The latest Prague edition of TES The European Summit took place from 25–28 September 2026, once again at the Vienna House Diplomat Prague. The established venue remains a good fit for the event, with the exhibition areas, conference rooms, lobby and outdoor spaces all becoming part of the networking environment over the course of the weekend. Public event information described TES as bringing together affiliates, media buyers, advertisers, payment providers, network owners and technology companies from a broad range of verticals.
It was a sold-out edition
One of the more interesting aspects of this year's TES was that the conference was completely sold out, despite a notable change to the ticketing model.
For the first time, the so-called Sponsored Affiliate Passes were no longer free. The fact that attendance remained so strong despite affiliates now having to contribute toward their tickets suggests that TES continues to hold considerable value for the industry. The conference has developed into one of those events where the density of relevant contacts is arguably more important than any individual presentation or exhibition stand.
A noticeable upgrade in food and hospitality
Another visible change compared with the 2025 edition was the broader selection of food available during the conference.
In addition to the more traditional conference catering, attendees could find tacos, sausages, ice cream and even oysters, alongside the obligatory Czech classic, Trdelník. The variety gave the networking areas more of a festival-like atmosphere at certain times of the day and provided another reason for people to remain around the hotel rather than disappearing between meetings.
Whether this improvement was directly related to the additional revenue generated by the new paid affiliate passes is impossible to say, but the increased hospitality budget was certainly noticeable from an attendee perspective. The official ticket package also continued to advertise sponsored lunches, refreshments and sponsored bars as part of the conference experience.
AI moves further into the industry
Unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence was one of the dominant themes of the conference programme and the conversations surrounding it.
What was more interesting this year was that the discussion had moved beyond generic presentations about the potential of AI. A number of sessions focused on much more practical questions, including topics such as saving money by running local LLMs, using AI in marketing, and integrating AI into existing company workflows.
There was also a visible presence of companies building AI-based products. AI sex chat businesses in particular were well represented, while dedicated side events around AI growth, creative generation, campaign optimisation, infrastructure, payments and compliance showed how quickly an ecosystem is developing around the sector. One AI-focused programme held inside the Diplomat, for example, included companies working in AI chat as well as infrastructure and performance marketing.
At the same time, AI did not completely dominate the show. This was arguably a positive development. Rather than feeling like an "AI conference with affiliate marketing attached", TES continued to represent the broader performance-marketing ecosystem.
A healthy mix of industries
The diversity of attending businesses was one of the stronger aspects of this edition.
Previous TES events have sometimes developed a very visible concentration around a particular industry. Earlier editions featured large numbers of companies primarily selling traffic, while at the 2025 Prague event the payments industry appeared particularly prominent.
This time there was no single vertical that completely defined the exhibition floor. AI companies were clearly present, but not excessively so. Alongside them were the familiar mix of affiliate programmes, advertising networks, media buyers, payment companies, technology providers, dating businesses, iGaming companies and other service providers.
That broad representation is one of TES's continuing strengths. For attendees whose objective is business development rather than focusing on a single vertical, that diversity makes TES particularly useful.
Networking remains the main attraction
The weather in Prague was fortunately cooperative for most of the conference, which had a very visible effect on the atmosphere around the venue.
The outside area directly in front of the Diplomat was consistently packed with attendees, particularly during breaks and in the afternoon and evening. What is technically just the entrance and terrace area of the hotel effectively became another networking floor.
This remains one of the characteristics that distinguishes TES from many larger and more formal trade shows. Meetings certainly happen at stands and in scheduled meeting rooms, but a substantial amount of business is conducted informally: Over coffee, outside the hotel or simply through introductions between people who happen to be standing nearby.
With the conference itself full, the density of people around the hotel made spontaneous networking especially effective.
The growing problem of Invite-Only events
One development was less welcome: the increasing number of invite-only activities surrounding the conference.
Almost all of the more attractive sponsored evening events appeared to operate on an invitation-only basis. More surprisingly, the same approach could even be found with some presentations.
There are understandable reasons for sponsors to restrict capacity, particularly when organising smaller events for selected partners or clients. However, the extent to which this happened at the 2026 edition represented a noticeable change from previous TES events.
It also creates something of a contradiction with the traditional TES concept of an open, highly accessible networking conference. The official ticket description states that admission includes access to official parties, seminars, networking sessions, product presentations and lectures. In practice, an increasing layer of additional sponsored activity now seems to exist around the main programme for which simply possessing a conference ticket is not necessarily sufficient.
Putting that aside, the fact that the conference could sell out even after moving away from free sponsored affiliate passes is a strong indication that attendees continue to see sufficient commercial value in making the trip to Prague. The improved catering, busy networking areas and diverse mix of businesses all contributed to a conference that felt active throughout the weekend.