EDITOR’S PAGE Establishing Boundaries
A recent New York Times article reported the tale of a couple of Chicago and Philadelphia newspapers that hired a freelancer to put together a Special Section: a recommended summer reading list. The freelancer used generative AI to compile the list, he turned it in, and voila! Published. The problem was… many of those books did not exist, though they were attributed to recognizable, best-selling authors. Noted The Times , “While generative AI has improved, there is still no way to ensure the systems produce accurate information. AI chatbots cannot distinguish between what is true and what is false, and they often make things up. The chatbots can spit out information and expert names with an air of authority.” The reading list also included quotes from “unidentifiable experts.” Yikes. In Christie Osborne’s latest column, she addresses the positive and negative aspects of Artificial Intelligence as used in the event industry. And don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of positives to embracing this type of technology. However, we would all be wise to read her piece, beginning on page 08, to grasp the clear boundaries that must be established before we dive in. As we hit the fever-pitch of summer and early fall social gatherings, you may still be working with your clients to develop details that will make their events uniquely remarkable. Should your clients be pushing for the latest trend, while you struggle to maintain your professional composure, you will find Amanda Nicklaus’ article Staying Trendy to be of great help. Incorporating the wise advice from noted industry vets Kristin Banta, Brian A M Green, Jaclyn Watson, and others, author Nicklaus’ take on using trends organically will help you stay the course. Finally, Kate Patay’s suggestions for self-care during the busy season is spot on. Look for it starting on page 50. Have a terrific summer!
Kathleen Stoehr Director of Community & Content Strategy
WEBSITES specialevents.com catersource.com informaconnect.com/catersource-thespecialevent/
CONTRIBUTORS Meghan Ely, Katie Mast, Christie Osborne, Kate Patay
Director of Community &
Content Strategy Kathleen Stoehr, kathleen.stoehr@informa.com Content Editor Amanda Nicklaus, amanda.nicklaus@informa.com Senior Content Producer Amber Kispert, amber.kispert@informa.com Director of Design Sarah Kolcheck, sarah@nxtgennetwork.com Sales Director Michael Lindahl, michael.lindahl@informa.com Sales Account Executive Kevin Hacke, kevin.hacke@informa.com Ad Operations Specialist Lauren Loya, lauren.loya@informa.com
Special Events magazine is published quarterly by Informa Connect Foodservice Group, 650 Third Ave, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10158. Subscriptions: Go to specialevents.com and sign up to receive Special Events’ quarterly issues and/or monthly e-newsletter products. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission prohibited. ©2025 Informa Connect Foodservice Group. All rights reserved.
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SPECIAL EVENTS SUMMER 2025
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