Stephanie Selesnick puts ChatGPT to the expo ideation test
Like many of you, I’ve been reticent to try ChatGPT. My thought was, “Oh geez – another thing I have to learn that’s going to have a huge impact.” It’s exhausting to attempt to keep up on yet another ‘must know’! That and finding the time to invest learning a new platform is well, tiring – especially one that may potentially make part of how I make a living (blogging/writing) obsolete. Yikes!
In a recent conversation with UFI’s MD/CEO Kai Hattendorf the subject of ChatGPT came up. What he said made me reconsider trying it out. He said, right now, it’s an OK tool. However, in the next couple of years, those future refined versions will be virtually unrecognisable from today’s. On that I agree.
So, with a bit of trepidation, I created an account and here’s what I discovered. After a bit of a clunky sign up (check your email once you try to create the account to verify, follow the link and complete your name, birth date and phone number) and hit the tutorial. Halfway through the process it started talking about coding – and it’s where I moved on...
Leaving the coding behind, I headed to the ‘playground’ to give it a try. I began with, “Write a tagline for an ice cream trade show.” The response: “Cool Treats & Hot Deals: The Ultimate Ice Cream Expo!” Pretty fun, right?
I then asked who the exhibitors would be for the Ice Cream Expo. The response: “Exhibitors for an Ice Cream Expo could include ice cream manufacturers, ice cream shop owners, ice cream suppliers, dairy farmers, ice cream makers, ice cream packaging companies, ice cream truck operators, ice cream topping companies, and other related businesses.” A nice start.
I followed up with, “What marketing should I use to recruit exhibitors be for an Ice Cream Expo?” The response:
“1. Social Media Marketing – Utilise social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to promote your Ice Cream Expo and reach potential exhibitors. Create engaging posts with eye-catching visuals to draw attention to your event.
2. Email Marketing – Reach out to potential exhibitors through email campaigns. Craft compelling messages that highlight the advantages of exhibiting at the Ice Cream Expo and provide all necessary information.
3. Local Advertising – Advertise your Ice Cream Expo in local newspapers, magazines, and radio stations. This will help to reach those who are already in the area but may not be aware of your event.
4. Networking – Utilise your network of contacts and industry professionals to spread the word about the event. Ask them to share the event with their own contacts and networks.
5. Paid Advertising – Invest in targeted online ads that will reach potential exhibitors. Use platforms such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads to create campaigns that are tailored to your target audience.”
Those of us in the exhibition business would probably have started with those five ideas, too, but for newbies it’s a great help.
Lastly, I then asked for marketing suggestions, it recommended an email marketing automation system. When I asked a more detailed question, “What email marketing messages should I use to recruit exhibitors be for an Ice Cream Expo?” it came up with ten separate ideas, including: “1. Get your scoop on the latest ice cream trends at the Ice Cream Expo! 2. Join us at the Ice Cream Expo and be part of an exciting event! 3. Showcase your ice cream brand at the Ice Cream Expo and get noticed!”
Following along the line of numbers two and three above, the other seven suggestions were generic.
With my first foray into ChatGPT playground, my conclusions are:
- ChatGPT is useful for suggestions and idea generation – especially when stumped.
- It still requires a person to determine what’s useful and what’s not.
- It still requires someone to execute suggested plans.
- Like all data, good information in (questions in this case), good information out. Bad information in, useless information out.
- I will experiment more with ChatGPT and look forward to seeing how it changes going forward.
AI is here to stay. Instead of fearing its power, think of it as another tool in our collective shed and use it accordingly.
