10 Takeaways to Improve Your Event Tech Stack
At the Conference News Global Events Tech Summit 2025, the session Is Your Tech Stack Making You Broke or Brilliant? examined how event teams build and manage their tech stacks, and how operational, compliance, and governance pressures shape the tools they can use. The discussion was moderated by Vanessa Lovatt, founder of Event Tech World, and featured two experienced practitioners: Ben Krebs, director of events at Event Concept, and Ben Stimpson, senior production manager at Principal Global Events. The conversation focused on ownership, data control, approval workflows and the risks created by fragmented systems. Across the session, the speakers emphasised that clear governance and aligned teams matter more than the number of platforms in use. Here are 10 lessons we learned from the session:
1. Strong alignment makes every tech stack work better
Vanessa Lovatt opened by emphasising human alignment over software selection. She said: “It’s not just about the tech. Human beings are, dare I say it, even more important sometimes. You can have the best tools in the world, but if people aren’t aligned, the whole thing can fall apart. It happens far more than people admit.” The panel agreed that defining ownership, responsibilities, and communication upfront ensures technology enhances, rather than hinders, event delivery. Clear alignment empowers teams to extract the maximum value from their stack.
2. Treat your tech stack as a connected system
Ben Stimpson described a tech stack as “an integrated connection of software… it’s not about having 15 tools, it’s how they actually talk to each other.” Ben Krebs supported this by saying a stack is “the way you power your events and engage with your audiences,” stressing that organisers consistently mistake the number of tools for sophistication. The discussion highlighted that integration, rather than the sheer number of tools, drives value. When platforms complement each other, teams gain efficiency and better insights.
3. Clear data ownership speeds up decisions
Ben Krebs noted that many event organisers sit between departments without clear authority. “Clients own the data, but they’re rarely given the authority to influence the wider business,” he said. “So ownership becomes muddled, and teams can’t make decisions even when they know what needs to happen.” This lack of clarity creates delays around approvals, integration decisions, and compliance reviews. Both Krebs and Ben Stimpson suggested that clear ownership structures and strong stakeholder mapping can help. Stimpson explained: “Typically, the events team will own it, but they need to work closely with IT and legal, and understand exactly who is responsible for each part of the stack. That clarity speeds up decision-making and reduces bottlenecks.”
4. Smart compliance choices strengthen your stack
Even when event teams know what tools they want, they often face regulatory considerations. Stimpson explained: “…approval processes can last three to six months while events run quarterly… cross-border data transfers, security reviews, and AI governance have become dominant factors in vendor selection.” Framing compliance as an enabler rather than a barrier ensures your stack is secure, sustainable, and adaptable to global requirements.
5. Simple, well-designed stacks boost long-term resilience
Stimpson explained that complexity is often a liability rather than a strength: “Simple doesn’t mean it’s not a stack. It means the person who takes over can understand it, even if they were never involved in the build.” Keeping stacks understandable and handover-ready allows teams to maintain and adapt systems seamlessly, avoiding reliance on a single technical champion.
6. Open collaboration with suppliers leads to better outcomes
Lovatt encouraged organisers to be transparent from the start. “Tell suppliers your goals, your politics, your pain points… they can only help you if they know everything,” she said. Krebs added that understanding vendor roadmaps early allows teams to plan strategically and innovate with confidence: “a platform’s future plans change what you can do next year, not just what you can do today.” Strong supplier relationships create opportunities for co-creation and smoother integrations.
7. Unified tools reduce overlap and keep teams focused
Krebs warned against teams assembling multiple isolated systems. “You end up with a disparate data set and duplicated features… no one asked why they needed all those tools,” he said. The panel noted that focusing on unified tools reduces duplication, cuts manual effort, and keeps teams aligned with the event’s objectives, freeing them to deliver high-impact experiences.
8. Preparing for live moments increases reliability
Stimpson shared an incident where an AI-driven solution failed at the point of use: “A client built an AI bot for months… and on the day it didn’t work. We fell back to pen and paper.” The example prompted discussion about the need for contingency plans, including printed backups of attendee lists, check-in information and essential schedules. Planning for live moments turns potential risks into manageable scenarios.
9. Thoughtful use of low-code tools maximises flexibility safely
Krebs explained that low-code tools can bypass established processes. “It becomes too easy to bypass architecture and create weak links only one person understands,” he said. Stimpson added that many low-code services store data in the US, which “creates additional compliance problems for UK and EU events that people often don’t realise until they’re in trouble.” With thoughtful governance, these tools provide rapid adaptability while maintaining data integrity and compliance, allowing teams to experiment safely.
10. Start with people and purpose before platforms
Krebs advised teams to gather the right thinkers before building anything. “Find one person who understands the outcomes, one who understands data governance, and lock them in a room for half a day,” he said. Stimpson recommended showing the resulting plan to someone outside the project: “If they don’t understand it, you don’t understand it.” The panel reinforced that starting with clarity of purpose and aligned teams ensures that technology choices actually support outcomes and reduce unnecessary investment.
The session highlighted that successful event technology decisions are driven by thoughtful governance, clear processes, and strong collaboration, not just by features. The panellists emphasised that simpler, well-integrated, and easy-to-understand systems deliver greater value than complex tool collections. They also stressed that transparency and open communication between teams and suppliers create smoother workflows and better outcomes. Above all, the discussion reinforced that the most powerful event tech stacks start with aligned people, shared purpose, and clear ownership making technology a true enabler of success.
With thanks to Snapsight for real-time summarisation support.
