26% of event professionals aren’t using AI at all
Lack of knowledge is the biggest barrier, cited by 63% of respondents
Marketing is by far the most common use of AI, named by 62% of those using it
Only 13% use AI to personalise the attendee experience – the least common use in the survey
1 in 4 event professionals not using AI at all
More than a quarter of event professionals aren’t using AI at all, even though most think it’s useful, according to a survey by event management software company EventsAir.
Of the 380 people surveyed across EMEA, Australia and New Zealand, and North America, 72% said AI was valuable or essential for improving their events, while 26% said they weren’t using it.
Event profs use AI for marketing far more than for data analysis
Among those who do use AI, marketing was by far the most common use, named by 62%, followed by data analysis and reporting at 38%. This is a somewhat striking figure, given that AI naturally lends itself to data analysis and reporting, given how effective it is at automating such processes. Concerns about privacy and legality do make matters more complicated, however.
Far fewer used it for logistics and operations, at 15%.
What’s holding people back
The most common barrier was a lack of knowledge, cited by 63% of respondents, followed by worries about data privacy and security at 53%. Around three in 10 pointed to cost.
Mehdi Khalili, chief AI and technology officer at EventsAir, said: “Interest in AI is strong and belief in its potential is widespread, but confidence in how to apply it is still developing.”
The findings are published in a free EventsAir guide, AI in Events: Practical Guidance for Professional Event Planners, which includes a section for beginners with example prompts planners can try.
The guide is available for free here.
EventsAir has also launched Planner Assistant, a tool within its platform that lets planners ask questions about their event data in plain English instead of building reports. The company says a planner could ask which sessions are on course to be over capacity, then ask the tool to move one to a bigger room in the same conversation. Find information about the Planner Assistant on the EventsAir website.