3487: vFairs Explains the Next Chapter of Event Tech

[00:00:05] the most human form of marketing right now is bringing people together, bringing them together in a noisy, AI-saturated world. Well, my guest today is the founder and CEO of a company called vFairs, which is an end-to-end event platform that has powered more than 50,000 events for over 100 million attendees.

[00:00:30] And my guest believes that every event is completely unique and the next wave of event technology will adapt to industry context rather than just forcing teams to adapt to the tool.

[00:00:44] So in our conversation today, I want to unpack how AI is changing the event planner's day in the short term through content creation, attendee support, smart matchmaking, and also how the longer term shift will look much more like a predictive co-pilot that guides the format, the programming, and the follow-up.

[00:01:07] And we'll also talk about verticalization, why job fairs and internal events are thriving online, and how one strong event can fuel year-round engagement through webinars and repurposed content. And I also want to find out more about what separates a great event from an average one and the technology involved. Because I don't think it is just about the production value.

[00:01:33] It is the discipline of combining strong content, intentional networking, and timely follow-ups. And vFairs has been recognized by customers and analysts alike. But my guest, he brings a builder's perspective on what matters next for in-person, virtual, and hybrid event experiences.

[00:01:55] So if you are in the midst of planning your 2026 calendar or rethinking your event strategy and why you need to be doing that, I'm hoping this one will sharpen your playbook. So if you are ready to rethink events in the age of AI and understand why they are so important now, as always, a quick thank you to our sponsor this month for backing all the shows on the Tech Talks network.

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[00:03:52] Can you tell everyone listening a little about who you are and what you do? My name is Mohamed Younes. I'm the founder and CEO of WeFares. Those of you who don't know WeFares, WeFares is an event management platform that helps companies run in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. We have powered over 50,000 events from more than 100 million attendees globally. Wow, that is an incredible figure that you just dropped there.

[00:04:18] And there is so much hype around AI at every event that I go to right now. And I've been all over the world. So, I'm curious, from your perspective, what are some of the short-term changes event planners should expect for 2026 and beyond? And what are the longer-term shifts on the horizon? What are you seeing here? See, in the short term, we are seeing AI automate content creation, attendee support, and smart matchmaking.

[00:04:47] However, in the long run, AI will become more predictive. It will help organizations decide not just how to run events, but also what are the different things that one should be doing in each and every event. And sometimes even what kind of events that anyone should run that aligns with the overall strategy of the company. So, the short term, again, anything boring, anything repetitive, AI is already helping with that. But in the long run, think of that as more like a co-pilot.

[00:05:15] It will guide you along the way of what needs to be done and how. And although the key messaging at a lot of events right now all seem to be around AI, one of the things that stood out about when I was reading about you was that you've said that every event is actually unique.

[00:05:33] So, how do you see the next wave of event technology moving towards things like verticalization and specialization to better align with specific business goals? Because it's funny because whether we're in the office or whether it's in our personal lives, technology just kind of dominates everything. And it almost demands a better event experience as well. That's our expectation now.

[00:06:00] But what are you seeing here is that new wave of or next wave of event technology comes in. Yeah, so, see, it's pretty much true for every technology, not just with event tech, but one size fits all. Technology is dead. The future is platforms that speak the language of your industry.

[00:06:21] And what I really mean by that is that for most of the technologies that we use, historically, you have your business goal and you have to adapt your business in order to fit into the technology, to make use of that technology. The future, however, will be that the technology will need to adapt to the business goal and not the other way around.

[00:06:44] And just because with AI, building technology is becoming faster, quicker and cheaper, you know, you can actually achieve that. Given that every event is unique. So the next wave of event tech will specialize in each and every industry. So if you are running a conference, the technology can adapt itself to run the conference.

[00:07:05] If you're trying to run a job fair or an internal town hall, the technology can be adapted such that you can run that use case in a more specialized way. If you are now imagine if you're a health care platform, it can integrate the CME credits or recruiting events that built around, you know, any of that stuff. So the technology will adapt to the business goals in the future and not the other way around.

[00:07:29] And I think when we're all scrolling our news feeds right now, there is just so much AI generated content, digital noise and arguably AI slop as it's so called. But you've argued that events, they're becoming the most human and authentic form of first party marketing, getting that face to face time and those moments of serendipity on a show floor. So can you tell me a bit more about why you think every organization will start to need an event strategy?

[00:07:58] See, in a world full of AI generated noise, events are the most authentic form of first party marketing. Events give organizations something no ad campaign can give. See, trusted human connection and direct first party data are the most important thing in the world that's about to come.

[00:08:20] Attendees nowadays choose to spend time with you in an event and they have the intent that's more valuable than impressions or clicks. So historically, we all used to spend a lot of money on, you know, online marketing, SEM, SU, etc. But with events, you get to have people who have paid money to be in that event. They have blocked their time because they want to meet with people over there. They want to build connection.

[00:08:50] And that's why every company will need an event strategy. It won't be optional anymore. It will become the most important form of marketing in the time to come because the human connection will be something that everyone will just want to have because the online is becoming a much more noisy place, you know, with time to come. And we did see a huge boom in virtual events and webinars, especially during the pandemic.

[00:09:20] But what I think is incredibly interesting is they're continuing to thrive, particularly for job fairs and internal company gatherings, etc. So how do you see these channels evolving? And what role do you see VFairs playing in shaping that future of events as well and ensuring that there are options there around virtual, in-person, etc.? See, we have been doing virtual events for over a decade.

[00:09:44] And from day one are, again, what we have been telling our customers and prospects that virtual isn't replacing in-person. However, it's a channel that makes events more inclusive, repeatable, and measurable. We already see job fairs, internal company events. You know, they have a far better reach and access more than any in-person events. And for that particular use case, it makes a lot of sense as well.

[00:10:12] Similarly, webinars, they are becoming the new content engine. You know, a podcast like this, a webinar like this, it creates more content. An event creates more content than anything else out there. One big event a year creates content that is in use for year-round engagement.

[00:10:34] So, at VFairs, we are building tools that helps our customers run great virtual events, run great webinar series, create a lot of content that then can be used for year-round engagement. So, that's helping out our prospects and customers a lot. And I think this is something we're seeing in all industries as well. And sporting events recently, or in the last few years, I've spoken with Manchester United and Real Madrid, and they've got the very nice problem of having five, six million fans scattered around the world.

[00:11:03] But on match day, you've got to get 100,000 people max into your stadium, and that is it. So, there is so much scope here for virtual events and ensuring that everybody is part of that experience. And as you said there, be more inclusive. And going back to those figures you dropped, VFairs powers over 50,000 events and has served more than 100 million attendees globally.

[00:11:27] I mean, with this kind of scale that we're talking about here, what patterns or lessons have you seen that distinguish successful events from just average ones? See, successful events balance content, networking, and follow-up. Average ones miss one of those three. The goal with any successful event is that you need the content in order to drive attendance.

[00:11:56] People would sign up because a great speaker is there, a great workshop is going to happen in that conference. You know, the great content is there that they can benefit from. Once they are in the conference, they prioritize networking because they get to meet with some of the people that they otherwise won't be able to get. So, content drives attendance. Once attendance is there, networking drives engagement.

[00:12:20] But the crux to get the ROI back from this content and from this networking is a follow-up. You know, whoever you have met, follow-up with them. If you have learned something great, go ahead and follow-up to see how you can apply that within your business. So, at scale, we have noticed that the best events are just not well-produced. They create meaningful connections and have a very clear follow-up strategy.

[00:12:45] The magic really happens when you combine strong content, intentional networking, and timely post-event actions. And that's what we typically recommend as part of the best practices and playbook to our customers. And not only are you guys serving more than 100 million attendees around the world. Before you came on, I was doing a little research. And I also learned that VFairs has been nominated for the People's Choice Award 2025 at the Event Technology Awards.

[00:13:12] What does this kind of recognition mean to you and your team, especially given that it's decided by event planners and attendees themselves? It must feel pretty good that you're on the right track, right? Absolutely. You know, as you said, the recognition is special because it's decided by the event planners and attendees themselves. Because we win, you know, the G2 badges, the Gartner Magic Quadrant stuff, the Gartner, the G2, the Capitra. Like, we won all of those badges all the time.

[00:13:38] But just being recognized by the people, it's very meaningful. You know, being nominated for anything means a lot. But the validation coming directly from our customers, from the community we serve, it shows just that our focus always has been on customer success. And our innovation resonates where it matters the most, which is with the organizers and participants. So, you know, I hope that we win that award in November. But just being nominated itself is a great, something to be proud of.

[00:14:06] And you mentioned Gartner there. And Gartner has been or has named VFairs a leader in its Magic Quadrant report. Plus, as you said, you've earned customer choice awards in back-to-back years. So, what do you think has been the biggest factor behind this kind of recognition and customer loyalty that you're getting and how you're using technology, etc.? What's your secret here? See, we are almost 270 employees. We're not a startup. However, we operate like a startup.

[00:14:36] We innovate quickly, but we always ground it based on our customer needs. You know, we have a decent amount of budget, but not unlimited budget. So, you're going to be focused on whatever you're producing. Can it be something that your customers can benefit right away? So, the balance has earned us loyalty and recognition. And, you know, that's what Gartner's Magic Quadrant or the customer choice awards are about. So, happy that our relentless customer focus has helped us, you know, with those recognitions.

[00:15:04] And, for anybody listening, maybe they're in the event industry. Maybe they're in the process of planning a series of events in 2026 and they want to deliver that wow factor. They want to do something a little bit different. How do you see yourself at VFairs continuing to innovate for people like that for both in-person and virtual experiences? And what's the biggest story that you'd like event planners and marketers to take away from your journey?

[00:15:31] And, indeed, from our conversation today, wherever they're listening in the world, what would you want them to walk away with? Yeah. So, see, events are the most human marketing channel. And we are here to make them more impactful, whether these are in-person events or virtual events. I also believe that the job that the event planner has is the toughest job out there. See, I've been managing many, many businesses. I have worn many, many hats.

[00:16:01] And, you know, any other project can wait. You know, sometimes if you are a mobile app developer, if you haven't pushed your mobile app today, you can do it tomorrow. But events, they happen on a certain day at a certain time. You know, you have spent weeks, if not months or years planning for that particular day. And that day cannot go wrong. We typically have this internal thing. It's like your wedding day. It cannot go wrong. So, for us, we will keep pushing innovation for both virtual and in-person events.

[00:16:27] And we also believe that events will only grow in importance as the world gets noiser with AI. And our role will be to make sure the organizers have the tools to deliver authentic, measurable, and human experiences. We know that they have a very, very tough job. And our job is to make their job easier. So, we'll continue to remain focused on that one. And a question I've got to ask you, as you're serving 100 million attendees around the world, there's a lot of people in the event space and a lot of people following event tech.

[00:16:57] Is there anything that you're following or excites you in this space? Whether it be a tech trend or an event trend that you're seeing. Is there anything that people listening need to be aware of or anything that excites you at the moment? See, I'm a technology guy. And I absolutely believe in AI and the impact that AI will have on events.

[00:17:21] So, what excites me the most is how AI will help event planners just focus on things that matter the most and help them do those repetitive tasks, administrative tasks a lot more easier. Say, an event planner don't have just one boss. They have many, many bosses. Attendees are their bosses. And sponsors are their bosses. And exhibitors are their bosses. And speakers are their bosses, etc.

[00:17:47] And they have this endless checklist of items that they need to do, which for any human is extremely, extremely hard. So, for me, what excites me the most is that event planner will become more of event strategy people, whereas the administrative components of any events will just be better handled by AI. So, that's the part I'm most excited about in the days to come.

[00:18:14] And in those exhibitor spaces there on the show floor where everything happens, I'm curious. Are there any big requests from the people that are coming to these events? They're hiring a stand, etc. They've got their prime real estate. They're right near the entrance. Are there any big tech requests from these people coming in now that event planners are increasingly getting? Any stories or any experiences you can share around that and what they're asking for?

[00:18:44] Yeah. So, I see. The great thing about this industry and the most challenging thing about this industry is that they all have unique needs. See, unlike typical software, event tech software needs to be configured uniquely in most cases to different event planner needs because of the kind of conference that are required.

[00:19:08] Events by nature are supposed to be different every single time, unique every single time, something new and fancy every single time because this is what attracts the next set of audience. Unlike anything else. So, you come up with everything. The requests are about everything.

[00:19:31] In most cases, the requests that we're seeing the most nowadays is that how AI can help you connect with the right people with very, very, very little effort. So, for example, one of these requests is that similar to how Tinder works or any other matchmaking platform work.

[00:19:51] If I am on the event floor, can I see or can people see what I'm interested in and what other people are interested in? And we can just do a quick swipe right, swipe left. And then we can meet in a nearby location that's meant for those people to connect with each other. So, think of this as your Instagram app or Facebook app. You have all of the event planners by default as your connections.

[00:20:17] And you kind of have your preferences that I'm looking to meet with people, you know, who are, you know, who are startups with one to $10 million of revenue and who want to connect for A, B or C. And if someone matches with you, you say yes, both of you have swiped right, you know, to each other. And then you can go ahead and meet with each other right there and then.

[00:20:39] So, trying to bring that smart matchmaking by making use of AI within the trade show floor as you're walking around is something that, again, we have built and we're excited to see how this will show up. Love it. So cool. And for yourself there, I would imagine you've been to so many events, served so many attendees. You must have picked up a few stories from the show floor along the way. Is there a funny or interesting story that has happened? You're not necessarily on the show floor.

[00:21:08] It could just be in your career. Anything stand out you could share with everyone today? So, something that, see, I will tell you like something that's unique about us is that, you know, as and when we launched this particular company, just because I'm someone who has, who ran hundreds of events before launching VFairs. I just tell these people that, you know, you need to work extremely, extremely hard. And once you do that, you also sometimes get lucky.

[00:21:32] In our case, again, I had been running events myself for over six, seven years. And then, you know, I built VFairs so that I can give this technology to other people for them to run their events. But the very first customer I had was Nestle. So a global Fortune 500 company. I built this website and literally the very first incoming lead that I get is from Nestle, which is this global Fortune 500 company.

[00:21:56] And they signed up and they signed up with this new startup that absolutely have zero experience, you know, running, providing software to any other company. So for me, that's just, you know, you can say like an interesting story that I just feel that, you know, people work for over a decade to get that kind of a logo. And for me, that was the first logo that I got right away. Just because when they spoke to us, they were like, OK, you have the software, which I know that have not been tested many, many times. But you yourself is someone who have run hundreds of events.

[00:22:25] So I'm not signing up for the software. I'm signing up for the person that we'll get to work with. So in the end, who you are defines a lot, you know, what your product is, what your company is. And again, if you work hard towards that, it helps you succeed, you know, in ways that you won't even imagine. I love it. And a great moment to end our conversation today. But before I let you go, for anybody passionate about the event space, wanted to learn more about how technology can transform events,

[00:22:51] whether it be in person or virtually, as someone that has powered over 50,000 events, serving more than 100 million attendees, there's going to be a few people wanting to pick your brain or want to find out more information about VFairs. Where would you like to point them? So you can go to the VFairs website, which is V-F-A-I-R-S dot com, VFairs dot com. Again, I'm personally very active on LinkedIn. So it's our company. So you can follow me, which is Mohamed Yunus. My LinkedIn handle is just Yunus, Y-O-U-N-A-S on LinkedIn.

[00:23:21] Or you can follow VFairs on LinkedIn. So that's the best way to reach out to us. Well, I always say at the end of every episode that technology works best when it brings people together. What I love about what you're doing is you're bringing hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people together and ultimately helping organizations, helping people host impactful, seamless and truly unforgettable events and using technology to help do that as well. And it's just amazing what you're doing here.

[00:23:48] And I completely agree with everything you've said throughout this interview today, that bringing people together at a time of AI as well. People want to connect authentically. That's what it's all about. But just thank you for sharing your story today. Thanks, Yunus. Thanks for having me on the broadcast. Wow. What a grounded view of where event tech is actually heading. I think my takeaway was pretty clear there.

[00:24:14] Treat AI as a practical assistant, one that removes repetitive friction. And design your stack to fit the goal of the event rather than the other way around. And most importantly of all, forget the tech. Never skip the follow-up. That is the big message here. Content brings people in. The networking inside the event creates the energy. But it's following up that turns the moment into a measurable outcome.

[00:24:43] And only when you do the three of those things consistently can you begin to build a reliable engine. So whether you are running conferences, job fairs, town halls, or a rolling webinar series, the message is still the same. When we finish recording, my guest also mentioned he will be in London for Event Tech Lives. If you're attending that, say hello. Maybe compare notes on what is working on the ground. But over to you. Did you hear anything today that you can apply to your next event?

[00:25:13] And where do you see AI genuinely improving the experience rather than just adding more noise? Please share your thoughts with me and the wider community here at techtalksnetwork.com. You can email me techblogwriteroutlook.com. And I'm just at Neil C. Hughes on most social channels. So easy to find. But that's it for today. Ironically, I've got to rush out the house now to catch a plane to go to an event.

[00:25:42] An event that I'm going to be looking at through a different lens, having spoken to Mohamed today. So I'll see you on the other side. But now it's time for me to pack my travel plugs and cables and mics and everything. So I'll speak to you soon. Bye for now.