The Revenue Room™ with Anne Lafère, Group CEO, Easyfairs

In this episode of The Revenue Room Podcast, Heather Holst-Knudsen sits down with Anne Lafère, Co-CEO of Easyfairs, to explore how the company is transforming the events industry through deep digital integration, centralized technology, and a fiercely data-driven culture. Anne shares how Easyfairs uses AI to improve personalization, predict attendee no-shows, and enhance both customer and employee experience. They discuss the company’s transition from family-owned to private equity-backed, the power of a co-CEO leadership model, and why Easyfairs is eyeing global expansion—including the U.S. market.

Anne also dives into how her team operationalizes innovation—from acquisitions and onboarding to training and talent management—backed by a proprietary data lake and real-time dashboards. With a focus on mission alignment and sustainable growth, she offers tactical and strategic insights for leaders navigating rapid change in a tech-driven world.

About RevvedUP 2026
RevvedUP 2026 is where CEOs and revenue-critical C-Suite leaders reset their growth playbook for the AI-first economy. Taking place March 23–24, 2026 at The Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, FL, this two-day strategy lab helps leaders pressure-test how AI moves from cost center to growth driver and turn data and disruption into competitive advantage.

About Heather Holst-Knudsen
Heather Holst-Knudsen is the founder and CEO of H2K Labs and Revenue Room™ Connect. A seasoned executive and operator across media, marketplaces, events, and technology, she specializes in digital transformation, data-driven growth, and customer-centric value creation. Heather shares her insights on multisided business models through The Revenue Room™.

About Revenue Room™ CXO
Revenue Room™ CXO is a private executive community for CEOs and revenue-critical C-Suite leaders navigating growth in the data and AI economy. Through curated peer discussions and strategy sprints, members tackle real-world challenges in revenue transformation, customer intelligence, and business model innovation.

Learn more or apply for membership at info.h2klabs.com/apply-cxo.

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.