Event Tech Live: What to Know Before You Go

Are you attending Event Tech Live (ETL) in London next week? We spoke to Adam Parry, the man behind the show, to get the scoop. Here are tips on how to get the most out of the show and the highlights we’re most excited about.

What the Event Offers

Event Tech Live has been the industry’s primary source of education and innovation in all things event technology for over 8 years, and with over 100 exhibitors and 100 sessions, this iteration promises to be one of its best. 

“This event is a unique opportunity for Stova to engage directly with our customers and prospects in an immersive, hands-on way,” says Jessica Martin, Stova’s Marketing Content Manager. “Attendees will experience our latest tech innovations, including exciting announcements like new features in the Exhibitor Resource Center. It’s a chance to connect, showcase our offerings, and demonstrate how our solutions create seamless event experiences.”

Event Tech Live differentiates itself by “having the biggest number of tech vendors in the same room,” says Parry. Typically the audience is tech-focussed. “If you’re searching for tech specifically, this show is a real time-saver.”

A New Hosted Buyer Option

In response to increasing demand from both attendees and exhibitors, this year’s event boasts a new hosted buyer option. For exhibitors, staff benefit from a full schedule of qualified buyers rather than relying on serendipity on the show floor. For attendees, the format allows them to make better use of their time by giving them a schedule of curated suppliers based on their specific requirements. Match-making the buyers and exhibitors in this way helps attendees to sort through the marketing suppliers often use to appeal to the widest market. Moreover, it makes the event more accessible to people from over 40 countries. 

“Not everyone works for a company who would fund international travel for ETL,” says Parry, “and we can’t yet replicate the event in every major market region.”

Whereas hosted buyer formats normally give buyers a free ride to the event, ETL is going with a “compensation stipend” that gives buyers the freedom to choose how they want to travel and where they want to stay.

By making the hosted buyer arrangement optional, Parry hopes to apply “a philosophy of choice” to the exhibitors as well. “Some exhibitors value that highly, but others may be in very early stages and might not be able to afford hosted buyers, and others might be using the event primarily to meet existing customers.” The option allows both exhibitors and attendees to participate according to their goals.

If you’d like to connect with us at the event, please reach out to us here.

The ETL Startup Launchpad

The ETL Startup Launchpad is a program that allows companies who are brand new in the market (less than 18 months) to participate as exhibitors. Part of that participation is the Launchpad Competition, which is judged by both industry professionals and buyers.

Through the Launchpad, attendees get a preview of cutting-edge tech breaking into the sector and exhibitors get high value exposure – but also high value feedback from forthcoming buyers.

Parry notes that, while there is a lot of AI this year, the Launchpad also features companies innovating with new solutions to old problems.

While the Launchpad focuses on newer event tech players, sessions like “What’s New in Event Tech: Innovations Unveiled at Event Tech Live” give attendees a curated 45-minute preview of a selection of new products and solutions from more established players.

What’s New in Networking

Given that it’s quite a niche show, Parry notes that ETL that punches above its weight in terms of learning and networking.

For those who want to combine the two, keep an eye out for roundtables, which take place across the entire show, as well as more classroom-style workshops. The latter allow attendees to pursue accreditations that various suppliers offer to shore up skills that help eventprofs with professional development. “ETL provides the space, infrastructure and format for career development,” says Parry, emphasizing the opportunity to get hands-on training on the industry’s latest technology.

“We’re setting up meetings ahead of time to ensure dedicated time with customers,” notes Jessica, “and we’re organizing engaging activities on-site, like live demos and personalized consultations.”

The show not only connects buyers with partners, but provides opportunities for all categories of stakeholders to network with each other.

“Stova is looking forward to connecting with our long-time clients and partners, as well as new faces in the industry. It’s a great opportunity to strengthen these relationships and forge new connections with companies focused on transforming event technology.”

Who’s Who

For industry newcomers, it’s always helpful to be able to spot a show’s movers and shakers. Here is a quick shortlist of some of our favorites to watch out for (courtesy of Dahlia+):

Adam Parry, ETL’s co-founder and the editor of eventindustrynews.com, is a thought leader with over a decade of experience covering the world of events.

Kizzy Allott is the sales and marketing director behind Event Industry News, Event Tech Live, and Event Sustainability Live.

Lindsay Martin-Bilbrey, multiple-hat-wearing foodie and event industry aficionado, is currently leading Nifty Method while working as an account executive for marketing agency Method Q and as a chef for Hyatt’s Wild Dunes Resort.

Matt Coyne, renowned event industry content specialist and founder of Waves Connects, is an industry expert with over 20 years engaging audiences.

Bogdan Maran, founder of Visual Hive and co-host of the Ctrl + Alt + Delete podcast, uses AI to develop data-driven video content and boost engagement, acquisition, and retention.

Cecilia Lavin, a regular event industry speaker and regional EMEA VP of the International Live Events Association, has been a game changer in the industry for over 14 years.

Josiah Taulbee, recent founder of GoLucid, LLC, will be sharing his expertise in solving tech sourcing challenges for association clients and independent show organizers at the “Are We Defining Event Tech Correctly? Creating Clarity for Buyers and Providers” session.

Adam Fillary is currently a strategic advisor at 45 Degrees, a personal and professional networking consultancy, and the executive managing director of the Professional Association of Networking (PAN). Events are his job and his passion.

Vanessa Lovatt uses nearly 20 years of experience in the B2B digital media, communities, tech, and events to support the Financial Times with strategic growth projects while running Event Tech World, a community for buyers and users of event technology. An outspoken advocate of gender equality in the world of business, she has been featured in several industry events and publications.

Where to Find Us

Stova will be at Stand C14, near the One World Rental Bar. We’ll have live demonstrations and product experts ready to answer questions and provide in-depth insights into our latest offerings.

Education at ETL: Our Picks for the Most Exciting Sessions

With 7 stages, ETL promises to be one of the “most densely educational events in the industry,” says Parry. Presenters from notable organizations like FinTech Week London, VOK DAMS, the Broadwick Group, and MarketforceLive are encouraged to go deep into granular topics in order to deliver unique and actionable insights. While a lot of the speaking slots are filled by suppliers at the event, buyers have often been invited to talk in order to ground the discussions in real-world examples.

“Our team is particularly excited about sessions on sustainability in event tech, event management, and security best practices,” says Jessica. “Each session aligns with our mission to provide innovative, forward-thinking solutions that address our customers’ biggest challenges.”

Check out our watch list.

Stova’s Picks 

Delivering Sustainable Events Course: Taster Session (Workshop)

Wednesday 20 November, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM (60 minutes) & Thursday 21 November, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM (60 minutes)

• A preview of the full Delivering Sustainable Events Course by Worlds Better in partnership with The Event Academy, this session will explore the pillars of sustainability, practical steps for integrating sustainability into event planning, the impact of events on local communities, and common hurdles and tips for navigating them.

From Chaos to Control: Mastering Event Management in 2025

Wednesday 20 November, 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM (30 minutes)

• Exploring new complexities in event management such as balancing hybrid events, improving attendee engagement, and helping exhibitors achieve ROI, this session will use real-world case studies to demonstrate proven strategies for overcoming them.

Maximizing Event ROI: Overcoming the Challenges of Post-Event Engagement

Thursday 21 November, 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM (30 minutes)

• A dive into missed opportunities for post-event engagement, why it happens, and the tools eventprofs can use to “continue boosting your event’s ROI long after the music stops.”

Parry’s Picks

How Marketforce Live Leverages E-commerce Techniques to Sell More Event Sponsorships and Deliver Better Service for Exhibitors

Wednesday 20 November, 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM (30 minutes)

• This session is a case study in how Marketforce Live leveraged ecommerce techniques to sell more sponsorship than ever.

The broken promise of personalisation / The biggest problem in events according to Hopin

Wednesday 20 November, 11:35 AM – 12:05 PM (30 minutes)

• This session will dive into Hopin’s struggle with using data to send segmented and meaningfully personalized comms and offer takeaways to help event organizers generate higher ROI marketing from their events.

Making Events Truly Accessible: A Discussion on Accessibility, Neurodiversity, and UX

Wednesday 20 November, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM (45 minutes)

• This session will explore accessibility and neurodiversity from the lens of event technology and offer practical tips on creating inclusive user experiences.

Deloitte’s Approach to Measuring Experiential Events

Wednesday 20 November, 1:20 PM – 1:50 PM (30 minutes)

• An in-depth case study on Deloitte’s use of event technology to measure brand value, attendee value, business value and execution success.

Event Tech at the Event

We asked Parry what new and exciting event tech he’s the most excited about featuring at ETL. 

“All our partners are amazing, and we’re very fortunate to have so many great companies willing to work with us,” says Parry, who laments not being able to mention every partner at every opportunity.

Nevertheless, here are some of the companies we thought were worth a shout out:

• Voxo will provide live AI summaries (though reviewed by a human) on venue screens and on mobile in order to get it to speakers faster so they can share and amplify the event and generate FOMO
• FotoGoto will take both professional and candid shots from around the show and and then let attendees scan a QR code, take a picture of themselves, and find all the photos that feature them.
• Zuant will scan the show with cameras and produce a digital 3d replication of the event that people can access after.
• Iseveryonesafe will support the safety of attendees at the event through reliable, real-time communications and analytics.

How to Prepare for ETL

We asked Parry how best to prepare for the event in order to make the most of it. Here are his three tips.

1. Organize your schedule ahead of time and prioritize.

All the sessions are being recorded, so you don’t have to worry about missing anything, but sessions are a great opportunity to get some facetime with the experts you want to hear from.

2. Make yourself visible online and make your networking intentions explicit.

It’s a technology show. Use the technology you’ve been provided to lay the groundwork for making productive new connections.

3. Find out who else is coming and schedule some catch-ups.

These events are also an important opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues, and find out what everyone is up to. Asking around not only ensures you get to see the folks you love, but also serves as a low-key suggestion that they come to the event too.

What to Do in London

We asked Parry how best to spend some bonus time in London for the bleisure traveler.

“I have one recommendation and one recommendation only,” says Parry: Walksmart.ai.

Walksmart.ai will create an AI-generated city tour from your hotel to any number of sites according to what you’re specifically looking for, be that greenery and parks, architecture, instagrammable moments, etc.