In this episode, Laurent Cochet interviews Sam Eitzen, co-founder and CEO of SNAPBAR, about how experiential marketing is evolving with AI and virtual experiences. They explore how SNAPBAR creates engaging brand activations, the challenges of pivoting a business, and the future of in-person events in a digital world.

key topics

The evolution of experiential marketing with AI

SNAPBAR's journey from photo booths to a platform

Creating engaging brand activations that drive business results

Challenges of pivoting and scaling in a fast-changing market

The importance of relationships and trust in customer growth

The role of in-person events in a digital era

Using AI to enhance live experiences and content creation

Strategies for turning one-time activations into long-term relationships

sound bites

"Experiential marketing is interaction, not just broadcast"

"AI can make content creation faster and cheaper"

"In-person events are growing in value and importance"

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the AI Interconnect podcast and guest

00:29 Meet Sam Aidzen, CEO of SNAPBAR

01:19 Sam shares his founder story and company evolution

02:28 How Sam's background influenced SNAPBAR's direction

04:16 The origins of SNAPBAR as a photo booth company

06:07 Defining experiential marketing and its growth

08:20 Successful brand activations and their business impact

11:28 Challenges of pivoting and business growth

13:25 Current friction points and market positioning

16:54 Building relationships and trust for growth

19:20 Impact of AI on trust and human experiences

23:28 Future plans for SNAPBAR and the experiential marketing platform

26:07 Expanding into agency relationships and new markets

27:47 What Sam would tell his startup self

29:33 Advice for marketing leaders in an AI-driven world

31:34 Closing thoughts and contact information

keywords

experiential marketing, AI, virtual events, brand activations, event technology, customer relationships, marketing strategy, Snapbar, event industry, in-person experiences, Sam Eitzen, Snapbar, experiential marketing, experiential marketing platform, AI experiential marketing, event technology, event tech, AI event technology, artificial intelligence, AI marketing, AI-powered experiences, brand experiences, brand activation, experiential marketing technology, event marketing, event marketing technology, live events, future of live events, human connection, AI and human trust, event lead generation, trade show marketing, event engagement, AI InterConnect

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Sam Eitzen, Co-Founder & CEO of Snapbar, joins AI InterConnect to explore why AI could make real human experiences more valuable, not less.

After 14 years building Snapbar through physical events, virtual experiences and now AI-powered experiential marketing, Sam shares what he has learned about business pivots, human connection, event technology and building relationships in an increasingly automated world.

We explore how Snapbar evolved from a photo booth business into an experiential marketing platform, how brands can turn live experiences into measurable engagement and leads, and why intimate gatherings and major experiential events may thrive as digital channels become saturated with AI-generated content.

Sam also shares the challenges of repositioning a company, building trust and knowing when to say no to growth.

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