Programme Schedule

Mathieu Barthel, Strategy Director, Magic Garden - member of 27Names 

Dagmara Berka-Kochańska, Director of Operations, endorfina events - member of 27Names

What does a successful live experience look like in 2026 — and are we still measuring the right things?

The latest 27Names European Experience Index report reveals an industry in transition. Based on insights from 300 event professionals across 27 European markets, the EEX® 2026 tracks what’s changing, what’s sticking and where expectations are moving next.

At Bea World, we'll explore some of the most significant shifts behind the data: why relationships are becoming a more important measure of value, why personalization is gaining ground, why physical experiences remain difficult to replace — and how AI is beginning to move beyond efficiency into the experience itself.

A data-led look at how Europe’s live experience industry is evolving — and what that tells us about the experiences we create next.

Anton Corbijn, photographer, filmmaker and creative visionary

Patrick Roubroeks, Founding Director, XSAGA - member of 27Names

World-renowned photographer, filmmaker and visual artist Anton Corbijn joins Patrick Roubroeks, founder of 27Names member agency XSAGA, for a special live edition of 27Minutes, the 27Names conversation series, at Bea World.

Drawing on a career spanning music, film, art and global brands, Corbijn will explore the challenges and opportunities for creative breakthroughs today, reflecting on collaboration, creative integrity and what it takes to build a distinctive body of work that endures.

Julius Solaris, Founder, Boldpush

An interactive format where three Creative Directors compete head-to-head on best events

Damien Ferrar, EVP Global Head of Innovation, Jack Morton

We know the beauty of live by its visible layers: the place, the story, the craft and the people. But beneath every experience is a hidden layer that almost no one is looking at: data.

Every live moment generates some of the richest human signals in marketing, yet most of it disappears when the experience ends. As AI fills the world with synthetic content, those signals become more valuable, not less. AI is nothing without live.

This session lifts the veil on that hidden layer, exploring how data, intelligence and optimisation can make every experience better than the last, and why seeing this layer doesn't diminish the beauty of live - it protects it.

Alexander Safonov, Head of Events Europe, Monat Global

After 20+ years in live events and 12 years on the BEA World jury, Alex asks an uncomfortable question: have events become less surprising because the whole culture has become safer, flatter and optimised for the average click? Events have more technology, more data and more production capability than ever. So why do so many feel strangely familiar? Drawing on his international experience, Alex takes audiences from medieval cathedrals and Martin Luther to TikTok, algorithms, creative briefs and the modern event floor. This is not a nostalgic rant, nor is it a ten-step formula. It is a personal, honest and slightly uncomfortable look at why bold ideas seem rarer, and why audiences may be ready for something real again.

Replenish energy, networking 

Jimmy Pallas, Owner, 9PM

Samit Garg, President, EEMA Event & Entertainment Management Association

Global events matter because they are one of the few places where the world pauses, gathers and chooses what to pay attention to next. At the World Economic Forum, conversations become signals: what leaders discuss in Davos often shapes the language of business, policy and progress for the year ahead. At World Expos, nations build more than pavilions; they build a public imagination of who they are, what they value and the future they want to invite the world into. And at BEA World, we see this same force through the lens of creativity: the best events are not remembered because they were flawlessly produced, but because they created meaning, emotion and momentum. In that sense, global events are not just meetings, exhibitions or award shows. They are stages where trust is built, reputations are rewritten, soft power is created, partnerships begin, and ideas earn the power to travel beyond the room.

Find out who are the winners of the Best Event Awards! Join this triumphal and exciting Awards Ceremony and honor the world's best events of the year!