While the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has recently stepped up its investments in large-scale tech conferences, Europe still has an edge when it comes to its maturity, curation and deep-rooted ecosystem thinking.
After the success of this publication's event in London earlier this year with more to come in 2026, recent proof of the centre of this European strength is Sesamers, a company that has quickly become the connective tissue between global event platforms and the continent’s most promising startups.
This positioning was formalised last month, when SXSW, one of the world’s most iconic innovation festivals, appointed Sesamers as its exclusive European partner for the SXSW 2026 Global Innovations Expo. The partnership grants Sesamers the sole authority to recruit, coordinate, and support European startups exhibiting at SXSW’s expanded innovation showcase in Austin, Texas.
For Europe’s exhibition industry, this isn’t just another partnership announcement—it’s a signal of validation at the highest level.
A Global Stage, A European Voice
In a year when SXSW launched its first London edition, this partnership reinforces the increasing importance of European innovators on the world stage. With the Global Innovations Expo becoming a central component of SXSW 2026, the appointment of Sesamers reflects a strategic move to elevate Europe’s presence in front of global investors, media, and decision-makers.
“We’re proud to represent Europe’s diversity and ingenuity at SXSW,” says Ben Costantini, founder and CEO of Sesamers. “This isn’t just about bringing startups to Austin—it’s about helping them show up with the right positioning, storytelling, and partnerships to succeed globally.”
With a deep history in curating conferences and advising founders on event strategy, Sesamers is uniquely suited to the role. What began as a smart newsletter tracking top-tier global tech events has evolved into a strategic B2B event platform, helping startups, investors and accelerators navigate the complex, and expensive, world of conferences.
The European Model: Deep Distributed, And Durable
European tech events are experiencing a new wave of momentum. VivaTech 2025 set records with 180,000 visitors, Techarena in Sweden recently raised €1.1 million to expand internationally and MWC Barcelona, still a powerhouse, now anchors a global circuit stretching from Kigali to Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Web Summit continues to scale globally from its Dublin base, adding new editions in Vancouver and Doha.
Arda Kutsal is the Founder and CEO of Webrazzi Group, the company that owns Tech.eu. He shared his perspective on Europe’s evolving role in the tech world:
“We believed in Europe’s potential to lead with depth and purpose. That’s why we acquired Tech.eu, and today that belief is stronger than ever. The momentum we’re seeing is not just about scale or visibility, it’s about building meaningful bridges between founders, investors and ecosystems. Europe is stepping onto the global stage with clarity, confidence, and a collaborative mindset. We’re proud to support that shift and help make sure Europe’s voice is heard where it matters most," he said.
Unlike more centralised regions, Europe benefits from a distributed network of tech hubs—Barcelona, Paris, Helsinki, Berlin, Dublin, and others, each contributing to a wider, collaborative innovation landscape. This multiplicity drives specificity: events are often themed, industry-driven,and rooted in local strengths, whether it’s AI in Paris or digital health in Cologne.
But this also creates fragmentation and complexity—precisely the problem that Sesamers set out to solve.
Strategic Navigation in a Crowded Market
Today, the exhibition industry is massive. According to the UFI Global Exhibition Industry Statistics, the sector welcomed 318 million visitors in 2024, involving 4.7 million exhibiting companies and generating a €368 billion economic impact. Europe remains a major beneficiary of that activity, but competition is increasing.
The MENA region, especially Dubai, is rapidly expanding its presence. Events such as GITEX, which recently launched a Berlin edition, and the Doers Summit from the Reflect Festival organizers in Cyprus (now also in Dubai), show how the region is leveraging capital and infrastructure to attract global attention. Informa’s acquisition of a 50% stake in Dubai World Trade Centre further accelerates this trend, creating what some are calling a “MICE powerhouse.”
But while scale and funding are surging in MENA, Europe still leads in depth—in program quality, attendee diversity, and ecosystem integration. With partners such as SXSW, Sesamers is proving that Europe doesn’t need to chase size—it can win with strategy.
Beyond Booths: Building European Visibility
As Sesamers prepares to lead European participation at SXSW 2026, the company is also developing services to ensure meaningful ROI for its exhibitors. This includes narrative positioning, investor matchmaking, and media strategy elevating startup booths into true business development opportunities.
“In the age of noise, relevance wins,” says Costantini. “Startups no longer benefit from just ‘being there’—they need to be seen by the right people, with the right story. That’s what we do.”
Sesamers is also targeting a $1 billion opportunity within the global exhibition space by leveraging data, community, and curation to better match exhibitors with high-impact events and partners.
A New Era for Events
The post-pandemic years have forced a reckoning across the conference world. Digital formats proved scalable, but less impactful. Attendees are now more selective, demanding events that deliver genuine value. Europe’s conference model, emphasizing substance over spectacle, is well suited to this shift.
As global players such as CES and SXSW expand their European presence, and as local organisers scale globally, the next chapter of exhibitions will be defined not by who builds the biggest stage, but by who connects the right players on it.
And with SXSW 2026 as its next canvas, Europe’s moment has never been clearer.
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