In "This Week in Events," host Bob Toovey of Event Planner News is joined by Jill Hawkins (Aniseed PR) and Paul Richardson (Vividink). They discuss the timing of industry awards, the role of AI in sourcing information, and the fallout from a controversial article.
Paul kicks off with a plea for award organisers to spread out their entry deadlines, noting the current compression into summer makes it difficult for agencies and clients. Jill agrees, suggesting earlier announcements would help. The conversation also touches on the credibility of "pay-to-play" awards, with the hosts agreeing that transparency is crucial to maintain an award's integrity.
Jill introduces a report showing that AI sources most of its information from traditional PR and earned media. This highlights the continued importance of quality, human-written content for companies. The hosts agree that AI is a useful tool for a first draft but lacks the nuance and reliability of a human expert.
The hosts tackle an inflammatory article that labels sectors like hotels and stand builders as "parasites." They strongly disagree, arguing these businesses are a vital part of the event ecosystem. They conclude the piece is a prime example of poor communication causing significant and unnecessary reputational damage.