AI ‘no longer a matter of choice’ for associations

AI is “something that’s happening” and no longer “really a choice now” for associations, according to an industry leader.

Robin Salter believes this new frontier for technology can significantly boost the efficiency and effectiveness of being part of a membership organisation.

The head of communications at AEIDL also calmed fears about the impact this could have on workforces – instead presenting it as an opportunity.

He said: “AI isn’t really a choice now – it’s something that’s happening.

“People have lots of concerns about what AI is going to do and how it’s going to be used, but the point is AI isn’t anything without the way we in which we use it.

“The more we can take advantage of the benefits of AI, the more that will help associations and other organisations understand their customers, their markets, their members.

“It helps with research, it helps with basic kinds of writing as well to try and do some data scraping.

“It really makes processes much more efficient and effective for associations and how to get people involved in your association.”

His comments come as generative AI tools such as ChatGPT have made waves across the world, with industries still getting to grips with how to utilise its full potential.

These chatbots allows users to refine and steer a conversation towards a desired goal – it can be for text content, images, video and more, with the proficiency of these tools growing with tremendous speed.

ChatGPT became the fastest-growing consumer application in history at the start of this year when it hit an average of about 13 million unique daily visitors. It was later over taken by social media platform Threads.

ExpoPlatform research found that AI-powered were believed to be the biggest opportunity for organisers, with 77% of  survey respondents choosing it.

Algorithm-fuelled features through event tech providers like ExpoPlatform already allow for email automation, matchmaking possibilities and more.

Generative AI tools can also be used to assist with producing content, personalising messaging and even helping to curate a show’s schedule.

Robin also believes this new wave of technology can be useful when trying to bring year-round value to membership organisations.

He is one of the expert contributors to our latest edition of the Community Blueprint, specifically updated for associations.

The new ebook outlines how a 365 approach can help these organisations bring more value to their membership, boosting engagement and revenue year-round – alongside events.

Robin set out how he was keen to explore these areas for AEIDL, which learns from and fosters community-led innovation in areas such as territorial development, employment, entrepreneurship, social inclusion, environment, climate action and green growth.

WATCH: Team ExpoPlatform sets out how event organisers and associations can build their own successful communities.

But he argued it is key for an association to choose the right technology platform to make a success of this 365 approach.

Robin said: “Online communities exist already – there are a lot of platforms that people use that perhaps are really Internet 1.0. 

“Moving into AI takes organisations into a really new place where communities can be adaptive and the technology can adapt to those communities as well. 

“It’s really crucial to start moving towards platforms that actually allow us to utilise what AI really can do.”

Download the Community Blueprint Associations Edition to find out your technology provider requirements.

One of the key jobs is to find out what engages your community, using data-driven insights and creativity to refine the formula.

An existing association will have a good database of members to go to, but many industries also have an over-supply of news. 

The right platform can bring you enough information to answer to this question: how can I add value to this already crowded competitive landscape?

Content is crucial when trying to do this with your community, delivering new and useful points of engagement to your members. 

It’s what keeps social media channels active, it’s what makes email newsletters get opened and it’s what starts to pull in new audiences through search engines.

But ExpoPlatform research found the need for year-round content was the biggest challenge facing community-building, with 45% choosing it.

Robin believes choosing the correct AI-powered platform for an association is critical for being able to try out new ways to engage a membership.

He said: “The use of online platforms for your community allows you to utilise AI to analyse the interests of members of an association which can help with your experimentation.

“AI in community engagement is really crucial. It’s like with the internet before it – it’s a new technology that can be deployed in all sorts of different ways. 

“Bringing people together using AI and being responsive to the members is really crucial for the future of artificial intelligence.”

We hope you enjoyed reading this article and found it useful. At ExpoPlatform, we want to help you build better events and communities. Please get in touch and ask for a demo here. Thank you 😀