Skift Take
A new paid, but yet unpriced, version of Gevme and PCMA's AI event technology tool features enterprise-level data security. A two-level training program is also in the works.
Project Spark, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool for event professionals – developed by event technology company Gevme and PCMA – has announced an enhanced, paid version with enhanced data privacy and security. The company will also train enterprise clients looking to boost staff’s AI skills.
Expanded Functionality
Spark Enterprise features enterprise-level data privacy and security, enhanced content repurposing options, and new strategic insight and sentiment analysis options. It comes as the result of engaging with more than 2,000 industry stakeholders via webinars and workshops.
Project Spark hopes it will attract larger organizations that may have not been able to use the tool previously due to data privacy concerns. Gevme CEO Veemal Gungadin confirmed that the tool will continue to use the same AI models trained on large amounts of data. However, enterprise user data, including any documents uploaded, is totally private and not used for AI training.
Gungadin described pricing as “reasonable” but could not commit to an amount. Project Spark will announce pricing at IMEX America in October. The basic version of the tool will continue to be available to PCMA members and other event professionals.
The new version of the tool features user and file management. It allows IT teams to manage and control who has access to what. Additionally, the tool is now ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certified with AES 256-bit at rest and TLS 1.2+ in-transit data encryption.
Enterprise Training
Project Spark also announced an accelerator program for organizations looking to run internal training programs for staff. The Spark Enterprise Accelerator offers a three-week-long Explorer program designed to get teams ready to harness the power of AI. It also offers a more in-depth two-month-long Innovator program, which adds case development and an implementation action plan.
“We implement actual custom solutions for specific organizations that are very specific to boost productivity internally,” said Gungadin about the Innovator program. “We cut the proposal creation time from a period of five days to one day,” he added.
PCMA CEO Sherrif Karamatt shared that he used Project Spark for a creative exercise in planning a conference in 2050, with great results. He also took the opportunity to allay any fears of AI and Project Spark having a detrimental effect on the industry. “All of this is going to coexist to make us more effective in what we do. I see it as an additive, not something that’s taking away,” said Karamat.
To date, more than 3,000 event professionals have used Spark. PCMA Convene research revealed that 64% of event professionals already use AI in some form.
Photo credit: Igor Omilaev / Unsplash
