In Case You Missed It
It's been a tech-forward month on BizBash as artificial intelligence continues to dominate headlines both inside and outside the events industry. We recently caught up with creative agency Deeplocal to learn how the company uses AI to create jaw-dropping activations for the likes of Google and Adult Swim, and even outsourced an article to ChatGPT, asking it to tell us how AI can improve the event industry—without taking away human jobs.
Of course, AI isn't the only tech-world advancement exciting us this month. Our editors took a look at Sports Illustrated's new NFT ticketing solution, and at Gary Vaynerchuk's VeeCon, which used NFTs as tickets. We also explored several events and spaces that used projection mapping and other cutting-edge technology to create a truly immersive experience, including a stunning exhibition from Disney and an innovation hub from United Airlines.
Event Technology We're Excited About This Month
For a more efficient brainstorming experience at meetings
Data-first collaboration platform Stormboard has launched StormAI, which is described as the industry’s first augmented intelligence co-collaborator that works alongside humans to generate ideas, strategize, and collaborate more effectively. The program focuses on automatic template creation, which generates user-friendly templates that are custom-designed for specific use cases—giving teams initial ideas and a jumping-off point for brainstorming sessions. StormAI also offers augmented idea generation, which provides intelligent suggestions, recommendations, and insights to users as they collaborate in real time.
“Storm AI completely changes the game when it comes to running a meeting,” says Reg Cheramy, CEO of Stormboard. “When people think of AI, they think of artificial intelligence. We look at this as augmented intelligence. We’re giving all our users the ability to facilitate meetings faster and far more intelligently. … Storm AI creates a custom intelligent template tailored to the problem at hand in seconds, and gets you started with great ideas.”
To measure your carbon footprint across the entire life cycle of an event
Thrust Carbon, a sustainability intelligence platform for the travel industry, recently launched Thrust Events. The tool makes it easy to measure the carbon footprint of your events; users can input data on venue, attendees, and transportation to generate an accurate emissions report using a proprietary methodology that is continuously being enhanced and added to by the company’s research team. Thrust Events, which can be used across the entire event life cycle, also provides actionable insights and recommendations, such as optimizing transportation versus virtual attendance, reducing food waste, and choosing more sustainable venues.
To quickly produce engaging event content
Meeting and hospitality tech provider Cvent has launched its new AI Writing Assistant. The tool, incorporated directly within the Cvent platform, helps streamline the content creation process by using natural language processing technologies. Users can create content for event emails, websites, session descriptions, RFPs, and more in a fraction of the time; the tool can also adapt to user suggestions and tones—including guidelines like “formal,” “enthusiastic,” “playful,” etc. The assistant is available for free for all Cvent users.
“We’re confident [our AI Writing Assistant] will be a game changer for planners and marketers who are looking to maximize output with minimal effort,” says McNeel Keenan, Cvent's vice president of product management. “This innovative tool will give users the ability to produce high-quality content faster and more efficiently than ever before, while ensuring that their messaging is clear, consistent, and engaging. This is just the tip of the iceberg as we continue to embrace the AI and machine learning revolution to further enhance and expand our Cvent platform.”
To provide text captioning for increased accessibility at live events
At Augmented World Expo (AWE) last weekend, Epson America introduced its new Moverio augmented reality smart glasses. At Epson’s booth, AWE attendees could demo two sets of glasses: In addition to the Moverio BT-45CS smart glasses with the TeamViewer Assist AR remote assistance software—which enables hands-free, “see what I see” workplace collaboration between on-site technicians and remote experts—the brand highlighted its event-friendly Moverio BT-40S AR smart glasses with Birket Engineering's inThrall software. The product allows immersive environments to be made more accessible for all guests by providing text captioning on shows, rides, and live-action theaters or plays. Designed to deliver a high-quality AR viewing experience, the Moverio BT-40S smart glasses offer a wider field of view, full HD 1080p display resolution, high contrast, and improved connectivity.
The Latest Updates, Funding, and Merger News
IMEX Frankfurt, which took place May 23-25, featured enhanced digital navigation from Crowd Connected and ExpoFP. The companies developed a QR code navigation solution for the show; attendees used their smartphones to scan codes that had been placed throughout the venue. From there, an interactive floor plan pinpointed their current location and enabled them to search for specific exhibitors along with product categories and other show features. It also showed them the quickest route across the show floor, along with the estimated time the journey would take. The technology will also be available at IMEX America, taking place Oct. 17-19 in Las Vegas.
AUTONOMOUSXP, a fully AI-powered event, is slated for Feb. 4, 2024, in Los Angeles. It will be a three-day immersive experience where AI will make every decision possible, demonstrating its groundbreaking potential. Led by event and experiential marketing professionals Margaret Launzel-Pennes, Mark Roberts, and Audry Hegwood, AUTONOMOUSXP aims to push the boundaries of what AI can do in the events industry with the motto “AI no matter what.”
Facial authentication platform Wicket has appointed Alastair Partington as company president. As co-founder and CEO of biometric identification company Tascent, Partington now joins Wicket to help drive the company toward growth and expansion of its facial authentication capabilities in its current realm of sports venues, and also beyond into other industries.
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has announced a new partnership with ParkMobile, a provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in North America and part of the EasyPark Group. As a result of this new partnership, event attendees and guests to the convention center can now reserve and pay for parking before their visit via ParkMobile’s online parking reservations and digital payment platform. Users can also pay for parking on-site through the ParkMobile app. —with additional reporting by Sarah Kloepple and Lara Schwartz
