In the fast-paced world of event technology, ten years is a lifetime. For inWink, a leading B2B event management platform, the last decade has meant evolving from powering single events to industrializing audience engagement at scale. At the heart of that shift is a six-year collaboration with VivaTech, Europe’s biggest startup and tech event. We sat down with Pascal Laforest, Co-CEO of inWink, to explore how this partnership became the ultimate proof of scale for his company.
The VivaTech Proof
Inwink first joined the VivaTech ecosystem in 2019. At the time, they were still very much in the “startup” phase. “Experiencing our first VivaTech in 2019 was a great moment,” Laforest recalls. “Of course, there was a lot of pressure, but it was a first step for inwink to grow as a major actor in the event tech industry.” In an environment where you only get one chance to deliver—and a single glitch can impact tens of thousands of participants—success at an event the size of VivaTech becomes a gold standard. As noted in their official partnership history, the platform must support over 150,000 attendees and complex networking needs. “When you say you are a supplier at VivaTech, it proves that you are scalable and committed,” say Laforest. “If you fail once, it’s difficult to work with the customer again. VivaTech is such a huge reference for us.”
Innovation as a Shared DNA
The relationship between inWink and VivaTech isn’t a typical client-vendor set-up; it’s real event tech innovation lab. Inwink has consistently used VivaTech as a “launchpad” to test and refine its most advanced B2B event management tools before rolling them out to the wider market. Immediately following the pandemic, inWink launched “Watch Together” for VivaTech’s hybrid edition, a feature designed to bring the social energy of live events to a digital audience. Building on that inWink used VivaTech 2024 to debut its native mobile application with integrated AI, designed to personalize the attendee experience and networking recommendations in real-time. “We are in a trustful, committed, and what I call a ‘grow together’ relationship,” Laforest explains. This philosophy of mutual growth has allowed inWink to evolve alongside the changing needs of the world’s most demanding tech leaders.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint!
While many see VivaTech as a four-day sprint, Laforest sees it as a pinnacle of a 365-day marathon. This reflects a broader trend in the industry: the shift from event organizer to community leader. “The trend we really see is that event organizers will not remain only event organizers,” says Laforest. “You have to engage your audience through your flagship events, but you also have to engage them all year long.” To support this, inwink has developed dedicated community modules that allow brands to maintain long-lasting relations with their audience. Whether through smaller satellite events or constant content delivery, the goal is to ensure that the spark ignited during a major event like VivaTech doesn’t fade once the booths are packed away.
Advice for the Next Generation
Having seen his company grow from a small team to a market leader, Laforest’s advice for first-time VivaTech exhibitors is simple: connect and inspire. “Discover as many startups and innovations as possible,” he suggests. “It’s a unique opportunity to connect with so many people.” And for the entrepreneurs of tomorrow? “Go with your kids- I did it. It can make them love entrepreneurship and innovation.”
As inwink looks toward its next decade, and as we celebrate our first, the shared focus remains clear: continue to build the tools that turn fleeting moments into permanent communities. Don’t miss the chance to explore the VivaTech community and see what inwink has in store for the future; Get your pass here!
