In this bonus episode from February 2023, hosts Brandt Krueger and Will Curran are joined by Wayne Johnson Jr., Creative Director at EideCom, to discuss the revolutionary impact of AI tools on event design and production. They explore how AI is transforming the creative process, from generating stage designs to streamlining proposal creation, and debate the future implications for the events industry.

Discussion Include:

• The evolution of AI tools in event design and their potential to revolutionize the creative process
• Using AI to generate stage designs, event layouts, and visual concepts
• Leveraging AI for faster turnaround times and improved client presentations
• The importance of human creativity and taste in conjunction with AI-generated content

Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):

"We are using it as a tool - it just allows us to do more you know with less and in faster time" - Wayne Johnson Jr.
"I feel like AI is the car for the mind. You don't have to think about balancing, you don't have to think about pedaling, you just say go and you put a little effort and it takes you exactly where you want to go." - Will Curran
"It's not automation, this is a tool for someone creative like Wayne who's going to recognize the colors and things like that... it's garbage in, garbage out." - Brandt Krueger
"All of these tools are just going to make us better at our jobs and better at what we do and better at giving the client what they want as quickly as possible." - Brandt Krueger
"AI is just another burnt stick. We've always been artists who use whatever tool comes to them." - Wayne Johnson Jr.

Personal apologies to Wayne for misplacing this episode. You rock, man!

In this BONUS episode (recorded in February 2023 and recently found in the couch cushions), Brandt Krueger and Will Curran dive deep into the latest developments in AI technology, focusing on the recent announcements from Microsoft's Bing and Google's Bard. They discuss the potential impact of these AI-powered search engines on various industries, including event planning, and explore the implications for content creators and information providers.

Discussion Points:
• The recent announcements of AI-powered search engines by Microsoft (Bing) and Google (Bard)
• Potential applications of AI in the event planning industry, such as venue finding and RFP processing
• The importance of staying current with AI technologies and their potential impact on various job roles

Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):
• "If right now you're like 'Hell no, this is not going to work, this is not going to help me,' I would be really afraid. I'd be pressuring you right now to at least be playing with this stuff to be aware of it." - Will Curran
• "The future for your job is not 'Can you do these things?' but 'Can you use these tools now to leverage even further?'" - Will Curran
• "I think hopefully what folks are taking away from this is the clear difference in how we are talking about this again versus how we've been talking about the metaverse and stuff like that." - Brandt Krueger
• "Every week for the last month solid, something new has popped into my head of like, 'Oh, I know how we could use this' or 'Oh, I know how this is going to impact events.'" - Brandt Krueger

Brandt Krueger and Will Curran sit down with Veselin (Vesko) Milev and Dessislava (Dessy) Marinova from Eventex to explore the world of event awards and event technology. As Eventex celebrates its 15th anniversary, Vesko and Dessy share insights into the global reach of the Eventex Awards, the evolution of their fully online format, and the impact of the Evalato awards management software. The team also dives into how creativity and innovation are recognized on a global scale and the fascinating trends emerging in event management.

Discussions Include:

• The growth and global reach of the Eventex Awards
• How Evalato simplifies the awards judging process and ensures fairness
• The shift to fully online awards and its sustainability benefits
• Trends in event design and technology across the world
• Using Eventex winners as creative inspiration for future event planning
• The importance of transparency in award scoring and feedback
• Predictions on how AI and sustainability will shape the future of event awards

Quotable Quotes:

• “Eventex is not just about competition; it's a learning experience.” – Vesko Milev
• "It’s not about the size of your event; it’s about the creativity and achieving your goals." – Brandt Krueger
• “Sustainability and AI will continue to drive the future of event management.” – Dessy Marinova
• “The software takes into account how you score in the morning versus the evening—personal bias gets neutralized.” – Vesko Milev