Tobi Akinpelu’s Post

Don’t bother with industry conferences. People who drive the most impact, authority, and trust don’t get caught up in that hype. The true change-makers are obsessing over their impact — not networking with random strangers in their industry from around the world. They focus on their customers. They focus on their brand. They focus on their partners. If a conference results from that, it serves the brand ecosystem — which in turn impacts the greater industry. Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference is a perfect example. It’s not for the entire industry. It’s for the brand, its customers, its partners, and associated communities. The end goal is to establish trust. And that’s found in the specific, not the generic. So don’t waste your time on industry conferences, especially large ones. Instead, obsess over understanding and helping your customers and partners solve their problems. Build a protected ecosystem around them. Lead from the inside out, not outside in.

Still riding the high from last week's Event Tech Live! I'd like to share some insights for those in event production asking about the value of attending such an event. As someone deeply embedded in the industry, I firmly believe in supporting key industry events, whether IMEX, International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), Meeting Professionals International, ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership, PCMA, or anything I might have missed. Advocating for your own event means recognizing the value in others—especially those who support our industries. While many events offer networking opportunities with event technology providers, none compare to Event Tech Live if you want to dive deep. It’s the place to see various technologies under one roof, assess them firsthand, and gain invaluable insights. You'll still get value from engaging with event tech at those events and do it as they exhibit to see you. However, at ETL, you can engage with different industries to see how they are using other solutions and hear from Event Tech leaders about how they are trying to make an impact to foster growth for event technology and development for your events. I highly recommend attending Event Tech Live in the UK later this year, but if you are in the US, you need to make it a must to catch the US edition in '25. It's an investment that pays dividends in knowledge and connections. Also, if you'd like a game plan to optimize the event opportunities, please hit me up... I'm happy to share the template!

FERMÀT wrapped NRF last week, and I'm going to share some raw thoughts on big conferences (from someone who admits they're "not into boothy conferences" 😅) Here's the truth: We crushed it, but was it worth it? Let me break it down. The good news? People were actually there to buy. Not just browse, not just network – but ready to invest in tech. That's rare. But here's what most people won't tell you about massive conferences: Your booth might be amazing (ours was fire), but it comes at a hidden cost. My team spent ALL of December focused on this January event. That's a massive bandwidth investment. The interesting paradox we found: → Huge companies sent entire squads (Nike: 30 people, Home Depot: 20) → But bigger teams = more gatekeepers → You end up pitching someone excited who can't make the final call Plot twist: The real magic happened outside the conference. Our dinner with Postscript was game-changing and the satellite events were pure gold. Would I do it again? Probably not. The uncomfortable truth about conference ROI: These deals take forever to close. Your attribution window better be long. What's your take on major conferences? Worth the bandwidth cost, or are you finding better ways to connect with potential customers?

The world is divided into two parts: 1) companies that deal with products and companies that provide services. 2) While trade shows have been created for selling products, there has been nothing equivalent for service-oriented companies except for conferences. 3) Consider this: 1000 companies can place their products on the shelves of 1000 booths. However, only 30-50 speakers can present their services at conferences to an audience of 1000 participants. 4) This means that companies with products have solved the problem of showcasing what they produce to buyers, but service-oriented companies have not solved the problem of displaying their services. 5) This is why we have created a new format, The Leads Arena, which incorporates our event tech technologies for matchmaking and networking, along with a new format that doesn’t exist with major players like Messe, Informa, Clarion, and RX Global. 6) We are open to potential partnerships and are particularly interested in finding an investor who wants to enter the congress and exhibition market.

I've seen much debate surrounding the ROI for GSX. Here's my $0.02 TL;DR: - Have a game plan, collaborate with tech partners, and get creative. - Ditch the bar tab and create intimate/exclusive events during the show. - Meet people where they are - go local. 🤑 Corporate Investment: You get what you put into the show. A smaller booth and a well-executed strategic meeting schedule could easily yield a strong ROI. If you're wincing at the bill post-show, get creative next time - collaborate with other brands, split booths, downsize, or think outside the booth. 🍻 Networking Events I would love to see less highly promoted parties and more intimate executive roundtable events. If you're scratching your head about what leads your bar tab got you, go exclusive next time. Host a dinner party, and invite your top prospects. Discuss what they experienced that day at the show, get to know each other, and build a partnership/relationship. 🤝 Localized Community Massive ROI shift idea: downscale your GSX investment and reallocate those funds into local ASIS chapters throughout the US. They are often underfunded, have tight communities, and offer consistent (often monthly) opportunities to meet your ideal customer/partner. Overall, the show was solid. How end-users experience conferences is shifting, and if you don't move with the tide, you'll likely feel a disconnect between cost and value.

The future of events lies in the hybrid format. It combines our natural human need to connect with like-minded people in person with the opportunity for contributors to present beyond the event dates. This allows you to attend on-demand talks undisturbed in the quiet of the morning or late evening hours. Nowadays, as technology has become easier, very reliable and affordable, It's different from my first experience 12 years ago as an exhibitor at a virtual only exhibition. Although then, it was already not so difficult to customize the set up. Since then, much has happened.  I recommend combining a physical event with a virtual exhibition. This way, sponsors can highlight their brand and build connections and leads with a much wider audience and attendees than just at the event itself. #futureofevents #virtual #hybrid #sponsorshipmarketing #eventmarketing

I saw 5:00 twice yesterday! An early train saw me heading to the 🌐CN Global Event Tech Summit 2024🌐. Apparently, Event planning was listed as the third most stressful job in 2023 by World Scholarship Vault! (That explains the greys!). It was nice to be in a room with people whose boat I share and got some great insights and made some new connections! Here are my key takeaways: 1️⃣ Procurement & Event Planning Harmony  In the session led by Andy FennHiggins from Chorus and Jacqui Kavanagh from EDGE Venues, we explored the often-complex relationship between procurement teams and event planners. While procurement emphasises cost-effectiveness, compliance, and efficiency, planners focus on personalization and creative flexibility. The discussion highlighted the importance of striking a balance through technology that enables robust data, compliance, and creativity.  ✅ Nail the brief ✅ Have a clear understanding of the outcome of the event ✅ Delegate experience should be the priority 2️⃣ Measuring ROI Across the Event Lifecycle  Cara Cory of Touch Associates and Rob Curtis from Event Footprints presented a fascinating case study, demonstrating how technology can track ROI from start to finish. We saw an outdated necessity get a facelift into an opportunity for innovation with Klik’s interactive smart badges. The name badge lanyard just got sexy! (I want them for the Real Entrepreneurs East Midlands events) Check them out - https://lnkd.in/eXmfrf9g 3️⃣ Achieving 90% Event App Adoption   Abi Cannons from Grip has made me want to get an app! (sorry Jenny Cross). She shared actionable strategies for driving app adoption among participants. Through segmentation and targeted engagement, Abi showed how event planners can boost engagement with event tech, going far beyond the industry average. 4️⃣AI Tools for Event Planning Matthew D. from Cvent showcased how AI tools are transforming the event planning process. This is a hot topic and I am keen to get to grips with the AI tools available. As a small company and an events team of 1, I feel AI could be my new apprentice! 5️⃣ Events in the Age of Disruption  Dex Hunter-Torricke delivered a powerful keynote on the disruptive trends reshaping our world. From immersive content to critical agendas, Dex challenged us to think about how our events can adapt to connect with audiences in a rapidly evolving world. Thanks for having me and look forward to future events! #EventTech #EventPlanning #AI #FutureOfEvents #EventInnovation #CNGETS24 Jessica Watt Tommaso Cartanese Lucy Eden William Groves Kristyna O'Connell Luke Elliott Annabel Letham

Just read a fascinating article on TechRepublic about the top tech conferences and events. It's like the Oscars of the tech world, but with fewer acceptance speeches and more awkward networking moments. Theres something inherently amusing about these gatherings. Picture it: a sea of lanyards, complimentary tote bags, and caffeine-fueled developers who havent seen daylight in weeks. Yet, we flock to these events like moths to a flameor more accurately, like engineers to free WiFi. The article did a stellar job listing the crème de la crème of tech conferences. CES, for instance, is basically Disneyland for gadget geeks. And then there's SXSW, where you can discuss blockchain one minute and attend a concert by a band youve never heard of the next. Who needs sleep, right? But lets face it, the real reason we love these events? The swag. I mean, who doesnt need another branded stress ball or a T-shirt thats two sizes too large? And lets not forget the networkingbecause nothing says lets do business like exchanging business cards over lukewarm coffee. In all seriousness, these conferences are crucial for staying ahead of the curve in our rapidly evolving industry. They offer insights, foster innovation, and yes, even give us a reason to leave our screens and actually talk to people. So, which event are you looking forward to? And more importantly, whats the best swag youve ever scored? https://lnkd.in/gwyVeJPT

An event about events? 🎤Aljaz Florjancic recently participated as a speaker at the "SREČA-nje" event, where leading Slovenian event organizers discussed the future and innovations in the industry. As the Director of Experiential Projects at Bold, he shared valuable insights. The focus was on artificial intelligence and human creativity, emphasizing event organization as a key component of the creative industry, and the need for advanced knowledge and networking in the modern environment. Who's interested in the four main key takeaways of this event? Write in the comments.🙋

The new year brings the chance for new leads 🔎 Exhibitions are the ideal platform to find strong, relevant leads, by showcasing your products and forming connections with attendees. Time to put your business front and centre at exhibitions! We’ve compiled our best tips to excel at your exhibitions in 2025. Discover trends, advice, and how to make the most of your time at an event. Read our article to get ahead of the curve: https://lnkd.in/eV2Uraep #Exhibition #CardboardEngineering #Events #Imageco #ExhibitionStand