The BETT (British Educational Technology Show) creates a striking impression from the very first moment you enter: you don’t feel like you’re attending “just another education exhibition,” but rather stepping into a fully developed industry ecosystem. By its own definition, BETT is one of the world’s largest EdTech events, hosting more than 35,000 visitors and over 600 exhibitors, all condensed into three intense days across the vast halls of ExCeL London.
Behind the impressive numbers lies the real experience. Live demos, professional conversations, impromptu stand meetings, and conference talks are all happening simultaneously. The pace is so fast that you quickly realise you don’t need to see everything. What matters is choosing your focus wisely.
Why does it hit especially hard from a Hungarian perspective?
Arriving from Hungary, the sheer intensity of innovation is particularly striking. Not only because there is more capital or larger companies, but because the market itself feels much more mature. Many of the solutions on display are no longer “ideas” or early-stage concepts — they are widely deployed, scalable products, supported by robust integration capabilities and strong compliance and data-protection narratives. This kind of polished, production-ready product mindset is something we rarely encounter at this scale back home.
A clear separation between “hardware” and “software” worlds
One of the most compelling aspects of BETT is how clearly it separates physical infrastructure (devices, classroom technology) from the software layer (education, institutional operations, data, and security). The exhibition itself is organised into well-defined zones that reflect this logic. For example, the dedicated Equipment & Hardware zone brings together everything from classroom furniture and AV systems to robotics and immersive technologies.
Similarly, the software landscape is clearly divided between solutions focused on teaching and learning (assessment tools, LMS platforms, educational apps, content, coding, and learning resources) and those supporting institutional operations (MIS systems, cybersecurity, connectivity and communication layers, and data management).
Four main categories of software solutions
Based on the stands and conversations throughout the event, the software ecosystem can be clearly grouped into four distinct areas:
Institution management and operations (Management Solutions)
Systems that “run” the entire school: administration, data handling, workflows, reporting, communication, integrations, and payments.
Security & Compliance
Cybersecurity, identity and device management, data protection, auditing, and regulatory compliance—tailored specifically for educational environments. While these are often embedded within management solutions, they also stand out as a strong, independent focus area.
Teacher-support solutions
Lesson planning, differentiation, assessment, communication, and reducing administrative workload—very often powered by AI. A major theme of the conference was how to reduce administrative burden and redirect that time toward more personalised teaching.
Learning-support solutions
Student-facing practice, knowledge building, motivation, adaptive learning, interactive content, and extracurricular learning activities—again, with increasingly deep AI integration.
Participants don’t come “just” to network, but to take solutions home
A significant portion of the 35,000+ attendees are educators and institutional decision-makers who come specifically to learn, explore, and take concrete solutions back to their own schools and classrooms. BETT consistently positions itself as a global community where educators, decision-makers, and industry players meet—bringing together participants from many countries and a wide range of educational contexts.
