How to maximize the potential of artificial intelligence and destination marketing organizations for your conference
Organizing a conference is a complex task that demands meticulous planning and flawless execution. Over the past year, the business world has been significantly influenced by the widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT. This has led some to speculate whether AI could replace the services traditionally provided by Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) and Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs). However, event organizers now have access to an intriguing combination: artificial intelligence and DMOs. Relying solely on AI would mean missing out on valuable insights. The real opportunity lies in the synergy between the services of a DMO and the impressive capabilities of AI to optimize every aspect of your planning.
Discover how to effectively utilize AI in conjunction with the services of a DMO to ensure the success of your next conference.
Craft your local guide
AI proves particularly useful when quickly gathering ideas for activities, hotel choices, or event venues. For instance, by writing a prompt like "Find unique event venues near downtown Québec City," AI can generate a list of interesting suggestions. For incentive travel organizers, AI can create an itinerary tailored to your group based on the provided information and sophisticated algorithms that analyze online feedback.
However, AI has its limitations. It cannot assess real-time venue availability or pricing, and it may miss out on recent openings or new activities and experiences, as it cannot share knowledge that hasn't been integrated into its databases. This is where DMOs come into play: they possess in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of their destination, validating the feasibility of AI-generated suggestions and providing you with original alternatives. This collaboration ensures that your choices align with your specific needs and budget.
Build a comprehensive and personalized proposal
Due to the limitations of AI, the DMO remains your best ally in crafting a comprehensive and accurate proposal. It has the necessary network of contacts to assemble a proposal that meets your requirements, including details about the destination, available dates, meeting rooms suitable for your group, catering, eco-friendly measures, and any other information you desire for your event. It can also guide you in selecting venues based on your needs and preferences. This will save you hours of work by eliminating the need to search for suppliers or communicate individually with each hotel. Thus, you can focus more on refining your event's content.
Promote your conference efficiently
Once the base of your conference is established, AI can assist in the planning and promotion phase. Event planning tools, such as PCMA's Spark, can help you draft invitation texts, create a detailed program, craft participant newsletters, and prepare social media posts. AI can automate these time-consuming tasks, giving you more time to concentrate on other aspects of your event. Nevertheless, don't overlook the potential of DMOs in terms of promotion and communication tools. They often have ready-to-use resources for promoting their destination, including videos, presentations, photos, and other visual materials that can be used to attract participants and generate interest in your event.
In summary, it's important to recognize that DMOs and artificial intelligence, each in their own way, provide valuable support at every stage of conference planning. DMOs stand out for their human touch and emotional intelligence, a feature that AI tools may struggle to match. For your next event, don't hesitate to explore the synergy between this technology and our human expertise!
