Amsterdam was the backdrop, but was the experience worth the investment? Let’s break it down.

Whether you traveled across the world or watched the updates trickle in on social, PBX Europe 2025 brought out the best of the booth world—new gear, evolving tech, and a whole lot of conversation about where the industry is headed.

Here’s my honest take on the location, the gear, the vibe, and whether this event should be on your radar next year.

The Location: Beautiful, but disconnected

Amsterdam is always a win visually. The city delivers charm, energy, and culture in spades. But the venue itself was a logistical challenge.

It was a 25-minute trip from the city center, and even farther from many of the main airport hotels. With no connected accommodations, we lost one of the best parts of any trade event—the lobby moments. The spontaneous run-ins. The effortless conversations that happen between sessions or after hours. Without that, the community felt scattered. Many attendees were commuting back and forth just to stay connected to the vibe of downtown.

A stunning location, yes. But accessibility matters. For future events, especially in Europe, combining venue and hotel should be a priority. 

The Vibe: Depends on where you are in your business

For newer booth owners, PBX Europe offered everything it should. Direct access to vendors. Hands-on gear comparisons. Entry-level education. And an early glimpse into the global photo booth community.

For more experienced owners, the value came from networking, not note-taking. If you have a few seasons under your belt, the real ROI was in hallway conversations, post-event meetups, and exploring white-label opportunities. That part delivered.

This wasn’t the event to attend for deep-dive strategy or major breakthroughs. But if you were looking for connection, it gave you that.

Gear Highlights: The return of the enclosed booth

There was a clear shift in equipment trends, with almost every vendor presenting an upgraded enclosed booth option.

The standout was Nova from Everybooth. It’s fully portable, breaks down into ten manageable pieces, and can be set up solo. It’s designed with high-end weddings and luxury corporate events in mind. Yes, the price point is higher, but for what it offers in flexibility and solo-operator readiness, it justifies the investment.

For comparison, Cabina remains a strong choice in the corporate space, but it requires more hands, more vehicle space, and more setup time. The payoff is there if you are focused on scale or high-output activations.

In short, Nova equals flexibility and solo operator freedom. Cabina equals corporate scale and team execution.

AI Innovations: It is no longer optional

AI had a presence everywhere, and it’s not just for show anymore. The updates were practical, refined, and shockingly efficient.

Booth.Events impressed with Nano Banana, an AI solution that’s both fast and uncannily accurate. Breeze showed up with advanced AI customization features that pushed the boundaries of on-site creativity. And FotoMaster previewed their new visual editor along with AI-powered DrawBots that literally sketch images from written prompts.

If you’ve been on the fence about integrating AI into your client experiences, now is the time to get ahead. These aren’t future tools. They are what your competitors will be using next quarter.

Education and Turnout: Light on depth, solid on presence

Roughly 500 tickets were sold, which is strong for a European show. However, the venue was so large that it sometimes felt sparse. There were some solid sessions, but many were short and surface-level. This show was more of a sampler than a full-course meal when it came to education.

Still, it was a marked improvement from previous events in London and a good sign that Europe’s photo booth community is gaining traction.

Final Thoughts: Should you go next year?

That depends.

If it is back in Amsterdam with the same logistical setup, I would likely pass. But if the organizers commit to rotating cities and prioritizing convenience, then yes, absolutely. Not only for the business opportunity, but for the excuse to travel, recharge, and reconnect with the community that understands the game you are playing.

My Rating: 7 out of 10

Excellent for new owners and international networking. Valuable for gear insights and vendor discovery. But unless the destination is on your personal list or you are hungry for global connection, it may not be essential for every booth owner each year.

If you are in a growth phase and looking to build long-term relationships, PBX Europe could be worth it. Just be strategic about when and why you go.

PBX Europe 2025 offered strong insights for those entering or scaling in the European market, but its true value came from connection, not curriculum. If you’re planning to attend in the future, be strategic. Go with a goal, know what you want out of it, and choose the destination that aligns with both your business season and personal life.