Jateen Rajput

There’s a problem with using technology to gain a creative edge in the event industry:

That edge? It disappears faster than a trending reel.

Twelve days in, everyone’s using it.

What was once groundbreaking becomes a gimmick.

And suddenly, your “next big thing” is just another thing.

Analogy for the Event World:

The first wedding designer to use a cold pyro fountain during the varmala?

Genius. Everyone booked them.

Two weeks later—every sangeet, every reception, had one.

Soon, the magic faded. The uniqueness drowned. The idea got tired.

That’s the curse of sameness.

It’s not tech’s fault.

It’s what happens when we copy execution, not elevate experience.

A Truth for All Creators:

In our world—concerts, destination weddings, brand launches, global sports ceremonies—standing out is survival.

Once you start following trends instead of setting them,

you stop standing out.

You stop getting booked.

You stop being remembered.

Eventually, all that’s left is a warehouse full of unused trussing and dusty dreams.

A Film Buff’s Reflection for Creatives:

I rewatched The Sweet Smell of Success—a noir classic.

Tight dialogue. Every line loaded.

Every word—a design element. Like a well-timed spotlight cue.

It’s cinematic precision—the kind every great experience designer should aspire to.

The “Eyelashes” Moment:

A cigarette girl storms up to Tony Curtis and says,

“Dontcha get messages, the eyelashes?”

Just that one word—eyelashes—says more than a ten-page client brief.

It reveals history, friction, style, soul.

And I thought:

That’s good. And AI… will never be able to do that. Never.

Another one:

Moby Dick. Chapter 86. “The Tail.”

A phrase—perfectly human, unreplicable.

That texture?

That subtext?

That rhythm?

AI won’t write your show scripts like that. It won’t feel the timing of a live reveal moment.

It won’t understand the pause before a standing ovation.

AI Hype is Real. But So is this:

Yes, AI can crank out a video for your LED backdrop in 12 minutes.

Yes, it can build your event theme logo in 20 seconds.

But prompts aren’t salvation.

Not unless you know what not to prompt.

A Challenge to Prompt Writers:

Write a prompt that captures “eyelashes.”

Or “the wriggling joy of 100,000 fans when the headliner drops their first beat.”

Can you?

Can anyone?

The Secret of Real Connection in Live Events:

The trick to being remembered?

Same as it’s always been—be different. 

But not just different for the sake of it.

Be different in a way that matters to the audience.

That gives goosebumps.

That earns gasps. 

That breaks the algorithm and builds applause.

My Skepticism:

Will “different” ever come from a Large Language Model trained on corporate decks and wedding hashtags?

I doubt it.

That moment of magic when a bride hears her father’s voice in a surprise audio layer during her walk down the aisle?

Not written by ChatGPT.

The Real Source of Brilliance:

Robert Caro said,

“Time equals truth.”

In events, time equals trust.

Trust is earned. And unforgettable moments aren’t mass-produced.

There’s no shortcut to insight.

Not even if your AI tool is wearing a bow tie.

Here’s What’s Dangerous:

I see a lot of highly efficient creatives.

And a lot of highly forgettable experiences.

Everything runs like clockwork.

But nobody cries. Nobody gasps. Nobody shares.

Perfection isn’t connection.

What the Bard Knew Before We Had Decks:

“A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

That’s most of the marketing we see.

That’s a lot of the weddings we  attend.

That’s a few too many conclaves I’ve been  at.

So What Do We Do?

Take a walk on the streets

Read a poem.

Watch a couple argue at a train station.

Sit in a cafe watching millennials, zees, alphas blend into a coffee conversation.

Listen to the breath before a bride says “I do.”

Watch an emcee improvise when the teleprompter fails.

See how the fickle fingers on the console transform a moment into a celebration of divine light to a roar of awe.

That’s the humanity your decks need.

Not another “dynamic immersive experiential engagement vertical” line.

Or, You Can Call Me. or Anyone… OR

Someone who’s done the 3 a.m. load-ins.

Who’s solved for pyros in 40-degree rain.

Who’s re-written keynote speeches backstage.

Because here’s what makes us different:

Seven words.

A HUMAN WHO MAKES EXPERIENCES FOR HUMANS

That make a difference.

Article author- Jateen Rajput