This turns traditional event website elements—like exhibitor directories and conference agendas—into dynamic discovery tools rather than static pages. By making event content easier to navigate and more relevant, organizers can better communicate the value of attending.

Some implementations also allow visitors to search using natural language, helping them quickly identify exhibitors or sessions related to their interests.

The Problem With Traditional Event Websites

Most B2B event websites are built around long lists: hundreds of exhibitors, dozens of sessions, and large speaker rosters. While comprehensive, these directories often require visitors to sift through large amounts of information to determine whether an event is relevant to their needs.

According to Exhibitly’s founders, this generic experience is a major missed opportunity. Event websites are often one of the most important marketing assets for organizers, yet they frequently present the same content to every visitor regardless of role, industry, or goals.

AI-driven personalization is increasingly seen as a way to solve this gap. Industry research suggests that data-driven personalization and intelligent recommendations can significantly improve engagement and help attendees discover relevant opportunities before an event even begins.

Founders and Company Background

Exhibitly was founded by Hendrik Franck and Brent Coppens. Franck serves as the company’s CEO.

The startup is based in Ghent, Belgium, positioning itself within the growing EventTech sector focused on improving how conferences and trade shows attract, engage, and match attendees with exhibitors.

Funding: €1.4 Million Pre‑Seed Round

In 2026, Exhibitly raised €1.4 million in pre-seed funding to accelerate development of its platform. The round was led by New School VC, with participation from 100IN, Allusion Ventures, and a group of angel investors including Louis Jonckheere, Jeroen De Wit, Pieter Vanermen, and Tanguy Serraes.

The funding will be used to:

• expand the company’s team
• further develop its AI personalization technology
• support international growth and customer acquisition

According to reports, the startup plans to scale its team from three to seven employees as it builds out product, sales, and marketing capabilities.

Why AI Personalization Is Becoming Essential for Events

The broader events industry is undergoing a shift toward data-driven experiences. AI tools are increasingly used to automate recommendations, personalize content, and help participants discover relevant sessions or contacts more efficiently.

For event organizers, this shift reflects a simple challenge: attendees want faster, more relevant discovery. Instead of manually browsing long lists of exhibitors or sessions, visitors increasingly expect platforms to surface the options that matter most to them.

Exhibitly’s approach focuses specifically on the pre‑event discovery stage, where personalized recommendations can influence whether a visitor decides to register.

The Bigger Vision

By transforming event websites from static directories into personalized discovery engines, Exhibitly is targeting a key bottleneck in the trade show ecosystem: connecting the right attendees with the right opportunities before the event even starts.

If AI-powered personalization becomes standard for B2B events, tools like Exhibitly could play a major role in how conferences attract audiences, showcase exhibitors, and convert web traffic into real-world attendance.

This turns traditional event website elements—like exhibitor directories and conference agendas—into dynamic discovery tools rather than static pages. By making event content easier to navigate and more relevant, organizers can better communicate the value of attending.

Some implementations also allow visitors to search using natural language, helping them quickly identify exhibitors or sessions related to their interests.

The Problem With Traditional Event Websites

Most B2B event websites are built around long lists: hundreds of exhibitors, dozens of sessions, and large speaker rosters. While comprehensive, these directories often require visitors to sift through large amounts of information to determine whether an event is relevant to their needs.

According to Exhibitly’s founders, this generic experience is a major missed opportunity. Event websites are often one of the most important marketing assets for organizers, yet they frequently present the same content to every visitor regardless of role, industry, or goals.

AI-driven personalization is increasingly seen as a way to solve this gap. Industry research suggests that data-driven personalization and intelligent recommendations can significantly improve engagement and help attendees discover relevant opportunities before an event even begins.

Founders and Company Background

Exhibitly was founded by Hendrik Franck and Brent Coppens. Franck serves as the company’s CEO.

The startup is based in Ghent, Belgium, positioning itself within the growing EventTech sector focused on improving how conferences and trade shows attract, engage, and match attendees with exhibitors.

Funding: €1.4 Million Pre‑Seed Round

In 2026, Exhibitly raised €1.4 million in pre-seed funding to accelerate development of its platform. The round was led by New School VC, with participation from 100IN, Allusion Ventures, and a group of angel investors including Louis Jonckheere, Jeroen De Wit, Pieter Vanermen, and Tanguy Serraes.

The funding will be used to:

• expand the company’s team
• further develop its AI personalization technology
• support international growth and customer acquisition

According to reports, the startup plans to scale its team from three to seven employees as it builds out product, sales, and marketing capabilities.

Why AI Personalization Is Becoming Essential for Events

The broader events industry is undergoing a shift toward data-driven experiences. AI tools are increasingly used to automate recommendations, personalize content, and help participants discover relevant sessions or contacts more efficiently.

For event organizers, this shift reflects a simple challenge: attendees want faster, more relevant discovery. Instead of manually browsing long lists of exhibitors or sessions, visitors increasingly expect platforms to surface the options that matter most to them.

Exhibitly’s approach focuses specifically on the pre‑event discovery stage, where personalized recommendations can influence whether a visitor decides to register.

The Bigger Vision

By transforming event websites from static directories into personalized discovery engines, Exhibitly is targeting a key bottleneck in the trade show ecosystem: connecting the right attendees with the right opportunities before the event even starts.

If AI-powered personalization becomes standard for B2B events, tools like Exhibitly could play a major role in how conferences attract audiences, showcase exhibitors, and convert web traffic into real-world attendance.