In Toronto, Mitch Malinsky, head of sales and strate- gic partnerships for PheedLoop Inc., an event soft- ware company, says a great starting point for event planners is using AI practically, like a low-cost per- sonal assistant. “See what mundane tasks in your day- to-day life it can automate or at least help streamline.” Malinsky identifies three areas to consider: • Attendee support: “This could be leading up to the event, registration support or live-event support. I know a lot of event planners who for their event websites are installing AI chatbots that can help attendees register or help answer questions poten- tial registrants might have.” • Operational streamlining: “Schedule creation, project planning, brainstorming a list of venues” are things you can ask an AI assistant, then refine. • Live event experiences: AI networking and match- making tools can help engineer meaningful attendee experiences quickly. On the ground, planners such as Janice Cardinale, founder of Event Minds Matter and owner of Cardinale Creative, concur they’re reaping benefits with AI tools. “Creating content, proposals, things like that, can become a lot quicker,” Cardinale says, as long as planners feed in good data. What of more futuristic capabilities? Arthur Kerekes, director of live and virtual experiences for Toronto’s Fusion Events, has explored AI image, video and music generators, plus no-code app builder tools. “It’s bananas, the capabil- ities,” he says, but also stresses, “It’s like we’re just at the beginning stages of that in terms of entertainment.” So far, Kerekes sees great potential with AI in helping event planners differentiate their own marketing—he him- self uses AI-generated content “to be more entertaining on my socials.” And for events, he says AI can enhance storytelling and engagement, from marketing and social media to on-site entertainment and activations. WILL AI KILL JOBS? While AI will undoubtedly cause some workforce dis- ruption, industry experts mostly frame AI as a tool that still relies on capable humans. Malinsky calls AI a force multiplier: “It’ll enhance your creativity, your efficiency and strategic thinking as an event professional. It doesn’t replace the human connection that events thrive on.” Ultimately, with AI, event planners like Cardinale believe there’s more danger in not diving in at all: “If you don’t use it, and you don’t become familiar enough with it, it’s going to make you obsolete.” Identify the Opportunities Summer 2025 | Ignitemag.ca | 25
