Mistral AI and Dataiku: The Rise of Proprietary Events in AI

Mistral AI is hosting its first AI Now Summit today at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris. This event illustrates a growing trend among artificial intelligence companies: the desire to control their own narrative and audience. With 1,400 participants expected, Mistral AI, represented by its co-founders Arthur Mensch, Guillaume Lample, and Timothée Lacroix, is also welcoming leaders from major companies such as TotalEnergies, BNP Paribas, and the Caisse des dépôts. Participants will be spread across three stages, providing a platform for in-depth discussions on advancements in AI.

This initiative by Mistral AI is not isolated. Tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have long organized their own events, and this practice is now extending to Europe. Snowflake, Dataiku, and OpenAI have also adopted this approach with their annual formats, highlighting the importance of mastering their message and audience.

Taking Control of the Audience and Message

Amaury Delplancq, SVP & GM EMEA at Dataiku, explains that organizing the Dataiku Summit every autumn in Paris aims to showcase their clients' successes rather than focusing solely on technology. With around 2,000 participants, companies like Michelin, LVMH, BNP Paribas, and the Ministry of Armed Forces share their experiences, creating concrete business opportunities. "There is a constant chaos around AI, with a huge focus on technologies. We want to highlight our clients' successes, with concrete stories," emphasizes Delplancq.

Émilie Pierre-Desmonde, director of the Big Data & AI Paris event at RX France, observes that these events allow companies to control their message and audience without relying on trade show organizers. "When these players organize their own event, they are sure of what they will say to their prospects, clients, and partners. They are no longer dependent on the message that a trade show organizer will convey on their behalf," she analyzes. For companies like Mistral or Snowflake, these events are primarily marketing operations, where direct revenue is not the priority.

A Place Event, Another Ambition

The international Adopt AI summit, organized by Artefact, claims a different nature by bringing together all players in the ecosystem. With 25,000 participants, 800 speakers, and 250 exhibiting companies, this event aims to accelerate the massive adoption of AI by businesses and attract international investors to France. The President of the Republic also speaks at the event, highlighting its importance. Damien Gromier, CEO of Adopt AI at Artefact, explains that their goal is not to sell a particular technology but to gather decision-makers from the economic world. "Our goal is not to sell a particular technology. It is to bring together decision-makers from the economic world, accelerate the massive adoption of AI by businesses, and attract international investors to France," he states.

Mistral, Snowflake, and Google all exhibit at the Adopt AI summit, in addition to organizing their own formats. For Damien Gromier, the two approaches are perfectly compatible. "Each AI player organizes their own event for their clients while also attending place events like Adopt AI, which aims to become the Davos of AI," he shares.

However, this abundance of events can overwhelm potential participants. "It forces us to do our job better," acknowledges Émilie Pierre-Desmonde. For her Big Data & AI Paris event, the event director is working, for example, to qualify her audience in advance, to form broader delegations within large accounts, or to bring the entire data and AI value chain of a large group rather than just a single decision-maker.

Amaury Delplancq at Dataiku has also become more selective about the events he sponsors outside of his own format. "We now choose quality over quantity," he admits. While the positions are clear and there still seems to be room for everyone, Émilie Pierre-Desmonde is blunt about the long-term outlook. "In ten years, holding a trade show dedicated exclusively to AI will no longer make sense. It will be like holding an Internet trade show," she concludes. This will surely not prevent Mistral from filling the room this Wednesday.