Buy vs Build: What Happens When Event Managers Start Making Their Own Tech

Event managers have always bought their tools off the shelf. Registration platforms, CRM systems, lead capture apps: you find the best option, pay for it, and make it work. But AI has introduced a third option that didn't exist two years ago: build it yourself.

This session explores that shift. We'll start with a practical overview of the AI tools available to event managers right now, covering what's worth paying for, what's free, and what each tool is actually good at. Then we'll get into how to start using them, with honest, practical tips on prompting, workflow integration, and avoiding the early mistakes that put people off.

From there, we'll share real examples. We've used Lovable, a no-code AI app builder, to create a custom event lead scanner and an AI-powered table planner that pulls live CRM data to generate seating plans for hosted dinners. We've also built AI into our daily operations through tools like Claude: writing and managing comms programmes, producing venue branding and supplier briefs, building project databases, analysing post-event lead data, drafting outreach copy, and setting up event workflows inside HubSpot.

You'll leave knowing which tools to look at first, how to get started without a dev team or a tech budget, and where the line sits between buying a tool and building your own. Practical, honest, and by event managers who've done it.