AI roadmap for MICE industry ③

Proposed Initiative

Proposed initiative

The AI technology I’ve chosen, and where and how this technology will be applied

I’d like to apply AI technology for personalized booth curation system (BCS). Actually trade show visitors do not want to see whole exhibitors, rather they want to meet appropriate companies and people based their visit purpose. Especially buyers and journalist don’t have a time to wander in a huge exhibition hall. But there is no solution which provides curated meeting opportunities for buyers and visitors. It is a definitely uncomfortable experience and time-consuming. Fortunately more than 70% of visitors are pre-registers in trade show industry, so I can use this visitor information to apply for AI.

BCS is an AI technology which analyze tradeshow visitor’s personal information including company, industry, job and visit purpose as well. After BCS analyze personal information, then BCS would recommend best exhibitors which visitors should meet and talk in the trade show. Even also BCS would show the map and guide how visitor navigate exhibition hall to meet the recommended exhibitors. All curated information would be delivered through BCS application, then visitors can get the detailed information about exhibitor and even reserve the meeting. I attached sample BCS image as below.

Booth Curation System based on AI

Specific tasks and processes that will benefit from using AI

As I mentioned above, BCS will analyze the personal data of pre-registrants and personally recommend booths or they should visit. It is not an invitation letter that is unilaterally delivered to all visitors as it is now, but it will personally inform the location and information of the booth to be visited by individual. The so-called Booth Curation System, which, when introduced, no longer requires a large booth layout in front of the exhibition hall. BCS will replace human-labor intensive jobs such as information desk service, and even save cost to hire staffs and equipment materials.

How the use of AI will impact a competitive advantage?

The use of BCS will make differentiation strategy in terms of giving special and personalized benefits to visitors. Especially buyers can save time and make schedule conveniently without the help of show organizer. Actually there are no copyrights in trade show created by show organizers, so anybody can copy and make same shows easily, and this affects negative to original show and organizer. Therefore, BCS will be a strong weapon to organizer, and it will be valuable tools to create differentiation compared to other competitors.

The technical requirements to roll out the proposed initiative

BCS will need firstly data analysis technology using big data about visitors. If we consider average 50,000 ~ 100,000 visitors per trade show, we should have capacity to analyze approximately 35,000 ~ 70,000 of pre-registered visitors. Secondly, BCS needs a technology to guide and show the way to go booth in the exhibition hall. It is like a navigation map in a car driving navigator. It should clearly show the spot to visit and a way to visit next destination. This second technology play a role for recommendation and curation. After that BCS needs a meeting reservation function for matching between visitors and exhibitors. Therefore, 3 technologies including data analysis of visitors, recommendation, and meeting reservation should be needed to develop completed BCS application.

How my proposed initiative fits in with the organization’s IT strategy?

I think there are 4 functions of AI, which are tool, assistant, peer and manager. Actually BCS would support human as it gives customized customer service based on personalized booth curation. Experience marketing business like trade show is human-intensive area, so that we will save time and cost using AI technology. So BCS will benefit as an assistant for creating best matching results between buyers and sellers.

How my proposed initiative will benefit customers or suppliers

We have 3 benefits in terms or 3 point of views including organizer, visitor and exhibitors in trade show business. BCS provides benefits for visitors with efficient exhibition viewing. Also exhibitors secure DB of interested customers in advance. Show organizer can grasp key data such as moving routes and major visiting companies of the exhibition visitors so that it can be utilized for additional advertising revenue or exhibition planning.