A comprehensive white paper authored by The Hague & Partners Convention Bureau and Ottawa Tourism has been released, highlighting the accelerating integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the global association conference and event sector. It underscores the need for widespread upskilling in the use of the technology and a need to understand the ethical implications of its use. The research, which investigates the current and potential impact of AI within the sector, is based on qualitative and quantitative methods, including a global survey with over 100 participants from the industry. Key findings:
- 63% of associations and not-for-profits are already utilising AI in event organisation.
- A significant knowledge gap exists, with 72% not engaging in AI education.
- 85% have no budget for AI training.
“The inevitability of AI in our sector is clear from our research. However, it’s not just about adoption; it’s about understanding and skilfully leveraging AI to enhance our industry,” said Ottawa Tourism’s vice president, meeting and major events, Lesley Pincombe. “This upskilling is not just desirable; it’s essential for the sustainable growth and innovation in our sector. “Ultimately, it is not for organisers to understand how to build or create AI tools, instead they should be working with technology partners and AI experts to see how AI can be integrated into the work they are already undertaking.” The white paper not only presents a statistical overview of AI in the association events sector, but also offers in-depth analysis and actionable insights. It emphasises the importance of ethical AI use, especially in data management and privacy. = In December, initial highlights from the research were revealed, including the fact that 63% of global association buyers are either ‘very concerned’ or ‘slightly concerned’ about the ethical implications of using AI in event organising. In response, although 63% think governments should legislate on the use of AI, 65% also think those same governments lack the required knowledge to legislate effectively. The research was conducted, and Adam Baggs wrote the white paper from Soaring Worldwide on behalf of The Hague Convention Bureau and Ottawa Tourism.
