I've spent 23 years in the tech trenches of media and events, launching five tech tradeshows from scratch, leading an MBO for a webinar-based smart energy business, and yes, actually coding the solutions myself. 

People struggle to believe someone can both launch major industry events and build/implement the tech that powers them. But that unique combination naturally led me to become a tech consultant for events and media businesses.

Through that consulting work, I discovered something obvious yet profound: the maximum impact of tech isn't in the features, it's in transforming business operations, customer acquisition, and retention. These aren't just event challenges; they're universal problems for any independent business.

Then ChatGPT arrived, and I realised everything was about to change. So I did what I always do, took a break, and dove in headfirst. That was 2023. You can't advise on something you don't understand yourself, and this tech is so new that there is no playbook.

Two years into my Human in the Loop (HITL) experiment, I've discovered the real superpower for independents: AI forces you to completely reimagine how you get to outcomes, not just optimise existing processes.

And unlike corporate oil tankers that take years to change course, independents can pivot in days. We can throw out 20-year-old workflows and build something radically better without committee approval.

Through Digitising Events, I'm documenting this transformation. Like when I built a text-to-voice system so research could be listened to, turning 2-hour reading sessions into productive commute time. Or discovering that AI video editing doesn't just speed up old workflows; it enables entirely new content strategies impossible before.

The weekly retrospectives document what happens when you stop trying to make AI fit existing processes and instead rebuild from the outcome backwards. The failures? They're as valuable as successes when you're charting new territory.

In my career, with its twists and turns, I've done more than most would believe possible. Now I'm proving that AI isn't about automating what we did yesterday, it's about reimagining what's possible tomorrow. And independent businesses have the agility to get there first.

Still love my video games, discovering new music and Bauhaus design. But these days, you'll find me sharing what I've learned on Digitising Events to help independent businesses understand their secret weapon: the ability to completely reinvent processes while enterprises are still writing the business case.

Andreea Wade is a General Partner at Delta Partners VC, an entrepreneur, AI leader, and startup mentor with extensive experience in artificial intelligence, product development, and innovation. She co-founded and led Opening.io, a talent intelligence platform leveraging AI, which was acquired by iCIMS in 2020. At iCIMS, Andreea served as Vice President of Artificial Intelligence, where she led initiatives in AI-powered hiring solutions. Andreea is actively involved in supporting the tech and startup ecosystem and has been a key tech community member for the last 15 years, organising hackathons and a range of industry events focused on innovation and technology. Andreea served on the board of WITS (Women in Technology and Science). 

Co-Founder of allpointsAI, helping creative businesses turn AI challenges into competitive advantages. Former Group CTO at Imagination, leading the global technology strategy for over a decade, and building XPKit®, the pioneering industry-first global experience platform. Delivered groundbreaking, Guinness World Record-breaking, and multi-award-winning creative consultancy, live experiences, destinations and content for global audiences, including IKEA, JLR, Rolls-Royce, Universal Studios, NEOM, New Murabba, Qiddiya, Canon, Ford, MLB, Visa, Mastercard, and Lego.

Governor at the London School of Innovation, founding board member of Innovate UK’s Immersive Tech Network,Ethics Working Group Co-Chair, and founding trustee of Trust 3.0 charity.

As Head of Events and Engagements at Channel 4, Barry leads a 7-person team who take ownership of all corporate event activity across the entire public service streamer. Their output varies from intimate dinner receptions to splashy press launches and commercial parties – all delivered with a uniquely Channel 4 edge and ‘Altogether Different’ slant. As part of Channel 4, Barry and his team are passionate advocates for accessibility in events and strive to utilise creativity and technology that delivers an equitable and stand out experience to all guests. Prior to Channel 4, Barry worked at Turner Broadcasting, leading event activity around Turner Classic Movies and Cartoon Network.

Beverley Honey is a strategic consultant specialising in the use of AI and data intelligence to shape the future of event technology. She advises international organisers on digital transformation and innovation, helping them align technology investment with strategic growth. Known for her clear, pragmatic approach, Beverley focuses on connecting insight, automation, and audience understanding to deliver measurable business value and stronger community engagement across the event ecosystem.

Brandee Plott is a self-professed event-tech nerd and digital transformation leader with 15+ years driving growth across SaaS and events. At MeetingPlay (now Stova), she led the pandemic pivot to virtual and hybrid experiences, powering 688% revenue growth, a $75M investment, and notable industry partnerships. She also launched MPA University to upskill planners and accelerate platform adoption. Now an AI Solutions Architect at Northern Arizona University, she builds responsible, data-driven systems that personalize engagement and unlock ROI at scale.  Brandee recently earned her MBA from Arizona State University with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence, graduating with distinction. Combining her background in event tech, data analytics, and ethical innovation, she’s passionate about helping organizations harness technology to create human-centered experiences that drive measurable impact.

Colin Fitzpatrick is a founder and tech entrepreneur with 20 years of experience at companies including Oracle, HubSpot, Salesforce, and Dell. He has deep expertise in startups, having launched a cryptocurrency and NFT venture in the metaverse, and now consults with multiple companies in the AI space. Colin also founded an AI project focused on conversational 3D avatars for customer service and support. A prolific writer on LinkedIn with over 25,000 followers, he is passionate about AI and emerging technology.

Gary Clement is the CEO of Evessio, a leading awards and events management platform committed to transforming how organisations run, judge, and celebrate awards programmes. With a career spanning more than two decades in technology, digital innovation, and business strategy, Gary has built a reputation for driving growth through customer-centric products and a clear vision for operational excellence.

At Evessio, Gary leads the company’s mission to elevate the awards industry through intuitive software, automation, and AI-powered tools designed to enhance transparency, efficiency, and entrant success. Under his leadership, Evessio has become known for its award-winning platform that empowers event organisers, judges, and entrants with seamless workflows and intelligent insights.

Gary is a champion of innovation, guiding Evessio’s development of advanced features such as AI-enhanced judging summaries, benchmarking insights for entrants, self-evaluation tools, and personalised recommendations that help organisations run more impactful programmes. His commitment to integrity, fairness, and user experience is central to Evessio’s growth and its reputation as a trusted partner to awards organisers worldwide.

Before joining Evessio, Gary held senior leadership roles across the digital and technology sectors, where he specialised in scaling businesses, building high-performing teams, and delivering market-leading products. He brings a rare blend of commercial acumen, technical understanding, and creative vision to every project.

Outside of work, Gary is a passionate advocate for the awards industry’s evolution and frequently collaborates with partners and clients to explore new opportunities for innovation and improvement.

Widely recognised as a connector and influencer at the intersection of media, events, and data-as-a-service, Heather Holst-Knudsen brings over 30 years of experience turning complex data ecosystems into scalable growth. She is the Founder & CEO of H2K Labs, a tech-enabled value creation firm focused on profitable, scalable, and efficient revenue acceleration.

H2K Labs operates through two core engines: the H2K Labs Strategy Group, which partners with media, event, business information, and marketplace companies to drive enterprise value, and The Revenue Room™, a professional network and executive education platform for CEOs and their revenue-critical leaders. This ecosystem includes Revenue Room™ CXO, the RevvedUP conference, RevLabs, Revenue Room™ Salon and The Revenue Room™ Bootcamp, all designed to fuel data-enabled growth and next-gen business model transformation.

Heather began her career at Thomas Publishing, Miller Freeman, Reed Elsevier, and IDG, later leading—and selling—Thomas’s Manufacturing Enterprise Communications division. She has also collaborated with SaaS innovators including Feathr, Gleanin, Brella, and Edflex, while growing H2K Labs into a trusted strategic partner for growth-minded CEOs and C-suites.

James Taylor is an award-winning speaker and internationally recognized leader in creativity and innovation. For over 20 years, he has been teaching entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders, writers and rockstars how to unlock creativity, accelerate innovation, and adapt to change.

As the founder of SuperCreativityU, SpeakersU and host of The SuperCreativity Podcast and TV Show, he’s taught thousands of individuals in over 120 countries through his online courses, books, videos and keynote speeches.

Today James Taylor provides speaking, consulting and executive coaching services to many of the Fortune 500 including Apple, Visa, UPS, Dell Technologies, IBM, Cisco, McDonalds and Johnson & Johnson. An in-demand business creativity expert, he has been featured in countless media outlets and was the subject of a 30 minute BBC documentary about his life and work.

James is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (F.R.S.A.) whose Fellows have included global innovators and leaders including President Benjamin Franklin, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Bob Dylan, Adam Smith, Nelson Mandela and Professor Stephen Hawking.

Jay Schwedelson has built and led businesses that have generated over $400 million in revenue—all by doing what most marketers are too afraid to try: breaking the so-called “best practices.”

He is the founder of SubjectLine.com, the world’s #1 free subject line rating tool, ranking in the top 1% of all websites globally after testing more than 20 million subject lines. As CEO of Outcome Media, Jay leads a team that executes over 40,000 marketing campaigns annually for some of the world’s most iconic brands.

He also launched GURU Media Hub, home to the largest virtual marketing events in the world, attracting over 50,000 attendees each year. His podcast, “Do This, Not That: For Marketers,” ranks as the #1 marketing podcast in the U.S., out of more than 55,000, according to Apple Podcasts.

A tireless advocate for bold, research-backed marketing, Jay shares his real-world experience as an adjunct professor at the University of Florida, his alma mater—where he was also inducted into the College of Journalism and Communications Hall of Fame.

Named to Crain’s Top 100 Industry Leaders list ten years in a row, Jay has keynoted and spoken at over 300 major industry events worldwide, helping marketers ditch outdated playbooks and embrace what actually works.

Lucy is a client services and strategy consultant with over 13 years’ experience across the experiential and creative industry, leading global projects for brands and agencies in technology, automotive, and luxury sectors.

Through her consultancy, Practical AI for Experiential & Event Agencies, Lucy helps agencies adopt AI in ways that feel human, strategic, and genuinely useful - not overwhelming or artificial. Her work focuses on empowering teams to save time, pitch smarter, and deliver stronger client service through approachable, hands-on AI training.

Drawing on a background in operations, client growth, and event strategy, Lucy combines a people-first approach with deep agency insight. She’s passionate about making AI adoption feel exciting rather than intimidating - helping creative teams turn it into a trusted partner, not a passing trend.

Michelle Rees is a seasoned global event professional with nearly20 yearsof experience, currently serving as Global Event Lead at A&O Shearman, following Allen & Overy’s merger with Shearman & Sterling in 2024. In her role, Michelle leads the global strategy and alignment of the firm’s events function, ensuring every initiative reflects A&OShearman’s commitment to delivering best-in-class experiences for clients across markets.   Michelle’s credentials extend beyond the legal sector. She co-owns Eventprofslive, a prominent networking community that shares best practices and fosters collaboration among corporate event professionals. Additionally, she has just completed the Oxford Artificial Intelligence Programme at Saïd Business School, further enriching her strategic toolkit with insights into AI’s mechanics, ethics, and organisational impact. A recognised leader in global event management, Michelle combines deep expertise in the legal industry with forward-thinking innovation, championing the integration of AI-driven strategies into the design and execution of exceptional events worldwide.

Milo Bravo explores the intersection of data, creativity, and human connection. After years of shaping intelligence systems for global events and organisations, he now focuses on how AI can elevate the way we design, decide, and experience the world around us. Blending strategic insight with a passion for innovation, Milo helps teams turn information into meaningful stories and impact. As a judge for the Event Technology Awards (AI Edition), he champions a future where technology deepens—not replaces—the art of human experience.

Pietro is a British-Italian professional working for Adobe in sales operations and business insights, where he helps teams unlock the power of data, processes, and technology. He has a front-row view of how innovations in AI are transforming the way organisations plan and deliver experiences.

Before joining Adobe, Pietro worked in the event industry across APAC, the Middle East, and Australia with the Italian Chambers of Commerce.

His experience across both the events world and the technology sector gives him a unique perspective on how AI-driven event tech can elevate engagement, efficiency, and creativity.

I’m a marketing expert in B2B trade shows, mainly focused on the tech and innovation sectors. I’ve launched and managed large international events across Europe, North America, and beyond. I’m passionate about technology, digital marketing, and building data-driven strategies that make trade shows more impactful, engaging, and ROI-focused, helping both exhibitors and attendees achieve their goals.

Rex Serrao is a seasoned product executive with over 15 years of experience leading high-impact teams at the intersection of technology, data, media, and customer engagement. Long before generative AI captured mainstream attention, Rex spent a decade designing and shipping machine learning–powered products, giving him deep, hands-on expertise in how intelligent systems drive meaningful business outcomes.

At Salesforce, Rex led a product organization whose scope included Salesforce+, the company’s streaming and digital experiences platform, as well as the event technology powering Dreamforce—one of the largest and most complex corporate events in the world. Under his leadership, the team delivered Salesforce’s first public generative AI innovations for events, launching AI-generated session summaries and an Events Agent that streamlined attendee experience and operational workflows. These efforts redefined how AI can enhance large-scale, hybrid event engagement.

Across his career, Rex has built and scaled products used by millions globally, consistently bridging cutting-edge innovation with pragmatic, user-centric execution.

With 20+ years working at the intersection of communications, technology and business, Taline is no stranger to event tech - she’s written articles and research reports for leading brands and publications, including Event Industry News. She now leads strategic communications at Positive Change Group, a global stakeholder engagement agency, and sits on its AI Committee. Her focus: adoption, upskilling and thought leadership - and building AI into the group’s services. She’s fascinated (maybe obsessed!) how the technology is transforming the way people work, connect and learn.