Evolve 2026 Speaker Lineup: From Customer Obsession to Practical AI

Running your successful wedding business is more than just the passion of the job. There are other requirements to make it successful and profitable. A clear and strategic roadmap. As consumer psychology shifts, technologies evolve, and booking journeys are getting a little more complex, you’ll need to stay ahead and abreast of how the market is moving.

This is where Evolve 26 comes in. A dedicated day for wedding businesses of any size and area of expertise. This year’s Evolve has been curated with a powerhouse lineup of industry leaders and our CEO to strip away fluff and deliver practical, data-backed execution strategies. You’ll walk away with actionable insights and start accelerating your business immediately.

From customer experience and accessible artificial intelligence, to sales psychology and digital brand alignment, here is the official Evolve 2026 speaker program.

Keynote 1: Amanda Stevens

Topic: Radical Customer Obsession

Modern couples demand more than transactional “good service”. Rather, they’re in the market for an empathetic and tailored experience that is entirely to their needs. In an industry where aesthetics can be replicated, the customer experience you deliver is your ultimate competitive advantage.

Far from being a tech-heavy session, Amanda’s high-energy keynote is built on zero jargon, zero overwhelm, and 100% human connection. Packed with real-world hospitality examples, this session moves past basic customer service into a state of radical, memorable client obsession.

Key Takeaways:

• A clear playbook for auditing and optimising every digital and physical touchpoint of your booking journey.
• Strategic methods to design unforgettable “micro-moments” that naturally compel couples to leave 5-star reviews and generate organic word-of-mouth.
• A mindset shift to view client experience not as an administrative chore, but as a business-wide mission that drives consistent revenue.

Keynote 2: Matt Butterworth

Topic: AI Efficiency & The State of the Industry

Let’s cut through the noise and look at raw market data. Easy Weddings CEO Matt Butterworth will deliver an exclusive, real-time update on the Australian wedding landscape: what couples are actually spending, where budgets are shifting, and exactly how high-performing businesses remain highly profitable.

Matt will also cover AI. Recognising that creative small businesses might not have the time to learn complex technical frameworks, Matt will demystify some of the AI tools at your disposal. You will learn practical tips to deploy immediately, and streamline your administrative scatter to buy back your most valuable thing… time.

Key Takeaways:

• The Spend Report: Exclusive marketplace data tracking how couples are spending equal or greater budgets on smaller guest lists, and how to price your packages to match.
• The Task Leverage Matrix: How to use simple AI tools to automate your “$10 and $100 tasks” (invoicing templates, content scheduling, basic admin) so you can spend your energy on high-value “$1,000 tasks.”
• Workflows That Scale: Actionable, easy-to-use tech recipes designed to help your small business work smarter and eliminate late-night admin pile-ups.

Session 3: Darcy Allen & Lauren Samuels

Topic: People-First Sales: Turning Enquiries into Inevitable Bookings

For many creative wedding suppliers, “selling” doesn’t feel natural. You love your craft, but converting a cold digital inquiry into a locked-in deposit can feel uncomfortable or pushy.

Darcy Allen and Lauren Samuels are here to reframe the sales pipeline through empathy and genuine human connection. A lead sitting in an inbox is just data; a lead on the phone is a relationship. This collaborative session breaks down the modern conversion user journey, focusing on the tangible micro-behaviours that separate a ghosted inbox from a secured booking.

Key Takeaways:

• The “Frictionless” Reply: The exact timing, tone, and positioning required to respond to an initial enquiry, the gold standard of following up, and tangible actions that can put a stop to couples ghosting you.
• The Micro-Triggers: Small, high-impact details that can drastically accelerate booking velocity. Get you to consider “What’s your Eiffel Tower moment?”
• Connection at Scale: How to build consultative trust quickly, moving your business from a line-item option on a spreadsheet to a couple’s absolute non-negotiable choice.

Session 4: Kate Florio & Sarah Ripley

Topic: Decoding the Modern Buyer’s Journey: The Psychology of How Couples Book

Where do your leads actually come from? Hint: It’s rarely just the final channel they sent the DM or email to. For the modern wedding couple, their decision-making journey has shifted from a straight line to a messy, sometimes complex loop. In this session, Kate Florio and Sarah Ripley will explore the couple’s psychological journey, from the discovery of your business to their further research that ultimately becomes a sale.

Key Takeaways:

• The “Invisible Funnel” Map: A deep dive into modern buyer psychology, understanding how couples discover, vet, and validate your business across multiple channels before reaching out.
• The Validation Framework: How to leverage your Easy Weddings storefront as a “trust-anchor” to validate your personal brand and prevent research-phase ghosting.
• The High-Conversion Story: Practical templates to change your communication style, ensuring your digital presence ticks off every piece of the puzzle a couple needs to see before paying a deposit.

Secure Your Seat

Evolve 2026 is an absolute cross-industry necessity for business owners who want to scale with clarity, purpose, and elevated profitability.

Spaces are strictly limited by venue capacity. Don’t leave your business growth to guesswork.

Don’t miss out on your seat at Evolve 26