“Our calculator is based on an AI model” – VenuesIn

Founded in 2019, VenuesIn was created with the goal of facilitating the organization of corporate events, offering a “venue finder” service that helped companies find the ideal spaces for workshops, conferences, or team-building activities.

Today, the company, headquartered in Campo Pequeno, Lisbon, has a team of seven professionals, but operates throughout the country, including the islands, and has already taken events to countries such as Spain, France, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

In 2024, VenuesIn recorded growth of approximately 40% compared to the previous year, also reflecting an increase of over 20% in the number of events organized.

With a 360-degree view of the business, the company moved beyond simply identifying venues and began managing all services associated with an event, from catering to security, offering a complete experience to its clients.

In an interview with PME Magazine, Rodrigo Nené, co-founder & General Manager of VenuesIn, reveals how technological innovation, attention to detail, and market knowledge have been key to the brand’s growth. He also shares industry trends, internally developed digital solutions, and strategic plans for 2026.

PME Magazine (PME Mag.) – VenuesIn was founded in 2019 focusing on the organization and management of events. How has the business model evolved to this day?

Rodrigo Nené (RN) – VenuesIn originated as a venue finder, meaning it was a service that consisted of finding locations for corporate events, ranging from workshops and team building to meetings of business executives, celebrations of symbolic dates, conferences, and more.

This was in 2019. Before the pandemic… The fact that we were forced to stop and wait for a (more or less) return to normal, and were left wondering about the future of the events sector, also gave us the opportunity to rethink our objectives and organizational models. And that is what has been happening for the last four years or so.

“We gained a 360-degree view of the business, at the level of managing the entire service offered.”

We’ve moved beyond simply identifying suitable venues for a given event; we’ve adopted a 360-degree view of the business, encompassing the management of all services offered. Therefore, we can now explore every aspect, from researching the best venues with specific characteristics to managing catering, bar service, hostesses, security, and more.

PME Mag. – What is your assessment of 2025 in terms of growth, results, and brand consolidation, and what are the main strategic objectives defined for 2026?

There is one aspect that sets us apart from the competition and allows us to consolidate our operations and expect growth in the short to medium term. I’m referring to our ability to send proposals within 24 business hours. This response is crucial in an area where opportunities or challenges often arise at the last minute and require an immediate decision.

Given this, because we are driven by organizational capacity and meticulous attention to detail, in addition to knowing the national market and its idiosyncrasies very well, we intend to continue our growth trajectory and increase our market share in the national territory, as well as attract even more international events to our country. And, with that, establish ourselves as the leading venue finder in Portugal. Following this path, all the structural conditions will be in place for us to internationalize and enter markets that we consider strategic, such as the North American market.

PME Mag. – VenuesIn has launched a digital calculator. How do these solutions help companies make faster and more informed decisions?

It is important to highlight that this solution was conceived, created, and developed internally, using VenuesIn’s exclusive know-how. This tool focuses on exploratory research, as it allows for a preliminary view of the investment required for events with specific characteristics, from location and venue size to the expected number of attendees and required catering.

“Our calculator is the result of adopting an AI model, combined with the experience gained from hundreds of proposals developed by our sales team over the years.”

In other words, the digital calculator developed by VenuesIn solves the initial requests, whether from clients or companies, resulting from challenges for which they need an initial perspective on the associated costs. Our calculator is the result of adopting an AI model, combined with the experience of hundreds of proposals made by our sales team over the years.

It’s interesting to see how remarkably popular this simulation has been. Recently, when organizations were preparing their 2026 budgets (and some still are), this was a very relevant tool; which clearly demonstrates its added value, both for users and for our professionals, who can now focus their efforts on other phases of the process.

PME Mag. – What are the main trends in the events sector in Portugal? And what types of events are most sought after by companies and organizations?

From the outset, we observed sustained growth in the sector. Not only in the number of events, but also in their quality and the narrative surrounding them.

“Companies’ own spaces come to life for certain events, such as early summer gatherings.”

For example, the goal is to innovate and thereby generate value, both for internal and external clients. Although the return to the office is increasingly discussed, remote work remains relevant, and this is an obstacle to team cohesion. As a result, we are frequently sought after to organize events that bring people together in person. It is also interesting to see that company-owned spaces are being used for events such as early summer gatherings. And if they have a rooftop, it’s a must-have that they don’t miss the opportunity to take advantage of.

From an international perspective, the major trends are AI and the development of venues focused on Health and Wellness.

In the case of AI, its use is growing in logistics, with the adoption of virtual assistants and customer support, as well as in team-building activities. It’s quite curious, and perhaps revealing of some people’s reluctance towards new technologies, but we’ve already created a narrative that originated from the theft of information from the main server by AI. Those present were divided into teams and their mission was to solve riddles and recover that information.

Regarding Health and Wellness, the concept is lighter, on a smaller scale – up to about 30 people – and very focused on relaxation. If the group is larger, we have already developed an innovative product that has been a success, the “Running Club – Company X”, where a coach leads a run with varying levels of difficulty. Perfect for starting the morning, as the energy created will provide renewed vigor and motivation for the demands of daily professional life.

SME Magazine – SMEs don’t always have in-house teams dedicated to event organization. What role can VenuesIn play as a strategic partner for these companies?

VenuesIn’s role is, first and foremost, that of an always available external partner. Our highly experienced structure, extensive industry knowledge, and ability to respond immediately to the challenges faced by companies put us in a privileged position.

“Recognizing the trends shaping the sector that can make a difference, along with expert advice, are crucial factors for SMEs.”

Recognizing the trends shaping the sector that can make a difference, along with specialized advice, are crucial factors for SMEs, whose attention and skills are typically focused on growing their business model.

To this, we must add the financial component. By not having professionals allocated internally to the events area, which take place in very specific and duly scheduled periods, companies allow themselves to avoid a permanent cost, resulting in a merely seasonal impact.

In short, what financial advantages does a partnership with VenuesIn bring? Simply put, the investment is not fixed, expenses are lower, and the associated gains are much higher, through a highly competent partner who achieves the desired objectives.