It's all about them

PCMA chief innovation officer Bruce MacMillan describes how using the association’s AI tool, Spark, can enhance the participant experience. One of the cornerstones of most business events is the participant learning and inspiration takeaways. The challenge for participants, however, is capturing the relevant and compelling insights while trying to be present in the experience. In today’s experience economy, the events that thrive are those that transcend mere programming to forge lasting connections. With AI’s unparalleled ability to transform data into actionable insights, you possess the power to design events that deeply resonate, fostering enduring relationships between your audience, your brand, and the transformative content you curate. Imagine attending a seminar and, instead of furiously taking notes, having AI summarise the core messages in real-time… and deliver a summarised document to your mobile device while you’re still in the room. This allows you to focus on the speaker(s) in real-time, engage more deeply with the material, and participate in networking discussions with a clear understanding of the key points. That’s the impetus behind SPARK Takeaways, a paid add-on as part of SPARK’s Enterprise product portfolio – PCMA’s AI tool. No longer constrained by manual notetaking or the limitations of human cognition, participants can fully immerse themselves in the session content. Takeaways surfaces the essence of each presentation through intuitive visualisations and interactive topic exploration tools. PCMA introduced it for the first-time at Convening Leaders 24 in San Diego during all mainstage sessions, and most recently during Business Events Industry Week (BEIW) in Washington, DC. The audience experience was outstanding, and the tangible outcomes were numerous. Takeaways extends the event’s impact well beyond session rooms. Comprehensive post-session reports encapsulate the event’s collective wisdom, enabling participants to revisit and share insights with colleagues and stakeholders. This perpetual access to curated content amplifies the event’s reach, facilitating continuous learning and collaboration. As event professionals, we are uniquely positioned to manage the nexus where participants, experience and data converge. That position takes our value proposition to the next level, a level that we have aspired to for a long time. And Spark is a tool to help get you there. For years we have routinely collected data through surveys. Transforming that data into timely actionable insights is where we have fallen short. AI changes that. From tailoring content offerings to optimising event logistics, Spark quickly empowers you to make informed decisions that resonate with your audience. You gain a deepened understanding of their needs, allowing you to consistently deliver outstanding experiences that foster brand loyalty and achieve organisational business objectives. This makes your event outcomes perform better and your role in the business value chain more pivotal. And because we know that content at any event is the crown jewel of the experience, Spark’s commitment to data privacy and security infrastructure ensures that your content and data is yours and yours only. Currently, generative AI tools such as Spark are proven to offer substantial productivity improvements, automating routine tasks, and enabling organisers to focus on creative and strategic aspects of their events. We believe that very shortly, the focus will shift towards harnessing AI to enrich the human connections we can only make possible at business events. n