Why physical tech is making a comeback

We’ve spent the last decade perfecting the tools of ‘anywhere’. Video calls and shared docs and asynchronous everything. And now AI is making the digital layer even smoother – giving us tools to summarise and draft; to translate and organise. 

So why does the physical world suddenly feel important again? 

Because digital convenience is brilliant at moving information. But it’s not always brilliant at moving conviction – or at least, not in the same way that in-person, face-to-face experiences are. 

The rule of thirds: in-person never disappeared

A big part of modern work is persuasion. You have to align teams and reassure partners, and help customers believe you can deliver. Belief often solidifies faster when people share context – when they can watch how you respond, not just what you say.

McKinsey’s B2B Pulse Survey describes a rule of thirds: at any point in the buying journey, roughly one-third of people want in-person interaction, one-third prefer remote, and one-third want digital self-serve.

So in-person was always important. It just recalibrated for a while. 

The same research shows buyers now use around ten interaction channels on average (up from five eight years earlier) with the most frequently used touchpoints including company websites, in-person sales, and video conferencing. So digital isn’t in opposition to physical – they’re just different layers of the same process. And the physical moments are the ones that anchor the layers together. 

Smaller rooms, deeper conversations

Events are one of the clearest reflections of this.

One survey of B2B event decision-makers by Forrester found that 58% plan to run more small, hosted or owned in-person events – the fastest-growing event type identified.

Smaller is telling – and something we’ve taken note of in the way we design LEAP. It suggests a move from scale to substance; from noise to impact. 

When attention is focused and time is shared, conversations change shape. Questions deepen, assumptions get tested, and partnerships become possible.

LEAP happens on a large scale. But within it, we’ve created a wide array of moments that allow you to connect on a personal level – including (but absolutely not limited to) curated matchmaking opportunities and one-in-a-lifetime evening experiences with LEAP Nights. 

Fragmented days, concentrated moments 

Another force pushing us back into the room together is the reality that modern work has become splintered. 

Microsoft’s Work Trend Index analysis describes employees being interrupted, on average, every two minutes by a meeting, email, or notification. Nearly half of employees (48%) – and more than half of leaders (52%) – say work feels chaotic and fragmented.

In that environment, a physical space is a relief. It gathers attention and reduces tab-switching. It creates a shared experience of ‘now’. 

That’s why product demos land differently in person. Because seeing something work, live, under pressure from real questions, speeds up the process of beginning to believe in the product’s value.  

The terrain that digital tools map 

Digital tools are extraordinary. They give us reach and speed and memory.

But they’re a map. And physical space is the terrain. 

You feel gradients and notice friction. You understand scale in a way that no dashboard quite conveys.

One in-person event can reset relationships, rebuild momentum, and accelerate decisions that might otherwise drift for months.

If you’re joining us for LEAP 2026, think of the venue as more than a timetable. It’s a shared terrain – through live demos in the Tech Arena, structured meetings in the Matchmaking Zone, collaborative pathways like CoLAB, and the trust-building cadence of LEAP Nights.

The future of tech is intentional. And sometimes the fastest way forward is to stand in the same room, ask better questions, and see what holds up under real light.

Come ready to experience the terrain. Get your pass for LEAP 2026.