On the 26th of November, hundreds of marketing and social media professionals came together at The Alex Hotel for 3XE AI – Ireland’s leading conference for marketers exploring how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we work.
Delegates attended from a wide range of well-known Irish companies, including Chadwicks, Kepak, Chartered Accountants Ireland, Sage, Finlay Motor Group, Hardware Association Ireland, and many more. With participation from top agencies and ambitious SMEs, the day proved to be both insightful and inspiring, offering a deep dive into how AI is reshaping the marketing landscape.
The conference brought together some of the most respected voices in AI, digital marketing, and social media to discuss and debate how businesses can use artificial intelligence to enhance campaign performance, optimise costs, and achieve measurable results. It also included a stark reminder to attendees of the limitations and ethical use of AI.
Highlights from the Day
Attendees heard from an impressive line-up of speakers representing Google, OpenAI, Content Plan, Women in AI, AICertified, The Corporate Governance Institute, and others. Throughout the day, speakers shared practical insights and real-world examples of how clever and responsible use of AI can enhance digital marketing strategies, strengthen social media performance, and drive business growth.
One strong message from the event is that education is key. Ray Grafton from AICertified noted that the knowledge and skills gap around AI is the biggest challenge to progress. “Unstructured and disconnected learning creates chaos”, Ray explains, reminding attendees that “a clear framework an progression route” is needed for organisations to integrate AI effectively in their organisation.
“AI is shifting from a tool of efficiency into a powerhouse for innovation.”, praises Google’s Christina Barbosa-Gress, as she provided a compelling overview of their latest AI-powered services, including photo and video generation, and using AI to personalise and optimise online ad campaigns.
Niamh McElhatten from the Women in AI Network provided a stark reminder to attendees on the ethical and effective use of AI, and of the EU AI Act, which sets out clear parameters on the transparency around the use of AI in communications.
Gavin Duff from Friday Agency shared a compelling overview of the latest in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and how an AI feedback loop has started to form with content being generated, regenerated and shared across media. Because of this, “originality and reputation matter more than ever”. Marketers need to ensure their content is relevant, answers the right questions, and gets read, shared and linked. He concluded his session with some helpful tips for marketers:
– Don’t write content for AI. Write content that AI and humans want to point at.
– Focus on content that’s proven and story-driven (testimonials, customer feedback, case studies, behind-the-scenes content, etc)
– Publish only what you’d share yourself – and create content you can stand by in ten years time
– AI isn’t your copywriter – use it as a 2nd brain.
– Optimise your content to be quoted/referenced
Denis Jastrebski from Content Plan provided an enlightening overview of how to use AI to automate operations, including how it can auto-generate clean data from your own operational systems, without any bias.
Key Action-Point for Marketers
If you haven’t already, get up to speed on the EU AI Act – to which all organisations need to be compliant by August 2026. Get up to date on what you need to do www.artificialintelligenceact.eu.
A Collaborative Effort
The 3XE AI Conference, organised in partnership with Content Plan, was proudly supported by Friday Agency, GS1 Ireland, and AICertified. The event was co-chaired by Anthony Quigley, co-founder of the Digital Marketing Institute, and Sinéad Walsh of Content Plan, who guided the discussions with expertise and energy.
As the event concluded, attendees left with new ideas, fresh perspectives, and practical takeaways to help shape the future of marketing in an AI-driven world.
