Author:
Jeff Yang, VP of Technology & Innovation, OBE
The Event Marketer Agency Forum is an annual gathering that brings together the brightest minds in experiential marketing to explore the future of the industry. This year’s event focused on tackling the key challenges facing agencies today—from client retention and growth strategies to the latest innovations that drive business value. One of the standout topics? Artificial Intelligence (AI).
I had the privilege of joining a panel titled "The Impact of AI on the Event Agency Model" alongside industry leaders Erica Orange (COO, The Future Hunters), Matt McCoubrey (VP/Partner, Salt XC), and Caryn Mambro (Chief Creative Officer, Opus). Together, we explored how AI is set to reshape the event industry, starting with a macro perspective on its influence on business strategy, before diving into its micro-level impacts on the creative process. From transforming the traditional work triangle of speed, quality, and cost to redefining RFP responses, rate cards, and the tools we use daily, AI is poised to disrupt and elevate the way we operate as agencies.
Here are key takeaways from my contributions to this panel discussion on how AI is impacting experiential marketing:
Exploring AI as an efficiency-driver.
While AI promises to revolutionize how we approach marketing, we’re still in the exploratory and education phase. At OBE, we're actively experimenting with AI-driven tools to identify where they can eliminate mundane tasks, such as generating creative thought starters, mood board imagery and early-stage frameworks. The goal? To free up our team to focus on the more impactful work—problem-solving, deeper research and the emotional, human-centered approach that sets us apart.
That said, we’re cautious. We’re building internal guardrails, including establishing an AI advisory board to set best practices and ethical standards. AI is a tool to enhance what we do, not a shortcut to avoid doing the work.
AI is changing the way we think about productivity.
AI has the potential to get us to the work that really matters most, faster and allowing us to spend more time there—problem solving, deeper research and focusing more on the emotional that we do as marketers.
For example, we’re using AI to help us:
- Analyze location data and spending insights for more tailored experiences.
- Tools like MidJourney and DALL-E are helping us visualize early creative concepts.
- Automated KPI dashboards can help us with real-time insights.
Human-centric marketing is here to stay.
One of the key questions posed during the panel was whether AI would eventually replace certain jobs in marketing. My answer was no—and it shouldn’t. AI can enhance productivity, but it can’t replace the human element. The future of marketing will require skills that AI can’t replicate—lived and shared experiences, empathy, creativity, and the ability to craft experiences that activate the senses and forge deep emotional connections.
We see this human-centric approach as future-proof. Brands will continue to seek out agencies that can create personalized, immersive experiences—ones that make people feel seen, heard and valued. AI can help optimize processes, but the magic moments we create for our clients and their audiences will always require human insight and intuition. Simply put, AI cannot replace human creativity.
Responsible AI usage is a must.
With the rise of AI comes the need for responsibility. During the panel, I highlighted how crucial it is to use AI ethically, ensuring it aligns with our values as an agency. We’ve been particularly inspired by organizations like Pinterest, which are using AI to promote body diversity and representation in a thoughtful, inclusive way. This is the kind of responsible innovation that the industry needs.
At OBE, we’re committed to ensuring that AI is used as a tool to enhance human experience, not detract from it. We don’t want AI hallucinations to erode the trust and authenticity we’ve built with our clients and audiences. Instead, we’re focusing on how AI can support thoughtful site planning, audience engagement, and the creation of thought starters and mood boards.
The future of experiential marketing in an AI-powered world.
As we look ahead, the role of AI in experiential marketing will continue to grow. However, our progress with AI must always keep the core strength of the industry intact—the human connection. While AI enables faster problem-solving and greater operational efficiency, ultimately it is the people—our teams, clients, and audiences—that drive everything we do.
AI is here to stay and marketers will need to harness its capabilities while maintaining the emotional and sensory impact that only human-driven experiences can deliver. At OBE, we are enthusiastic about exploring and utilizing AI’s potential to enhance, not replace, the magic of human interaction.
With the continuous rise of AI models, tools, and services, I believe our audiences will demand more from us, craving genuine and authentic human experiences. As experiential marketers, we are uniquely positioned in this field, and our greatest strengths and differentiators will be the shared and lived experiences of our people.
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About Jeff Yang
If passion were a person, it would be Jeff Yang. As the VP Technology and Innovation at On Board Experiential, Jeff’s department creates interactive experiences, thoughtfully infusing technology while amplifying brand stories and messaging. His experience spans from content creation and technical production, to tactical in-person activations and immersive digital experiences, and everything in between.