The Event Tech Pull Up

Event Tech Pull Up is back, and Keith Johnston and Tess Vismale have a few things to get off their chests.

Producing events in 2026 can feel like an extreme sport. Rising travel, hotel, food, fuel, and production costs are putting more pressure on event budgets, while attendees and organizations are making purchasing and travel decisions later. Keith and Tess talk about what that looks like on the planning side: tighter production budgets, smaller delegations, painful F&B guarantees, and registration numbers that can look terrifying right up until the doors open.

They also return to a longtime Event Tech Pull Up concern: consolidation. The conversation looks at what happens when more of the event ecosystem ends up under fewer ownership umbrellas, and what that can mean for competition, choice, pricing, and innovation.

Then there’s AI. Not AI as an email-writing assistant, but the growing wave of software that can now be built extremely quickly with AI coding tools. Keith’s concern isn’t that AI-built software is inherently bad. It’s that something can look finished long before the boring but essential work — security, authentication, confirmation emails, file storage, browser testing, edge cases, and failure handling — is actually complete.

Finally, Keith and Tess take on two event-tech habits that may need some reconsideration: automatically giving every event its own app and assuming every conference needs a year-round community. Sometimes a well-built mobile website — or a tool attendees already use, such as WhatsApp — may solve the actual problem with considerably less friction.

And if you really do want a year-round community, somebody has to manage it. That somebody should not automatically be the meeting planner because they happened to be standing nearby when the idea was approved.

The episode ends on an unexpectedly optimistic note. AI adoption is becoming less fearful and more practical. The real opportunity may not be asking AI to write one more email, but using it to take recurring administrative work off a planner’s plate so there is actually time left to plan.

What we talk about:

• Why event budgets feel tighter even when expectations haven’t changed
• How late registration is making forecasting and F&B guarantees increasingly risky
• What consolidation could mean for competition and innovation in event technology
• The difference between AI-built software and finished software
• Why security, edge cases, storage, authentication, and testing still matter
• Whether attendees actually have app fatigue — or just bad app fatigue
• When a mobile website or WhatsApp may make more sense than another event app
• Why year-round communities require real community management, not just another task for the planner

Pull up, because this episode is all about the content your event is already creating — and why it should be doing a lot more work after the session ends.

Tess and Keith sit down with Jacob Kinnander, CCO at Voxo, and Johan Wadenholt Vrethem, CEO and Co-Founder of Voxo, to talk about how Voxo helps event organizers turn live sessions into branded summaries, reports, podcasts, and reusable content within minutes.

Voxo is built around a simple idea: your speakers, panels, and education sessions are packed with value, but too often that content disappears after the room clears. Their platform uses AI to capture live event content and transform it into assets attendees can revisit, organizers can share, and sponsors can support.

The conversation gets into where AI actually makes sense in events, how planners can extend the life of their content, why attendees need more than a notebook and good intentions, and how session recaps can become a real sponsor opportunity.

Because “we’ll send the recap later” has been doing a lot of heavy lifting for a long time.

In This Episode

Tess, Keith, Jacob, and Johan talk about:

• Why so much valuable event content gets lost after the event
• How Voxo turns live sessions into summaries, reports, podcasts, and branded assets
• Why Voxo leads with the problem, not just “AI”
• How session content can support attendees during and after the event
• What planners need to think through before bringing in a tool like Voxo
• Why AV setup and vendor coordination still matter
• How AI-generated podcasts can help attendees catch up on sessions
• How content chatbots can make event knowledge easier to access
• Ways sponsors can support session summaries, reports, podcasts, and event content hubs
• Why event teams should think about content as a year-round asset

Guest Info

Jacob Kinnander
Chief Commercial Officer, Voxo
Jacob works across Voxo’s commercial strategy, including sales, marketing, partnerships, and delivery.

Johan Wadenholt Vrethem
CEO and Co-Founder, Voxo
Johan brings a technical and strategic view of how conversational intelligence and AI can solve long-standing content challenges in events.

About Voxo

Voxo is an AI-powered event content platform that helps organizers capture live sessions and turn them into branded summaries, reports, podcasts, and content hubs. The platform is designed to help attendees retain more, organizers create more usable content, and sponsors find new ways to support the event experience.

Pull Up Takeaway

Event teams are already investing in speakers, stages, sessions, AV, and attendee experience. Voxo helps make sure that investment does not disappear the second the session ends.

For associations and corporate events, this is where AI starts to feel practical: not shiny, not gimmicky, but useful. Capture the content, package it well, give attendees something they can actually use, and create new sponsor value along the way.

Tiny little concept. Radical, apparently.

Links

Voxo.ai - https://voxoevent.ai/

Johan Wadenholt Vrethem - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanwadenholt/

Jacob Kinnander - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-kinnander/

Event Tech Atlas - https://eventtechatlas.com/

Event Tech Pull Up Podcast - https://eventtechpullup.com/

Recorded live from the Confex show floor in London, Tess Vismale sits down with Mia Masson, an event tech marketer and consultant, to talk about the challenges planners face when sourcing event technology. Drawing on her experience working with event tech companies and organizers, Mia shares why the tech buying process is often frustrating, where communication breaks down between planners and vendors, and why a transparent discovery tool like Event Tech Atlas could help bridge the gap.

What We Cover

• Mia Masson’s journey into the event tech industry during the pandemic
• Why the relationship between planners and event tech providers often breaks down
• The hidden pain of sourcing new event technology
• Why organizers often stay with tools they don’t like
• The problem with confusing marketing language in event tech
• Why trust, transparency, and peer reviews matter in tech selection
• How discovery platforms can help planners find the right tools

Guest

Mia Masson – Event Tech Marketer & Consultant

Mia Mason works across the event technology ecosystem helping platforms, communities, and organizers with marketing, consulting, and event tech strategy. After several years working in event tech marketing, she now supports multiple event tech companies and advises organizers navigating the technology sourcing process.

Hosts

Tess Vismale – iSocialX / Event Tech Atlas

Key Takeaway

Choosing event technology shouldn’t feel like a guessing game. Clear information, trusted peer reviews, and honest conversations between planners and vendors are essential for making better tech decisions.

Learn More

• Mia Masson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eventmarketingexpert/
• Event Tech Atlas - https://eventtechatlas.com/
• Event Tech Pull Up Podcast - https://eventtechpullup.com/

Recorded live from the Confex show floor in London, Keith Johnston and Kristi Casey sit down with Chris Haddow of ExpoPlatform to discuss how technology can improve buyer–seller connections at large exhibitions. The conversation explores how meeting intelligence, data signals, and thoughtful use of AI help exhibitors generate better leads while helping organizers deliver measurable ROI for both exhibitors and attendees. 

What We Cover

• What ExpoPlatform is designed to do for large exhibitions
• Why meaningful buyer–seller connections drive exhibitor ROI
• The difference between “AI marketing” and practical AI tools
• How meeting intelligence can improve lead follow-up• Why many exhibitors fail to act on leads collected at events
• Monetization strategies organizers can use inside event platforms
• Turning event technology from a cost center into a profit center

Guest

Chris Haddow – ExpoPlatform

ExpoPlatform is an event technology platform designed for large-scale exhibitions, helping organizers facilitate buyer–seller meetings, networking, and attendee engagement. The platform focuses on improving exhibitor ROI through intelligent matchmaking, meeting scheduling, and data-driven engagement tools. 

Hosts

• Keith Johnston – i3 Events / Event Tech Atlas
• Kristi Casey – Executive Editor, Event Tech Atlas

Key Takeaway

The value of exhibition technology isn’t just managing the event; it’s creating meaningful connections that generate measurable ROI for exhibitors and real value for attendees.

Learn More

ExpoPlatform – https://expoplatform.com/

Chris Haddow - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishaddow/

Event Tech Atlas - https://eventtechatlas.com/

Event Tech Pull Up Podcast - https://eventtechpullup.com/

Recorded live from the Confex show floor in London, Stuart Mitchell sits down with Abi Cannons of Grip to discuss how event platforms can improve networking, matchmaking, and meeting outcomes for organizers and exhibitors. The conversation explores how Grip helps facilitate meaningful connections at events while providing organizers with the data they need to demonstrate ROI and improve future events.

What We Cover

• What Grip does and how it powers event networking and matchmaking
• Why event apps should focus on meaningful connections, not just features
• How data from attendee interactions helps organizers improve events
• The challenge of integrating event technology platforms
• Why pre-event engagement is critical for successful networking
• The missed opportunity exhibitors overlook when using event apps
• How AI-powered concierge tools are starting to enhance event platforms

Guest

Abi Cannons – Grip

Grip is an event networking and matchmaking platform designed to help organizers increase the number of meaningful meetings between attendees, buyers, and suppliers. The platform uses data-driven recommendations and AI-powered tools to connect participants and help exhibitors capture leads, schedule meetings, and maximize ROI from event participation.

Host

Stuart Mitchell – Catch the MICE/Event Tech Atlas

Key Takeaway

Event apps are most powerful when attendees use them before the event starts—planning meetings and connections in advance instead of relying on chance encounters on the show floor.

Learn More

Grip - https://eventtechatlas.com/listing/grip.html

Abi Cannons - https://www.linkedin.com/in/abicannons/

Stuart Mitchell - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-mitchell-consultant/

Event Tech Atlas - https://eventtechatlas.com/

Event Tech Pull Up Podcast - https://eventtechpullup.com/

Joi is a supporter of the Event Tech Pull Up, learn more at ⁠https://www.joi.events/

Recorded live from the Confex show floor in London, Keith and Tess sit down with Cecilia Lavin of Evessio to talk about award programs, event technology, and why recognition-driven events can become powerful revenue generators for organizations. They explore how specialized tech platforms support the full awards lifecycle, reduce manual work for event teams, and help organizations turn awards programs into year-round audience engagement tools. 

What We Cover

• What Evessio is and why it specializes in awards programs
• Why award programs can become major brand and revenue drivers
• The hidden time cost of manual event administration
• How event tech should integrate instead of pretending to be “all-in-one”
• Why honest sales conversations matter in event technology
• How feedback and judging data can strengthen awards programs
• Why transparency builds credibility in industry awards

Guest

Cecilia Lavin – Evessio

Evessio is an event management platform focused on awards programs and conferences, helping organizers manage the full lifecycle of awards—from submissions and judging to promotion and post-event engagement. The platform is designed to automate administrative tasks while helping organizations monetize and grow their awards programs. 

Hosts

Keith Johnston – i3 Events / Event Tech Atlas

Tess Vismale – iSocialX / Event Tech Atlas

Key Takeaway

Awards programs aren’t just recognition moments—they can become year-round engagement engines that strengthen brands, generate revenue, and deepen community relationships.

Learn More

Evessio - https://evessio.com/

Cecilia Lavin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecilia-lavin/

Evessio - https://evessio.com/live/en/page/home

Event Tech Atlas - https://eventtechatlas.com/

Event Tech Pull Up Podcast - https://eventtechpullup.com/

Joi is a supporter of the Event Tech Pull Up, learn more at ⁠https://www.joi.events/

Recorded live from the Confex show floor in London, Tess sits down with Johnny Martinez of CrowdComms to talk about event technology, accessibility, and why the best tech should feel invisible to attendees while empowering event teams behind the scenes. They also discuss global event design differences, the importance of accessibility standards, and a behind-the-scenes look at their work helping create the new event technology module for the CMP certification.

What We Cover

• Johnny Martinez’s journey into the events industry
• What CrowdComms actually means by “end-to-end” event technology
• Why the best event tech should feel invisible to attendees
• Accessibility standards and WCAG compliance in event platforms
• Differences between U.S. and UK event show floor design
• How gamification can drive attendee engagement
• Creating the new event technology module for CMP certification

Guest

• Johnny Martinez – Head of Partnerships, CrowdComms

CrowdComms provides event technology solutions including registration systems, mobile event apps, attendee engagement tools, badge printing, lead capture, and virtual/hybrid event capabilities. The platform focuses on helping organizers manage attendee data and deliver seamless experiences across the entire event lifecycle.

Host

• Tess Vismale – iSocialX / Event Tech Atlas

Key Takeaway

The best event technology isn’t the flashiest tool on the show floor. It’s the technology that quietly powers the experience while letting organizers focus on the people in the room.

Learn More

• CrowdComms - https://www.crowdcomms.com/

• Johnny Martinez - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnny-d-martinez/

• Event Tech Atlas - https://eventtechatlas.com/

• Event Tech Pull Up Podcast - https://eventtechpullup.com/

Joi is a supporter of the Event Tech Pull Up, learn more at https://www.joi.events/

Recorded live from the Confex show floor in London, Keith sits down with Beezar Sirini and Danis Nova of Boost.Express to discuss a new approach to event sponsorship and digital advertising. The conversation explores how event organizers can extend exhibitor marketing campaigns beyond the event dates, helping sponsors reach targeted audiences year-round while generating new revenue for event organizers. 

What We Cover

• What Boost.Express is and how the platform works
• Why exhibitor digital marketing budgets are often larger than event sponsorship budgets
• How targeted campaigns help sponsors reach event audiences before and after the show
• The problem with “shotgun” advertising approaches in event marketing
• How organizers can generate new non-dues revenue through advertising campaigns
• Why measurable marketing data matters for sponsors and exhibitors
• How campaigns can drive booth traffic, meetings, and new attendees

Guests

Beezar Sirini – Co-Founder, Boost.Express

Danis Nova – Co-Founder, Boost.Express

Boost.Express is a collaborative advertising platform designed for events with large exhibitor bases. The platform enables exhibitors and sponsors to run highly targeted digital advertising campaigns in partnership with event organizers, extending marketing opportunities beyond the event window and creating new revenue streams for organizers. 

Host

Keith Johnston – i3 Events / Event Tech Atlas

Key Takeaway

Events shouldn’t generate value only on show days. When exhibitors and organizers collaborate on targeted digital campaigns, the event audience becomes a year-round marketing engine.

Learn More

• Beezar Sirini - https://www.linkedin.com/in/beezar/
• Danis Nova - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danisnova/
• Boost.Express - https://boost.express/
• Event Tech Atlas - https://eventtechatlas.com/
• Event Tech Pull Up Podcast - https://eventtechpullup.com/

Joi is a supporter of the Event Tech Pull Up, learn more at https://Joi.Events

Recorded live inside the Optima1 mobile event space on the Confex show floor in London, this special episode of Event Tech Pull Up explores a completely different approach to event environments.

Tess Vismale, Kristi Casey, and Stuart Mitchell sit down with Mark Tasker of Optima1 to talk about how the mobile venue was designed, why flexibility is critical for modern event production, and how a single space can transform into a broadcast studio, hospitality suite, product launch venue, or interactive brand activation.

The conversation highlights how Optima1 combines luxury design, broadcast-level AV production, and rapid deployment to create a fully functional event environment that can be delivered almost anywhere. The episode was also edited and produced by the Optima1 team inside the mobile space itself, making it a true demonstration of what the platform can do. 

What We Cover

• The story behind Optima1 and the production challenges it was built to solve
• Why event producers wanted a mobile venue that combines luxury, AV, and flexibility
• How the space can transform into a studio, hospitality lounge, classroom, or product launch venue
• The technology behind the mobile environment, including 4K displays and broadcast capabilities
• How quickly the unit can deploy compared to traditional event builds
• Why mobile event spaces are powerful tools for brand activations and experiential marketing
• Creative ways planners could use Optima1 for roadshows, demos, and interactive experiences

Guest

Mark Tasker – Optima1

Mark Tasker is an event producer and the creator of Optima1, a high-end mobile event space designed to deliver fully equipped environments for events, broadcast production, hospitality, and brand activations. Built from decades of event production experience, Optima1 combines studio-grade AV technology, flexible branding capabilities, and luxury event design in a mobile platform that can be deployed almost anywhere. 

Hosts

Tess Vismale – iSocialX / Event Tech AtlasKristi Casey – Event Tech AtlasStuart Mitchell – Catch the MICE / Event Tech Atlas

Key Takeaway

Events don’t always need a ballroom, a convention center, or a traditional venue. When technology, design, and mobility come together, planners can create fully functional event environments anywhere a truck can park.

Learn More

• Optima1 – ⁠https://www.optima1.com/⁠
• Mark Tasker – ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markfruition/⁠
• Event Tech Atlas - ⁠https://eventtechatlas.com/⁠
• Event Tech Pull Up Podcast - ⁠https://eventtechpullup.com/⁠

Recorded live from the Confex show floor in London, Keith Johnston and Tess Vismale sit down with Mark Kisby of The AV Department Ltd. to talk about the realities of delivering audio-visual production around the world. From royal yachts to global conferences, Mark shares stories about last-minute AV challenges, creative problem solving, and why the relationship between planners and production teams is critical to event success.

What We Cover

• What it takes to deliver AV for events around the world
• Real stories of last-minute production challenges
• How AV teams creatively solve problems during live events
• The growing complexity of event technology setups
• Why clients are increasingly asking for self-operated AV systems
• The importance of preparation for speakers and interpreters

• Why sending presentations early can make or break a show

Guest

Mark Kisby – The AV Department Ltd.

Mark Kisby leads The AV Department Ltd., a production company based in Scotland that delivers global audio-visual services including interpretation systems, PA, conferencing technology, and event production support. With decades of experience in the industry, Mark and his team specialize in solving complex technical challenges for live events around the world.

Hosts

• Keith Johnston – i3 Events / Event Tech Atlas
• Tess Vismale – iSocialX / Event Tech Atlas

Featuring:

• Neela Johnston – Event Tech Atlas

Learn More

• Mark Kisby - https://www.linkedin.com/in/avdept/
• The AV Department, LTD - https://www.avdept.co.uk/
• Event Tech Atlas - https://eventtechatlas.com/
• Event Tech Pull Up Podcast - https://eventtechpullup.com/

Episode Brought to You By

• Joi Events - https://www.joi.events/

#EventTech #AVProduction #EventProfs #LiveEvents #Confex