bett 2025 Not Impressed

[paulkerton]

It was overcrowded (especially on the Wednesday) and the stands, particularly from the big boys of Microsoft, Google, Canva et al were all a lot smaller than before and crushed together. Walking between them was difficult once someone decided to stop and then block the entire row.

It was prepared for the post-Covid BETTs but had the attendance of the pre-Covid ones.

Edited January 28, 2025 by paulkerton

[ICTDirect_Dave]

On the flip side from an exhibitor's point of view we had a great show.

 

This year was busier than recent shows and there was more of a buzz about the place that i feel has been missing since Covid put the brakes on everything.

We had three days of really great conversations, met some new people and said hi to a lot of people (@localzuk included) that we hadn't seen for a few years.

 

Yes we gave a lot of chocolates to schoolchildren, but the staff who were with them always appreciated it and made sure to stop for a chat and find out a bit about what we do.

We walked away with over 400 solid leads which will keep us busy for months.

 

The show is getting smaller as the years go by but it still covers a wide range of everything edtech.

I'm not a fan of these "side events" where a company books out the boat next door or a hotel or pub. It's cheaper, but it's not like you get to speak to anyone you don't already have the details for and it makes it much more awkward for people trying to visit the show!

[Dos_Box]

I'll agree with Dave here (and thanks for hosting us once more!) about attendance as it certainly was a lot busier than any show since it re-opened, but is now missing 'something. Actually several 'somethings'.

A lot of this is down to the show changing hands several times since we first started doing them in 2007, and a lot of that is down to the organisers losing what is known as 'Instituational Knowlege'.

I'm going to be doing a piece on this soon, and after speaking to more than a few old hands at the show this time around I think it may do well to shine a light on what made the BETT show what it was and what they have lost over the years to get us to where we are today.

BETT used to have a soul, a vibe and a sense of fun, but in the past 10 years+ it has been slowly losing it year on year. Shows are not just about products, and even the exhibitors will tell you that.

It needs to get it back I feel.

[garethEds]

I called by the stand on Friday and some to Declan. You were out and about. Gutted not to have caught you.

[Dos_Box]

I called by the stand on Friday and some to Declan. You were out and about. Gutted not to have caught you.

 

That's OK Garaeth, I had to go and 'do the rounds' visting other stands. We'd usually do this on Thirsday, but the storm meant that some of us had to sort out travel arrangements and flights etc.

We were not the only ones either. With trains getting cancelled other stands who's companies were based in the north all had to take measures. Smoothwall had to hire minibusses to get their guys back as their trains were scrubbed.

[HarkNowHear]

First time I've attended BETT at that venue, and did have a decent time looking at some new stuff and catching up with existing suppliers. My impression is that a lot of companies seem to swerve the event itself and plot up somewhere close by, then try to lure you over for a chat or a demo, so the exhibition itself is shrinking as a result.

[Synkrox]

I used to go yearly but missed the last two years. I just stopped finding it useful to go constantly as everyone just spouts the latest industry buzzword (Cloud! Blockchain! AI!) & tries to pretend that they've integrated said buzzword into their product when in reality they've done nothing but slap the word into marketing material.

 

The LinkedIn crowd (You know the sorts......) who eat up the buzzwords love it of course & make out that it's the most amazing experience - In reality, they're all just backslapping each other for being in the same room.

 

Any little company that has a great product (eg Schoolcloud) ends up being bought by one of the bigger vendors & then crushed/put into development hell anyway so the experience of finding great new products has gone as well.

 

Yes, I'm cynical - It has it's value, but I think it's something that you go to every 3/4 years now not a yearly "MUST GO" event.

 

 

Yeah I second this. There's little scope in our budget for anything outside of core functionally so anything shiny we do see, we can't afford anyway.

 

I was going to reply in full myself but you have summed up my thoughts perfectly.

Especially regarding the linkedin crowd.

[Accura2k7]

Honestly, found a few good options, network company ive never heard of that provided some right out there product and options that would rival Aruba and Ubiqueti.

 

Company selling rugged cases for Chromebooks.

 

If I find 1 new thing that catches my eye, i call it a win!

[mavhc]

Honestly, found a few good options, network company ive never heard of that provided some right out there product and options that would rival Aruba and Ubiqueti.

 

Company selling rugged cases for Chromebooks.

 

If I find 1 new thing that catches my eye, i call it a win!

 

which network company?

[PotNoodleTech]

Company selling rugged cases for Chromebooks.

 

If I find 1 new thing that catches my eye, i call it a win!

 

Oh do tell!!!!

[DavR]

It definitely still serves a useful purpose - I was on the lookout for suppliers for a coming project, and not only had a chat with suppliers, but also met the hardware manufacturers. In one day, I learnt a lot about what specs I need to be looking at, and found my three potential bidders. And got a bit of advice from fellow techs that I met along the way, thanks!

 

I've been going for most of the last ten years, minus a few. I haven't worked out whether it's got a bit more "meh" over time though, or if I'm just getting older and more jaded....

[the_quick]

I have not been to BETT for at least 4 years or more. Previously I just popped in for a few hours. This time round I was there for 3 day (coming from abroad now) - I had a clear plan want I want to look at, who I want to talk to and what sessions/talks I want to attend. Before I mostly came to browse and meet people. I was really surprised how many people came from abroad - for that London makes sense with multiple airports - I met with someone that came from down under !

 

I found it useful, but AI clearly dominated everywhere. Was really impressed what MS is doing with Teams. And I got lovely lunch from one of our suppliers !

 

And most important I got a mug from EduGeeks - thanks guys !

[mikes]

Oh do tell!!!!

 

Rugged cases - it's keyboard protectors we need. That and more robust screens. I honestly looked into what they were using in prisons but even those seemed to be too fragile (being valuable possessions in prison the inmates treat them with better care than our kids treat ours!)

If the next BETT has a show of robust Chromebooks maybe I'd attend and take a look. At least the new model 100e's have easily replaceable keyboards this time.

But again - getting paid 8 - 4 (7 hours) for a 6am - 9pm day - it's just too much imo. Does anyone get more pay for going?

[Accura2k7]

Ruijie Networks, some clever stuff on their platform.

 

which network company?

[Zoom7000]

I've quoted a few posts below, primarily because I agreed with most of what has been said. This was my 20th Bett and my first as a member of the Bett Advisory Board, as well as my first opportunity speaking on the main stage. A little proud milestone for me personally, having spoken on the smaller stages in recent years.

 

I quite strongly agree with @localzuk that these days, you'll be disappointed if you're looking for the shiny new thing. That's just not what EdTech is anymore. It was nice once upon a time to play with all the gadgets, but those days are (somewhat sadly) gone. Bett 2025, was very much a case of the year of AI. Some stands showcasing products that had nothing new at all, but had some form of AI slapped on top for an extra monthly subscription fee. Some a little useful, if pricey. Some useless and still pricey!

 

My last few Bett Shows have pretty much been spent not paying too much attention to the show floor or taking a deep dive into what the exhibitors have to showcase and much more about the people and networking. This is what I think Bett (and other conferences) are much more powerful for. You can always schedule a Teams/Zoom/Meet call next week and do a screen share of what your new product brings for 2025. It'll be better with a stable internet connection and not where there are thousands of people all having a conversation at the same time. Bett is for connecting with people in person at the human level. Despite the flexibility that covid taught us about virtual connections, we thrive the most on in person human connections.

 

I'd like to think Hyve have done better in bringing more PD and content back to Bett. The theatres and new "fish bowl" talks were really powerful and covered a wide range of subjects. I was gutted that I couldn't get to Gary Henderson's talk on cyber security as I had a clash, but he had a full house, which was great to see. I also agree with @Dos_Box that Bett had lost a bit of the special feel over the last few years and started to feel a bit too much like a trade show for leaders with purchasing influence. But having seen a little bit behind the scenes this year, Hyve have tried to bring back a lot of the focus for educators, which is great to see and I hope we see much more of that at Bett 2026.

 

For those attending (or hoping to attend) next year, do make sure to try and get to more of the talks and try to connect with as many people as possible afterwards, even if it is just to exchange details to follow up later on. I'm glad that I did this over the many years at Bett and have made some lifelong friends as well as experienced some wonderful opportunities because of it. Trust me, you won't regret it!

 

For those who were disappointed this year, feel free to send me any feedback directly and I'll happily share with Hyve, so that we can hopefully make Bett into a great show for all educators, especially those of us in education IT. I hope you'll give it another chance.

 

I haven't been to BETT for a number of years, so this was a larger setup than the last time I went. That said, I have a few issues with it. The organisation of the event was a bit of a mess. I arrived via Customs House, and there was no signage apparent on where The Arena was - vs it previously having been in the centre of the convention floor.

 

Next, the badges - printing my own is fine, no issue with that. But when I arrived to actually get in? No-one could tell me simply where to get a lanyard. The first person said I'd have to join the huge queue for the registration/printing stuff. Took my own walking around to find some lanyards.

 

It just felt disorganised.

 

On the general concept - I found it somewhat useful, but I had specific projects in mind, so knew what I was looking for. Some of the big stands, I don't really know why they were there though. Dell? Went to ask them about their next generation of 2 in 1 devices, and it took them passing me to someone else, who told me a reorganisation was coming soon and they couldn't really say much. Not particularly helpful!

 

But, the main good thing about BETT? Meeting up with people. I caught up with various people I've not seen for several years, or knew only via email etc... Putting a face to a name is always good for building relationships further!

 

If you go to BETT to just walk around and see the new stuff? I think you'll walk away disappointed these days. Tech isn't developing so rapidly. We're seeing iteration rather than innovation in most cases. And most iteration today is nailing "AI" onto existing products.

 

It was overcrowded (especially on the Wednesday) and the stands, particularly from the big boys of Microsoft, Google, Canva et al were all a lot smaller than before and crushed together. Walking between them was difficult once someone decided to stop and then block the entire row.

It was prepared for the post-Covid BETTs but had the attendance of the pre-Covid ones.

 

I'll agree with Dave here (and thanks for hosting us once more!) about attendance as it certainly was a lot busier than any show since it re-opened, but is now missing 'something. Actually several 'somethings'.

A lot of this is down to the show changing hands several times since we first started doing them in 2007, and a lot of that is down to the organisers losing what is known as 'Instituational Knowlege'.

I'm going to be doing a piece on this soon, and after speaking to more than a few old hands at the show this time around I think it may do well to shine a light on what made the BETT show what it was and what they have lost over the years to get us to where we are today.

BETT used to have a soul, a vibe and a sense of fun, but in the past 10 years+ it has been slowly losing it year on year. Shows are not just about products, and even the exhibitors will tell you that.

It needs to get it back I feel.

Edited February 12, 2025 by Zoom7000

[Ditto]

Thanks for that input @Zoom7000 - that insight is fantastic and great you are willing to take feedback. I'm not currently in school sector, but keep a keen eye on things. Your line "Some a little useful, if pricey. Some useless and still pricey!" is probably the most succinct summary of the rush for companies trying to say the are on trend! There's a long way to go with AI integration in so many places. I've been using ChatGPT a lot recently, with legal advice, writing VB code, advising on Excel solutions and a few puzzles. Apart from some of the logic puzzles, it has been outstanding and impresses me enormously. I'd do cross-check it's statements, but take legal advice, it gives me info that would cost a huge amount of money via the legal professions. It has always stood up to cross-checking, but repeatedly says "You should of course take legal advice in many instances". All of this is purely through typing some relatively complex topics, in a purely natural language style. I think a voice solution (if not already available) would be a relatively simple extension. If Edu products can capture 50% of the power of ChatGPT and incorporate them in to added value to whatever product they have, there will be big steps forward.