In 2026, Procurement Strategies and Innovation (PSI) marks a significant milestone: 25 years since the event first launched as eWorld Procurement & Supply.
In an industry that continues to evolve at pace, and in an events landscape that is more crowded than ever, very few procurement conferences can genuinely claim this level of longevity. PSI can. And it’s no coincidence.
Built on real procurement challenges – not hype
PSI began life in 2001, at a time when procurement teams were grappling with the rapid emergence of e-marketplaces and new digital sourcing tools. From the outset, the event was created to meet a clear and growing demand: to give procurement professionals practical insight into what was changing, why it mattered, and how to respond.
That founding principle has remained constant for 25 years.
While formats, technologies and terminology have evolved, PSI has consistently focused on:
- Practical strategy over theory
- Peer insight over sales pitches
- Real-world application over buzzwords
This approach is why the event quickly built momentum, and why eWorld ran twice a year (spring and autumn) from its inception through to September 2019, a rare achievement in the procurement events space.
A trusted event in a crowded market
There are now more procurement events than ever before. But PSI continues to stand apart in several important ways.
- Free to attend for procurement professionals
- Consistently high delegate feedback scores
- Independent, balanced and practitioner-led content
- Designed to prioritise learning, insight and meaningful discussion
Today, PSI is one of the only, if not the only, high-value procurement conferences of its kind that remains free for practitioners, ensuring the event stays accessible, inclusive and focused on professional development, not ticket revenue.
A defining feature of PSI throughout its history has been the breadth of organisations and ideas it brings together. Alongside well-established solution providers, the event has consistently provided a platform for emerging and innovative firms – often giving procurement professionals their first exposure to technologies and suppliers that would later become market leaders. This balance has helped ensure PSI remains both relevant and forward-looking, while staying accessible to the full breadth of the profession.
New for this year, PSI introduces 1:1 Meetings, giving delegates the opportunity to book focused, one-on-one conversations with leading solution providers. These sessions are designed to support specific goals and enable practical discussions around real procurement challenges – offering a more targeted, outcomes-driven way to engage beyond the exhibition and conference sessions.
Recognised and supported by the profession
Over the years, PSI has been supported by and shaped with input from many of the most respected voices in procurement.
Industry analysts and commentators such as Spend Matters have regularly attended PSI, producing both pre-event previews and post-event write-ups that reflect the quality of discussion, insight and debate generated at the event.
Peter Smith, procurement thought leader, former editor of Spend Matters and long-time supporter of eWorld and PSI, reflects:
“That the events have always been free for delegates is very unusual, and makes them far more vibrant, inclusive and democratic than almost any other procurement event around.”
PSI is recognised for its ability to reflect where the profession is heading and to surface emerging trends, innovation and thinking at the right time.
Ellen Leith, Founder of Purchase to Pay Network and a long-standing observer of the procurement and P2P ecosystem, highlights the role PSI plays in keeping the profession forward-looking:
“What has always stood out about PSI is its ability to reflect where procurement is heading, not just where it has been. It consistently brings together strategy, technology and real practitioner experience in a way that feels current and grounded. As end-to-end Procure to Pay continues to evolve, forums like PSI play a vital role in helping the profession stay informed, connected and forward-looking.”
PSI is shaped by regular contributors and speakers who continue to support the event’s practitioner-led ethos.
Andrew Daley, Managing Director, Digital Procurement & Supply Chain at Edbury Daley and a regular PSI contributor, points to the value the event delivers across career stages:
“PSI is a rare gem in the procurement events space – free to attend, rich in relevant content, and always evolving. Whether you’re early in your career or leading transformation, it’s a valuable way to stay informed and connected without the cost of bigger conferences.”
Rob Turner, Chief Procurement Officer at Deliveroo and a regular PSI speaker, emphasises the openness and practicality of the discussions:
“PSI brings together a great mix of procurement professionals and peers who are genuinely open to sharing insights and experiences. It has a real focus on innovation, strategy and practical outcomes – it’s a forum anyone should attend if they are serious about driving meaningful change in procurement.”
That value is echoed by long-standing delegates.
Cristian Martin, Director of Procurement, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) / Procurement Services and a regular PSI delegate, adds:
“PSI has been a great source of learning for me throughout my career. It’s a free event that procurement staff, whatever stage of their career, should attend.”
Long-standing partner support
PSI’s longevity has also been underpinned by long-term partner relationships, most notably with Proactis, who have been the headline sponsor of the event from March 2010 through to the 2026 event.
“We have been attending as the headline sponsor for many years because, for us, it is the key UK trade event which attracts a wide range of delegates from across public, private and not for profit sectors. We know the team from Revolution Events very well now – they’re a friendly team who are very well organised and they always deliver what they say they are going to – an extension to our marketing team.”
Ashley O’Neill, VP of Marketing, Proactis
Evolving with the profession
Key milestones in PSI’s journey include:
- 2001 – Launch of eMarketplace
- Early 2000s – March 2016 – CIPS supported eWorld from the early stages through to the spring event in March 2016
- 2014 – Launch of the Sustainable Procurement & Supply Chain Summit
- 2015 – Launch of The Procurement Summit in Manchester
- 2018 – Return to the Grand Connaught Rooms, London
- 2021 – Virtual edition attracting over 1,000 attendees globally
- 2023 – Evolution into Procurement Strategies and Innovation (PSI)
Join us on 3 March in London
The next chapter in PSI’s story takes place on 3 March at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London.
To mark the 25-year milestone, attendees are also invited to join a drinks reception following the closing keynote at 16:35, taking place in the Cambridge Room. Kindly sponsored by Amazon Business, the reception will provide an opportunity to network with peers, speakers and sponsors from across the day and to celebrate 25 years of PSI together.
After 25 years, the reason PSI continues to bring the procurement profession together is simple: it delivers value.
Registration is now open and this year’s conference programme and exhibitor list can be seen online at www.procurement.events.
Appendix: A Quarter Century of Excellent Procurement Events
By Peter Smith, former editor of Spend Matters
The full reflection from Peter Smith is included here as provided, offering a personal perspective on the evolution, value and culture of PSI over the past 25 years.
I’m not sure when I first attended eWorld Procurement and Supply, as it was then. It must have been one of the first events, probably in the early noughties when I had just moved into consultancy and was working out which events had interesting subject matter and were good for networking. I was also then heavily involved with CIPS, so I think I probably got a speaking invitation around then too. Over the years since then, I have attended the vast majority of the events (now Procurement Strategies & Innovation), speaking at quite a few of them too.
As a procurement professional, maybe the first positive to mention is value for money, in that the events have always been free for delegates. That is very unusual, and makes the events much more vibrant, inclusive and democratic than pretty much any other procurement event around.
Many other procurement conferences are full of self-important CPOs and similar elevated beings, many of them looking bored most of the time or just burnishing their own cvs. But eWorld always has a real mix, from excited junior buyers (public and private sector) attending their first ever event, to experienced procurement technology experts and curious functional leaders who know they will learn something and meet many of the major suppliers in ProcTech and related markets at the event. Indeed, I advised many suppliers over the years that it was a good event to support.
But the ‘free’ aspect never meant that quality was compromised. There have been excellent keynote speakers over the years, and a huge range of other talks, workshops, case studies and demos – a good mix of practitioners, other experts and service providers. There are always interesting and useful ideas to stimulate delegates, usually practical and grounded too, rather than highly theoretical.
However, choosing the right option when multiple sessions run in parallel can be a bit of a lottery – FOMO does kick in at times! There was also the famous incident when free bacon sandwiches were temporarily withdrawn, a mistake rapidly rectified after major delegate protest…
Finally, I’ve always found the team running the event a friendly and highly capable bunch too. Congratulations on reaching 25 years. You have provided an excellent resource to our profession for a quarter of a century now; long may it and you continue to prosper.
