Where tech leaders now choose to meet

"That model no longer fits how tech leaders work today. Over the past years, I have spent time in conversations with founders, executives, and operators who carry real responsibility inside their organizations. As a community builder, I often speak with them before they commit to attending events. Their questions are direct. They want to know who will be in the room, how discussions are structured, and whether the environment allows honest exchange."

"This is a meaningful signal. Leaders who run companies do not optimize for visibility. They already have it. They want rooms where time leads to insight, clarity, and decisions. As CEO of Tekpon AI Summit, I have had a front row seat to how decision makers actually want to engage today. I have watched what happens on large stages. I have also watched what happens when ten relevant people sit around one table with no audience and no agenda beyond honest discussion."

"The difference in outcome is hard to ignore. In small rooms, people speak openly. They share challenges they would never publish. They explore partnerships without formalities. They make decisions faster because trust forms naturally when everyone present has earned their place in the conversation. In larger settings, the dynamic changes. Conversations stay cautious. Stories become polished. The real questions are postponed, usually for later. Later often disappears into busy schedules."

For decades, tech events emphasized scale, using attendance as a proxy for success and growing festivals yearly to meet industry expectations. That model no longer fits how tech leaders work. Founders, executives, and operators ask who will be in the room, how discussions are structured, and whether the environment allows honest exchange, not attendance numbers. Leaders who run companies seek rooms that produce insight, clarity, and decisions rather than visibility. Small gatherings enable open sharing, candid challenge disclosure, partnership exploration, and faster decision-making through naturally formed trust. Large conferences remain useful for introducing new voices and creating energy.

Read at TNW | Insider