What Event Leaders Exchange (ELX) does

Event Leaders Exchange (ELX) is a private, invitation-only professional membership community for senior corporate event leaders at large global organizations. Founded in 2021 by Mark Brewster and David Kliman during the pandemic and led since April 2024 by CEO Nicola Kastner, ELX is a private limited company headquartered in London, UK with an additional office presence in Arizona, US, and a team of approximately 28 employees. Membership is governed by Chatham House Rule and reserved for the most senior event leader at organizations typically generating $500M+ in annual revenue and $15M+ in event spend or 350+ events annually. There is no proprietary technology product; the community is delivered through in-person events, a private Slack workspace, monthly digital programming, and a members-only resource library.

ELX delivers its programming through a portfolio of events that has expanded materially since founding: the flagship ELX Annual Congress (Las Vegas, July; 2026 hosted at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, July 27-30), the ELX Forum at IMEX America (October, Las Vegas), the European Summit (December), the inaugural North American Summit (Orlando, February 2026), and monthly "Ask The Experts" and bi-weekly "Off-The-Record" virtual sessions. The community had grown to 185+ senior corporate event leaders by 2025, with a projection to reach 400 members by end of 2026 collectively overseeing 240,000+ events. Member organizations include Amazon, SAP, IBM, Siemens, HPE, Microsoft, Salesforce, Cisco, Dell, Zendesk, Celonis, Pure Storage, Canva, Apple, Airbus, Kia, Aviva, Bayer, Amgen, and Smith+Nephew, with senior members serving on the Advisory Committee and as content/agenda chairs.

ELX operates a freemium membership model in which members pay nothing in exchange for active participation; all revenue is generated through strategic partnerships with agencies, destinations, DMCs, technology providers, AV companies, and venues. The company maintains a strict minimum 9:1 member-to-partner ratio at all times to protect the member experience, with 2026 partnership spots sold out and 2027 applications opening. Named strategic partners include Augeo Experience, Choose Chicago, Cohera, Encore Global, Explori, The Expo Group, Invision, The Opus Group, Visit Orlando, RainFocus, Visit Seattle, Destination Toronto, The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, and LVCVA. ELX has no traditional funding rounds, no parent company, and no disclosed institutional investors; growth has been organic and bootstrapped.

Name

Event Leaders Exchange (ELX)

Legal name

Event Leaders Exchange (ELX) Limited

Website

https://eventleaders.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Event Leaders Exchange (ELX) is a private, invitation-only membership community for senior corporate event leaders at the world's largest organizations, delivering Chatham House Rule peer exchange through four annual in-person events, monthly digital programming, and a private Slack workspace, funded via curated strategic partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

Keywords

• Executive event community
• Corporate event networking
• Peer collaboration platform
• Event industry membership
• Strategic event partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: ELX membership is complimentary (free) for qualifying senior event leaders in exchange for active community participation. Revenue is not generated directly from members.
2. Strategic partnerships: ELX is funded by the generous support of a small number of strategic partners who are selected based on strategic alignment and value to the community. Partners include agencies, destinations, DMCs, technology providers, AV, and venues. ELX maintains a strict 9:1 member-to-partner ratio. 2026 partnerships have sold out, with 2027 applications opening.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ELX operates an invitation-only, complimentary membership community exclusively for the most senior corporate event leaders at large global organizations. Members gain access to Chatham House Rule-governed peer exchange through four annual in-person flagship events (Annual Congress, European Summit, North American Summit, ELX Forum at IMEX), monthly virtual programming, a private Slack workspace, and a curated resource library. The community is funded by a small number of strategic partners, with a strict 9:1 member-to-partner ratio maintained to protect the member experience.

Product overview

Event Leaders Exchange (ELX) operates as an invitation-only membership community for senior corporate event leaders. The core offering centers on peer-to-peer exchange under Chatham House Rule, delivered through a portfolio of in-person events (Annual Congress, ELX Forum at IMEX, European and North American Summits) and monthly digital programming. Members receive access to a private Slack workspace and an exclusive resource library. ELX also offers two partnership programs: Annual Strategic Partnership for year-round brand integration and Event Host Partnership for destinations/venues. Membership is complimentary in exchange for active community participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• By end of 2026, ELX is projected to include 400 senior leaders overseeing 240,000+ events
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers28 records

Segments1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Augeo ExperiencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAugeo Experience is a founding annual strategic partner of ELX. They combine creativity with operational rigor, supporting event leaders who need experiences that deepen connection while delivering measurable outcomes at scale. As an end-to-end agency partner, their work aligns with ELX's focus on community-first collaboration, strategic thinking, and high-impact engagement. They bring thought leadership through ELX insights content and bespoke content collaborations.
• Choose ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChoose Chicago is ELX's official destination marketing organization partner for Chicago. They bring a strategic destination perspective into the ELX ecosystem, supporting members who evaluate how place, infrastructure, and local partners influence attendee experience and program outcomes. Chicago was the host city for the ELX Annual Congress 2025.
• CoheracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCohera is a creative agency and DMC producing conferences, incentives, and brand experiences across the U.S. They strengthen ELX through a strong mix of creativity and execution, giving members a view into how distinctive programs are built. Featured in ELX Insights content as a thought leader on the future of enterprise event programs.
• Encore GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEncore Global joined ELX as a strategic partner in 2025. They are a global event production company providing event technology, production, and exhibition services supporting thousands of events annually. They contribute practical insight into how production decisions affect engagement, accessibility, and overall program quality. Featured in ELX Insights content on creative technology and immersive event experiences.
• ExploricoreTechnology or IntegrationExplori is a world-leading event measurement platform and consultancy and an annual strategic partner for 2025. Mark Brewster, ELX Co-Founder, is CEO & Founder of Explori, though ELX and Explori are now separate entities. Explori provides benchmarking data and industry research to ELX members. 93% of ELX members have expressed interest in Explori's data. Partnership aligns with the top interest of the ELX community.
• The Expo GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Expo Group (TEG) is an ELX strategic partner. They bring a strategic lens to exhibitions and trade shows, supporting ELX members who want clearer frameworks for planning, measuring, and improving tradeshow participation. Their perspective is particularly valuable for leaders managing complex portfolios where exhibition presence must be both brand-forward and performance-led. Featured in ELX Insights content on turning audience data into meaningful experiences.
• InvisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvision is an experiential marketing agency with more than three decades of experience and an ELX strategic partner. They strengthen ELX by bringing deep experiential expertise and a strategic, audience-first approach. ELX and Invision announced a strategic partnership focused on building authentic connections. Angie Smith, CEO at Invision, serves on the ELX ecosystem.
• The Opus GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Opus Group is an ELX founding partner. As a global network of award-winning marketing agencies, they bring deep expertise in creating experiences that engage audiences and drive action worldwide. They partner with more than 70 global companies, including many ELX members, to create impactful experiences.
• Visit OrlandocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisit Orlando is ELX's official destination marketing organization partner for Orlando. They align strongly with ELX's focus on strategic, high-trust collaboration and add value through destination expertise supporting complex global programmes. Orlando hosted the inaugural ELX North American Summit in 2026.
• RainFocuscoreTechnology or IntegrationRainFocus is an ELX strategic partner providing an event marketing platform supporting the end-to-end event lifecycle. They contribute a strong perspective on event technology infrastructure, first-party data, lifecycle thinking, and connected systems. Brian Gates, EVP of Strategy and Growth at RainFocus, contributed to ELX editorial on AI and experiential data.
• Visit SeattlecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisit Seattle is ELX's official destination marketing organization partner for Seattle. They bring a destination partner perspective rooted in long-term value, helping ELX members evaluate how sustainability, infrastructure, accessibility, and local ecosystem support business-critical event objectives.
• Destination TorontocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDestination Toronto is ELX's official destination marketing organization partner for Toronto. They add value through a destination story that combines global accessibility with cultural breadth, helping members consider how inclusion, innovation, and attendee experience can be shaped through destination choice. Featured in ELX Insights content.
• The Venetian Resort Las VegascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Venetian Resort Las Vegas is an ELX strategic partner and host venue. The resort is a world-class destination synonymous with luxury, innovation, and unparalleled event experiences. ELX Annual Congress 2026 will be hosted at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas (July 27-30, 2026). The partnership includes a $1.5B capital improvements investment and $188M convention space renovation.
• Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLVCVA is ELX's official convention and visitors authority partner for Las Vegas. They represent a destination built for scale and ambition, offering insight into how capacity, logistics, and city-wide infrastructure can enable complex programs. LVCVA sponsored the off-site evening event at ELX Annual Congress 2024.
• Wrigley Field Events TeamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWrigley Field Events Team served as an ELX events partner, hosting the exclusive evening event at the ELX Annual Congress 2025 in Chicago. The event featured dinner on the baseball diamond, batting cages experience, and dessert in the Cubs locker room.
• InterContinental ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe InterContinental Chicago was the host venue for the ELX Annual Congress 2025 (July 14-16, 2025). Originally built as the Medinah Athletic Club in 1929, it is one of Chicago's first skyscrapers to serve as an event space.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Chief: A private membership network of senior executive women offering curated peer groups, events, and content under a vetted, pay-to-play model. Chief is a comparable business model (curated executive community monetized via member dues) applied to a different vertical - useful benchmark for monetization mechanics.

Direct peers

• Event Marketer: Media brand covering experiential and B2B event marketing with the B2B Dream Team and Top Woman in Events recognitions awarded to ELX CEO Nicola Kastner. Targets the same senior event marketer audience.
• Meeting Professionals International (MPI): The world's largest association for meeting and event professionals, serving an overlapping audience of senior event leaders. MPI is the broader, scaled counterpart to ELX's curated invite-only model, and David Kliman is a former International Chair.
• Smart Meetings: A media brand and awards/community platform serving the meetings and events industry. Smart Meetings operates conferences and the Smart Women in Meetings Awards where multiple ELX members and partners were 2026 honorees - directly comparable audience and recognition format.
• BizBash: Event industry media and community platform covering event planners, producers, and venues. Overlaps with ELX's senior event leader audience and competes for editorial attention and event programming share.
• Events Industry Council (EIC): Umbrella organization representing 30+ associations and 25+ corporate members covering 103,500+ individuals in the events industry. ELX became an EIC member in 2025; EIC is the broadest institutional counterpart serving the same industry.
• Northstar Meetings Group: Publisher of Meetings & Conventions and Successful Meetings, plus industry events and the Top 25 Influencers list that named David Kliman in 2020. Direct competitor for senior event leader mindshare and recognition.
• Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA): A leading global association for the business events industry, serving senior convention and event professionals. PCMA's Visionary Awards are where ELX members were 2026 finalists, reflecting directly overlapping audience and recognition ecosystems.
• IMEX Group: Operates IMEX America (Las Vegas) and IMEX Frankfurt, the industry's flagship trade shows for the meetings/events sector. ELX runs its ELX Forum as a co-located, exclusive member gathering during IMEX weeks - a directly adjacent business model targeting the same buyer.
• Association of Destination Management Executives International (ADMEI): International association for destination management executives and the DMC/agency supplier side. ADMEI partners with ELX (a 2026 ADMEI Award finalist event was an ELX Experience), serving a closely adjacent audience on the supplier side of the events ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/event-leaders-exchange

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Event Leaders Exchange (ELX)