An Approach to a Knowledge ReconstructionEngine for Supporting Event Planning

Shigeki AMITANI, Mikihiko MORI and Koichi HORI{amitani, mori, hori}@ai.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jpResearch Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST),

The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8904, JAPAN Tel: +81-3-5452-5289 Fax: +81-3-5452-5312

Abstract

. The main goal of our current research is to establish a methodology to articulate the gapbetween the event designers' intention and the event visitors' mental impression, which is the firststep for "a knowledge reconstruction system''. At the actual events, the visitors' interactions with theevent objects were observed and the verbal reports (protocol data) were recorded. From analysis of these data, a lot of gaps between the planners and the visitors are found as well as unexpected mentalprocesses. This analysis provides "chances'' to create new ideas with planners. In this paper, we aregoing to propose "a supporting system for knowledge reconstruction'' as a tool for "ChanceDiscovery'' by applying the framework of creativity support to the actual event designing work.

1. Introduction

Every year, event-planning companies hold various events. So far event planning is conductedwith implicit knowledge of the experienced planners and the visitors' impression of the events isusually measured only by questionnaires. In the actual situation, it is said that the planners cannotobtain adequate and proper knowledge for the future planning from the statistical data fromquestionnaires because the data is information "without context where knowledge was produced".That means the planners are unable to evaluate the event they designed. Planners need to knowwhat visitors to the event actually feel and how they behave when they are at the event booth toconstruct the strategies for next event planning. This is because knowledge itself cannot beapplied to the real situation if it does not have the context where it was produced [1]. Qualitativedata and quantitative data should complement with each other.In this paper, we are going to propose a methodology to articulate gaps between planners'intention and visitors' impression. Our methodology was applied to the actual events, -"TokyoMotor Show 2001'' and "World PC Expo 2001'', in cooperation with Dentsu Inc. The visitors'interactions with the event objects were observed and the verbal reports (protocol data) wererecorded. The results of this experiment and, furthermore, the image of "a knowledgereconstruction system" is described. From analysis of the data, we obtained the prospect that ourmicroscopic and detailed approach is useful and effective toward event planning in the real world.

2. What is "Knowledge Reconstruction"?

Though the importance of knowledge has been claimed since middle of the 1980s, the mainconcern of business theory is how to obtain and accumulate established knowledge. Littleresearch has been conducted on how innovative knowledge is created [2]. Nonaka [2] claimsthat there are four modes of knowledge transition: Socialization, Externalization, Combinationand Internalization. Though a lot of companies have attempted to apply this theory to their actualworks, it does not seem to be successful. Nonaka theory is proposed as a theory and no method

has been indicated. In addition, this is the theory for "transition of knowledge mode", not thetheory for "manipulation of knowledge mode by the user". In our research we are going to applyNonaka's theory to the actual situations. We are going to propose a methodology and a systemto support to apply this theory to the actual situations (Fig 1). The italic phrases are what we aregoing to provide.

Fig 1 A Cyclic Process of Knowledge Reconstruction

Our system aims to "use in the real world". Knowledge cannot be separated from actualcontexts to utilize the knowledge, i.e., knowledge management. That means that it is necessary topreserve knowledge together with "the real context". Event planners need to know how theknowledge was produced. It is necessary for planners to obtain and understand knowledge, tointegrate and create innovative knowledge, and to apply knowledge to actual event planning. Thisis what we call "knowledge reconstruction". Knowledge must be dynamically integrated andinnovated. We are going to propose "a supporting system for knowledge reconstruction". At thecurrent state, our research obtained such perspective that our approach can be driving force of this cyclic process. In the following sections, the experiments at actual events and an example of findings are described. Moreover, the example that the planner hit upon an innovative idea withproviding the results of our investigation is also described. The system image is described insection 4.

3. Experiment

The experiment of our methodology was conducted to extract the actual cognitive processesat event sites of "World PC Expo 2001 (WPC: 19-22, Sept., 2001)" and "Tokyo Motor Show2001 (Motor Show: 26, Oct. - 7, Nov., 2001)" held at Makuhari Messe in Japan, to see if ourmethodology works. Three booths for WPC and one booth for the Motor Show were selectedfor the experiment in cooperation with the event organizers.To investigate what the designers' intentions are and how they implement the event objects toexpress their intentions, we had interviews with the planners in advance.

To collect protocol data, two wearable computers were prepared

. Because of the sponsors'intention, the normal digital video camera was adopted for collecting protocol data. 9 subjects(one person for 3 sessions + one pair for 3 sessions) at WPC and 12 subjects (one person foreach session) at Motor Show were employed. Subjects are asked to look around the designatedbooth(s). After visiting the booth, the procedure in the interview room is:

In cooperation with MIT Media Lab and Intelligent Cooperative Systems Laboratory at Research Center forAdvanced Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo. And a normal digital video camera was also prepared

Retrospective reports with visual aid the subject recorded

: The subjects were asked toreport "what you look at'', "what you think about it" and "what you do" along with the VTRas an memory aid.2.

Questions about the subjects' impression on the event objects

: The questions were madebased on the interviews with the planners and the planning papers. This is to investigate howthe planners' intention and the visitors' impression match or mismatch with each other.3.

Keyword questionnaires

: The keywords are also extracted from the interviews with theplanners and the planning papers. This is to investigate what keywords the plannerspresented were impressive for visitors.

4. Results and Discussions

Though there are a lot of findings that surprised the planners, in this paper we are going to showone example of a lot of unexpected findings that are beyond the planners' expectation at MotorShow. These findings devote to create new knowledge, that is "knowledge reconstruction''. Oneexample of "the effect of the other visitors" at Motor Show is described.The other visitors can provide a context that raises the degree of satisfaction of the visitor. Thefollowing report was obtained:

A companion took a picture with a family. Both of the companion and the child smiled. My (= the subject's) children also like cars. They would be delighted if I took them here. That is a good idea.

This observed data was reported to a planner and he hit upon a new strategy:

By inviting families that are customers of the company, the other visitors will feel in away mentioned above. Moreover, the invited family will also feel better because they feel "they are invited as special guests'' and this family can enjoy being a customer of the company, which will be great benefit to the company, too.

This is a good example of "knowledge reconstruction''. We call it "reconstruction'' becauseimplicitly they might know the follows:

A visitor is affected by another visitor at an event site.

Customers are delighted if they are invited as special guests.

If customers like the company, it is beneficial to the company.But these pieces of information have not been connected. That means the knowledge obtainedthrough this analysis can support the event designing if it is properly reported to the planners. Weare going to propose a supporting system that provides "knowledge for strategies with realcontext''.

5. Toward a Supporting System for Knowledge Reconstruction

As our investigation externalized a lot of knowledge successfully, we are going to propose thesupporting system for the transition among modes in Fig 1, i.e. knowledge reconstruction. Eachmode is supported in the following way:

Externalization:

This mode is supported by the methodology we proposed in the former section.

Combination:

From the data obtained with the analysis, this mode is supported by "exhaustivesearch" and "presentation of contexts" Based on the conclusion of Hori and Yamamoto et al., the