more complex products. It’s the same here. I believe that translators will be used to do other things. I can’t say what, people in the industry probably can, but the substitution here was obvious. These machines are much better and faster than us at translating into many more languages. HeyGen, in the video I showed you, said 40 languages, but they’ve just launched [the possibility of] 175 languages; so we’ve managed to get these machines speaking and translating 175 languages in real time. WWW.EVENTPOINTINTERNATIONAL.COM 10 TECHNOLOGY What tools could be useful for the events industry? For example, HeyGen I think is clearly one; it has the possibility of creating avatars. I was recently at SONAE’s [a multinational company managing a diversified portfolio of businesses in retail,real estate, telecommunications, technology and financial services] strategic event, where an avatar presented the whole event. It was all produced on film. By the way, to make an avatar it takes two minutes of filming; in reality, that’s when we train the algorithm to learn what the person looks like, their physiognomy, how they express themselves, how they speak, the tone of their voice, and from then on we have an avatar that can repeat everything we are, just by injecting the text we want it to read. We’re replacing the human being... I think it’s at this point of hype. I don’t believe we’re going to replace it, because what makes the difference is when you have human beings talking to human beings. At the moment, we’re using it more for the hype, for the impact it has of being new. So I don’t believe in it, not least because we don’t want to. Several companies are now talking about putting avatars in meetings for us. I don’t know if I’d go to a meeting where someone tells me they’re going to send their avatar to meet me. So I believe there’s still room for the human being. The use cases that are important are the repetitive, mundane tasks that we find difficult to do efficiently and that these machines do better, and which, by the way, free us from the dread and stress that we don’t like doing to do things that give us pleasure. But since tourism and events are people-to-people industries, aren’t there risks involved? What we’re experiencing is very new. To give you an idea of what I mean by risks, today we, who work developing these thinking machines, no longer understand or control everything they do. I think this is where the big risk lies and that’s why it’s very important to have protections, barriers and control so that we can master what we’re creating. Now, we can’t let this limit the enormous opportunity that exists to solve many of the major problems that we have in the world today and that we, as human beings, are struggling to solve. And these machines have that capacity, because they can process information, systematise it and produce results in units and fractions of time that for us are years, tens of years or even hundreds of years and that they will be able to do in minutes or seconds. Maria João Leite *The journalist travelled at the invitation of APAVTPRAGUE EXCELS IN MANY FIELDS WWW.EVENTPOINTINTERNATIONAL.COM 12 DESTINATION CITY WHOSE HISTORY PAVED WAY FOR INNOVATION Prague is not only an amazing historical city with a wealth of monuments, excellent gastronomy, cordial residents, and a wide range of events. It is also a modern and innovative science hub. Prague excels in many fields, such as artificial intelligence and robotics, biomedicine, low-carbon technologies, data technologies and selected creative industries, providing ideal opportunities for holding expert events with the matching topics. Birthplace of Robot Experts, fans, as well as general public who follow the development of AI have been using the word “robot” for an incredible century. This word was first used by the acclaimed Czech writer Karel Čapek in his drama R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), which was translated into 30 world languages. However, the word robot, which is derived from the archaic term for labour - “robota“- is not the only Czech contribution to the fascinating world of robotics. The Czech Republic boasts many successes in this field and is an inspiration for the further development of robotics and AI globally.Setting Eyes on the Deep of Space Only few people know the eyes of not only robotics’ experts but also space experts are also often set on Prague. What are the reasons behind it? Prague has the honour to be home to several major institutions dealing with space research or technologies. In 2021, the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) was established here. Among other things, this agency also includes the Galileo navigation system. The Business Incubator of the European Space Agency ESA BIC Czech Republic sees to it that space technologies find their use on Earth or, on the contrary, that new technologies get into space as soon as possible. Evaluation for Refining the Goals No progress in innovations can be reached without evaluation of goals. In Prague, the Smart Prague Index not only evaluates the results achieved, but also sets the direction and priorities for further developments. Prague Convention Bureau eagerly joins these efforts by including the key industries into its strategy and by actively fostering the exchange of know-how at expert congresses and conferences. WWW.EVENTPOINTINTERNATIONAL.COM 14 DESTINATION PORTO AND NORTH OF PORTUGAL: 30 YEARS OF THE CONVENTION BUREAU On the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Convention Bureau, to be celebrated in 2025, we spoke to Luís Pedro Martins, president of Visit Porto and North of Portugal. Luís Pedro Martins WWW.EVENTPOINTINTERNATIONAL.COM 16 SPOTLIGHT How have these 30 years of CVB contributed to the affirmation of Porto and North of Portugal as an international MICE destination? Since the Convention & Visitors Bureau was founded in 1995, Porto and North of Portugal has established itself as a benchmark destination in the MICE segment. That year, we were in 85th place in the ICCA world ranking; today, we’re in 23rd place. This very considerable leap forward, particularly in the last five years, is the result of a very clear commitment on the part of the last directors of Visit Porto and North of Portugal and an integrated strategy that combines innovative marketing campaigns, such as Ofélia de Souza’s, which has won international awards on several continents, with close collaboration between the private sector, Visit Portugal and highly prestigious international networks. This is undoubtedly the tourism product that has received the most strategic investment in recent years. By joining international networks such as ICCA, IAPCO and EUCVB, City DNA and MPI, we boost not only business for the region, but also knowledge and the sharing of good practices. This positioning allows us to compete alongside internationally renowned cities that, like Porto, have made business tourism an engine of economic and reputational growth. What is the greatest legacy that all these events have left on the city and the region? The legacy of these events goes far beyond the immediate economic impact. The knowledge acquired, the innovation generated and the empowerment of the community are fundamental pillars. We are developing a pioneering project that aims to create a good practice guide to increase the positive impact of events on local communities. This project will be launched on two occasions: at IAPCO Edge and at the ICCA World Congress, where we have committed to involving 40% of staff from educational institutions and social organisations that support people with disabilities or in vulnerable situations. This is our way of ensuring that the events leave a lasting impression, promoting inclusion and social responsibility. How important is it for you to host the ICCA World Congress in the year you celebrate three decades of work? This event is not only recognition of our organisational and innovative capacity, but also a unique opportunity to show the world the best that the city of Porto and the region have to offer. It’s also a great responsibility to welcome the main MICE players to our destination. From the outset, we have felt enormous enthusiasm and support from various fronts, and we are working with a wide range of local, national and international partners to ensure that we deliver the best congress ever. The goal is clear: to make this the congress with the most positive impact, leaving a legacy that will be reflected not only in the region, but also in future editions of ICCA. We want the event in 2025 to be a benchmark for innovation, sustainability and community involvement, setting new standards for congresses to come and making it a good example for benchmarking. But 2025 will be much more than the ICCA Congress. We will start in the best way, with the Michelin Gala, and throughout the year we have a programme of activities and events focused on our partners, promoting training, networking and the appreciation of personalities and ambassadors who have contributed to our international success. Let’s celebrate our legacy, but also prepare for the future by strengthening strategic alliances and creating new opportunities. Because we believe that, together, we are inevitably stronger and capable of taking Porto and North of Portugal to an even higher level. What is Porto and North’s commitment to becoming a more sustainable destination? Sustainability is a central pillar of Porto and North’s strategy. We are fully committed to positioning the region as a global benchmark destination in this field, balancing economic growth with environmental and social responsibility. This commitment is reflected in a series of initiatives that we have been implementing. One of the main actions is the ‘I am In Sustainability’ programme, which aims to mobilise and support players in the sector in adopting more sustainable practices. The idea is clear: we want to promote a significant change in the way tourism is managed, encouraging companies and partners to make sustainable commitments in areas such as the environment, the economy, culture and social inclusion. We are active members of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), the international reference organisation for sustainable tourism. This step is crucial in our journey towards certification as a ‘Sustainable Destination’, which will further strengthen our position in international markets. Another key project is the Regional Sustainable Tourism Observatory, which we created in partnership with Turismo de Portugal and CITUR - Centre for Tourism Research, Development and Innovation. This observatory allows us to closely monitor tourism supply and demand, ensuring that the sector is developed in a balanced way and that it contributes to reducing regional asymmetries. In short, our goal is clear: not only do we want to reduce the carbon footprint of events and promote more inclusive practices, but we also want to preserve and enhance the region’s cultural and natural heritage. We believe that by working together with our local, national and international partners, we can build a more sustainable future and ensure that Porto and North of Portugal remains at the forefront of responsible tourism.BUILDING AN EMOTIONAL AND HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH COMMUNITIES WWW.EVENTPOINTINTERNATIONAL.COM 18 REPORT IT&CM ASIA: GETTING CLOSER TO THE COMMUNITY AND LOCAL CULTURE Hundreds of destinations and brands showed off their latest innovations at IT&CM Asia 2024, which took place at the end of September in Bangkok. The event dedicated to the MICE industry, which runs in parallel with CTW Asia-Pacific (dedicated to corporate travel), promoted, as usual, knowledge sessions, networking and business opportunities, also provided by the parade of different destinations and brands in the exhibition area. In recent times, there has been a lot of talk about getting closer to local communities, in the sense of more sustainable business and leisure tourism and building an emotional and healthy relationship with communities, contributing to their well-being and respecting their traditions. Throughout the days of the exhibition, there were various cultural events and traditional music, which not only enlivened the corridors, but also attracted the most curious. To convey messages of sustainability and connection to tradition, several pavilions held workshops, inviting buyers and visitors to ‘get their hands dirty’, whether it was making a bracelet out of plastic balls taken from the sea (and now reused), or creating their own herbal inhaler, with a choice of different scents. This was the Thailand pavilion’s bet. The same destination that, through the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), had already invited delegates to two pre-event experiences related to local crafts and flavours: a pottery workshop and a fragrance creation workshop. The Pattaya stand also organised a workshop to create macramé keyrings, as did Visit Bangkok, which showcased the arts of origami and basketry. Lucky wheels, interactive games, demonstrations and gastronomic tastings were other activities organised by various destinations, from Hong Kong to Taiwan. Destinations show off the latest innovations It’s not just through stand activities and pre-arranged meetings that destinations make themselves known at IT&CM Asia. Different tourism organisations focus on presentations to journalists and buyers to showcase their latest innovations. Meet Taiwan highlighted its capabilities as a leading MICE destination: it reported on new openings and the most significant events held in the destination; it showed the new Taiwan Biz Fun website, which promotes MICE services and experiences and supports the creation of a bleisure programme; it presented ‘Food, Fun, Fantastic Taiwan’, a themed MICE experience; and it highlighted Taoyuan as a strategic city for the industry. Thailand is a dynamic MICE destination that is constantly evolving and updating, and the success of the industry in the country is due to the continuous effort to improve infrastructure, services and connectivity, the TCEB recalled. In addition to the new openings and the commitment to sustainable and creative MICE venues, Thailand has extended visa-free travel for up to 60 days for citizens of 93 countries and has seen an increase in direct flight connections. Also noteworthy is the ‘Ignite Thailand 2030 Vision’, centred on industries that align with the sector’s growth, and the promotion of the country’s festival calendar - events that can involve MICE groups with local communities. Macau and Hengqin are two destinations separated by a bridge, but which were once again presented together at IT&CM Asia, where last year they debuted this ‘multi-venue event’ concept. Together, they have direct flights from more than 50 destinations, five international airports, more than 57,000 rooms and 261,000 Next >