Easyfairs has acquired The AI Conference, a three-year-old applied artificial intelligence event held in San Francisco. Terms were not disclosed. The deal is the Brussels-based organiser’s second US acquisition and its fourth US event.
The AI Conference: event focus and next edition
The AI Conference, launched in 2023, centers on how AI systems are built, deployed, governed and scaled in real-world settings. Its 2026 edition, scheduled to run from September 29 to October 1 at Pier 48, expects 5,500 attendees and 120 speakers. Easyfairs will provide its international events network, operational resources and broader reach while the conference keeps its existing team and operational approach.
Easyfairs’ US expansion
The purchase deepens Easyfairs’ US foothold in the fast-growing applied-AI sector. The acquisition follows a string of recent US moves: in June 2025 Easyfairs launched Coiltech North America, its largest launch to date; in December 2025 it acquired the Energy Projects Conference & Expo in Houston; and in July 2026 it announced a Digital Accountancy Show USA launch in Austin for May 2027. In August 2026 Easyfairs also completed its acquisition of European organiser Xpo Group, which runs 61 events across 17 countries.
CapM advised The AI Conference on the transaction.
Comments and strategic signal
Matt Benyon, chief executive officer of Easyfairs, said: “There is no better place to showcase that vision than San Francisco, where many of tomorrow’s AI technologies are being developed today.” Shon Burton, founder and CEO of The AI Conference, said the deal delivers “the reach and resources to meet” rising demand for collaboration between technologists and business leaders. The move signals Easyfairs is consolidating quickly and betting that live applied-AI events can anchor its US push, with further launches and acquisitions reportedly in the pipeline under its “Visit the Future” slogan.
