Unlocking Event Tech: What We Learned at International Confex 2026 (And What To Do Next)

At International Confex 2026, I had the pleasure of moderating a brilliant discussion with Ananth Mullapudi, Revenue Lead at Snapsight, and Ben Stimpson, Senior Production Manager at Principal. Global Events, titled “Unlocking Event Tech: How to Actually Use the Tools You’re Paying For.”

It was a packed and honest conversation, the kind our industry needs more of.

We explored a hard truth: most event teams aren’t struggling because they bought the wrong technology. They’re struggling because they’re not fully using what they already have.

According to industry research, only 21% of organisers have fully consolidated their tech stacks. The rest are navigating fragmented systems, siloed data, manual workarounds and partial adoption.

And that’s where the real opportunity lies.

The Core Principle: Platforms Don’t Create Value. Behaviour Does.

One of the most important takeaways from the discussion was this:

Tech doesn’t fail at procurement. It fails at utilisation.

Across the session, three themes consistently surfaced:

(1) Commercial alignment must come first

Technology should support revenue, retention, and sponsor value — not just “operational efficiency.”

If a tool can’t clearly answer:

• How does this increase revenue?

• How does this improve sponsor ROI?

• How does this reduce cost or increase capacity?

Then its role needs reassessing.

(2) Underutilisation shows up in behaviour

We discussed the subtle signs that tech isn’t embedded properly:

• Teams exporting data into spreadsheets “just to be safe”

• Manual reporting processes

• Duplicate data entry

• Departments using the same tool in completely different ways

• Event apps or CRMs used only at surface level

These aren’t tech problems. They’re adoption and accountability problems.

(3) Consolidation isn’t always the solution

While consolidation sounds commercially attractive, ripping out platforms isn’t always where the ROI sits.

Often, the bigger win is:

• Better integration

• Clear ownership

• Defined KPIs

• Leadership reinforcement

• Cross-department accountability

Sometimes middleware tools or simple workflow redesign can unlock more value than an expensive replatforming project.

So What Should You Do Next With Your Event Tech?

If you attended the session, you likely left thinking:

"We probably have more value sitting inside our current stack than we realise."

Here’s a practical starting point.

Step 1: Run a Event Tech Utilisation Audit (Not a Procurement Review)

Instead of asking, “Do we have the right tools?” ask:

• Which features are we actually using?

• Which reports directly influence decisions?

• Where are we duplicating effort?

• Who owns adoption in each department?

• What revenue impact can we directly attribute to each platform

This is exactly why I recommend conducting an Exhibitor & Commercial Tech Audit (I've shared a link to my audit document at the end of this blog).

Because in B2B events especially, your tech stack directly influences:

• Sponsor visibility

• Lead tracking integrity

• Sales reporting accuracy

• Data monetisation

• Rebook conversations

• Renewal forecasting

  
  

If those areas feel manual, unclear, or overly reliant on “tribal knowledge,” there’s likely revenue being left on the table.

Step 2: Align Around Measurable Outcomes

Rather than measuring adoption by logins or usage rates, measure:

• Sponsor lead volume accuracy

• Time saved per campaign

• Reduction in manual reporting hours

• Revenue attribution clarity

• Conversion rate improvements

• Renewal uplift linked to data visibility

Utilisation only matters if it drives measurable commercial outcomes.

Step 3: Assign Accountability

Tech ROI requires ownership.

Not just a systems manager.

Not just marketing.

Not just ops.

But cross-functional accountability; reinforced by leadership.

Without behavioural change, platforms remain underused assets.

Final Reflection from Confex

Moderating this conversation at International Confex reinforced something I see daily working with event teams:

The industry doesn’t have a technology problem.

It has a clarity and utilisation problem.

And that’s good news — because clarity is fixable.

If you’d like a structured way to evaluate your exhibitor tech, sponsor data flows, and commercial alignment, you can download the Exhibitor Audit framework we referenced during the session by clicking this link.

Because the tools you’re already paying for should be working harder than they are.

Want to understand whether your current event tech stack is supporting revenue, sponsor value and rebook growth? Book a free consultation to explore how an Exhibitor & Commercial Tech Audit could uncover missed opportunities.

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