The Data-Driven Magic Behind EasyFairs' Success with Anne Lafère, Group CEO, Easyfairs
speakers
Heather Holst-Knudsen is a distinguished figure and expert in the events, media, marketing and technology sectors. Using her extensive experience, she guides clients in adapting to structural economic and market changes, seizing the chance to innovate and evolve. She specializes in digital and data disruption and opportunity, exploring how these overarching factors can impact revenue growth,customer-centricity, operational efficiency, profit margins, and the overall valuation of companies in both public and private markets. Her journey began at her family business, Thomas Publishing Company, where she honed her skills. She further expanded her expertise by holding positions at early industry giants Miller Freeman, Reed Elsevier, and IDG. Returning to Thomas Publishing, Heather founded and spearheaded Manufacturing Enterprise Communications, an integrated media portfolio connecting buyers and sellers in the manufacturing and technology sectors. Starting in 2015 and spanning the next seven years, she leveraged her expertise as a revenue and business leader in various SaaS businesses, including Feathr, Gleanin, Brella and Edflex. Heather is deeply passionate about digital innovation, data monetization, and AI and how these strategies fuel revenue growth, profitability, and company valuation. To serve and create value for clients in these areas, she launched H2K Labs, dedicated to generating and leveraging value through data for media, business information, events, and adjacent technology and service markets.
Anne Lafère was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Easyfairs Group on 1 September 2022. She joined the Easyfairs Group in 1998. Since then, she has worked closely with founder Eric Everard, building significant experience in various domains, including communication and marketing, sales, operations, events and venues management, talent management, technology, and business development. She led the integration of major acquisitions in Europe and became Managing Director of the Belgian entity in 2010. With the restructuring of the Group, Lafère was appointed Group Chief Operating Officer in January 2014. In this role, she developed the Easyfairs ecosystem with a centralized technology backbone, tools, industrialized processes, and training programs for all functions and departments. Alongside process efficiencies and the reduction of operational costs, this approach has allowed Easyfairs to reproduce success across all regions and many vertical markets. Lafère created The Easyfairs Academy, offering all employees opportunities to develop to their full potential through blended learning. She also established the Group’s digital and data intelligence roadmap with the development of strong digital products such as EasyGo. These now account for 10% of Group revenues.
SUMMARY
Join Heather Holst-Knudsen, CEO of H2K Labs & Reveue Room™ Connect, as she interviews Anne Lafère, Group CEO of Easyfairs, about her journey from initially not liking trade shows to becoming a visionary leader in the events industry. In this insightful conversation, Anne shares how Easyfairs has built a data-driven business model that enhances both exhibitor and visitor experiences. Key topics covered:
Anne's 26-year career growth at Easyfairs
- The transition from family-owned to private equity partnership
- Their innovative co-CEO leadership model with Matt Benyon
- Data-driven strategies including AI-powered recommendations and predictive analytics
- Creating 365 community engagement beyond physical events
- Talent management through data visualization and heatmapping
Discover how Easyfairs has positioned itself for global growth while maintaining operational excellence and a people-first approach to technology.
#EventTech #DataDrivenBusiness #TradeShows #RevenuePodcast #EventManagement #LeadershipInsights
TRANSCRIPT
Introduction & Background 00:00–02:14 Heather Holst-Knudsen introduces Anne Lafère, CEO of Easyfairs since September 2022. Anne joined the company in 1998 and has worked across functions including marketing, operations, venue management, and technology. She led the creation of Easyfairs Academy and the company’s digital/data strategy.
Early Career Reflections 02:14–03:17 Anne initially disliked trade shows but quickly grew passionate about the events industry. Heather shares a similar sentiment of growing appreciation through deeper industry involvement.
Business Model Evolution & Co-CEO Structure 03:43–06:49 Transition from family ownership to private equity (COBEPA and Inflection). Founder Eric Everard reinvested; ownership is now equally split among three stakeholders plus management. Anne and Matt Benyon serve as co-CEOs with complementary focuses: Anne oversees talent, tech, marketing, and ESG; Matt leads sales and M&A.
Digital Transformation & 365 Engagement Strategy 07:44–11:07 Easyfairs explored digital formats during COVID but reaffirmed the importance of face-to-face events. The company now engages audiences year-round through digital touchpoints. Built a centralized data lake and in-house data team for real-time insights and personalization, comparing their model to Spotify/Netflix.
Data Democratization & Internal Enablement 11:07–14:50 Heather emphasizes democratizing data across the organization. Anne shares how their Easy Insight platform empowers all employees with curated dashboards. Three use cases: Product recommendations via NFC-based interactions. No-show prediction using 15 years of registration data. Easy Summary: LLM-powered tool summarizing short surveys into actionable feedback.
Centralized Tech & Proprietary Tools 19:44–21:46 Core tech infrastructure is centralized to enable scaling. ERP and CRM are purchased (e.g. Salesforce), but core exhibitor platform (My Easyfairs) is developed in-house for a seamless experience.
M&A Strategy & Integration 22:15–25:37 Tactical vs. strategic acquisitions: example of Southern Manufacturing as a tactical fit. All acquisitions are migrated to Easyfairs’ tech stack. The internal academy shares and integrates best practices across the group.
Talent Management Powered by Data 25:49–28:41 HR is treated as a data science. Anne uses a seven-dimension framework to scan team performance and attrition risk. Dashboards provide team-level insights and leadership evaluations through manager scans and eNPS.
Sales & Retention Insights 28:41–30:48 Heather discusses early prediction of sales attrition. Anne agrees: high-performing yet underpaid employees also show up as risks in their system.
Retention Metrics & Learning Culture 30:48–33:00 Easyfairs has a 13% turnover rate and an eNPS of 40. Anne attributes her growth to continuous learning and progressive challenges given by the founder.
Market Conditions & Resilience 33:27–35:50 Current economic climate is unpredictable. Easyfairs’ value-focused, affordable model is well-positioned as a sales tool, not just a marketing expense.
Leadership Advice for Managing Change 36:47–38:56 Anne’s advice: never lose sight of your mission. For Easyfairs, it is "Visit the future." Use AI and tech as enablers, not end goals. Focus on embedding pilot successes into core operations.
Final Thoughts: Books & Travel 41:22–42:48 Most unusual travel: Pompeii. Favorite books: Currently reading La chose humaine; also moved by The Diary of Anne Frank.
