AUGMENTED INTELLIGENCE: NEW TOOLS, SMARTER MARKETING
Panelists:
Anne Hackbarth, Summerfest
Jessica Messier, Tik Tok
Steve Richo, Noise New Media
Jennie Smythe, Girlilla Marketing
Moderated by:
Moderated by Angela Miles-Powell, Ticketmaster
Artificial intelligence isn’t replacing marketers — it’s empowering them. That was the central theme of Augmented Intelligence: New Tools, Smarter Marketing, a lively discussion moderated by Angela Miles-Powell (Ticketmaster) and featuring Jennie Smythe (Girlilla Marketing), Jessica Messier (TikTok), Anne Hackbarth (Summerfest), and Steve Richo (Noise New Media). Together, they explored how AI is transforming fan engagement, content creation, and digital strategy across the live entertainment industry.
From data to delivery, panelists shared real-world ways AI is streamlining workflows and amplifying impact. Richo described using ChatGPT to analyze massive ticketing datasets and surface insights about buyer behavior tasks that once required advanced Excel skills. Hackbarth illustrated how she uses AI to segment email lists, analyze fan feedback across social platforms, and even generate content calendars for Summerfest’s hundreds of performers. Smythe emphasized the continued power of owned assets like email lists, while showing how AI can personalize messaging without adding workload to small teams.
Messier offered insider advice on TikTok’s powerful AI-driven discovery engine, reminding attendees that localized, high-volume posting not artist reposts alone drives results. She encouraged venues to treat TikTok like “the new local radio,” using trends, hashtags, and consistent engagement to connect directly with fans in their markets.
The conversation also underscored responsible use: verifying official artist accounts, protecting data privacy, and avoiding AI-generated graphics for merchandise. Yet, success stories abounded from AI chatbots handling thousands of fan inquiries at a major fair to improved ROI through smarter segmentation and ad targeting.
As the session closed, panelists agreed that “augmented” intelligence is the key not artificial replacement, but a creative partnership between human intuition and machine efficiency. As Smythe put it, “AI is already part of everything we do it’s just helping us do it better.”