Next up
AOP Events
Where procurement executives make sense of it all
Every Art of Procurement event is designed as a safe space for senior procurement executives to work on their operating models and drive change with confidence
Next up: Founders' Circle London, Tuesday, February 2, 2027
Built to cut through the noise
Large events are a great way to see the entire market. We've designed our events to help you make sense of it all and take the next step in your journey.
A typical industry conference
An Art of Procurement event
Size
Hundreds to thousands of attendees, and dozens of sponsors
Small rooms, capped to maximize the experience of all participants
Who gets in
Anyone who registers
Senior level executives following an application process
Sponsor to practitioner ratios
Up to 2.5 sponsors per practitioner executive
4 practitioner executives per sponsor representative
How it feels
Guarded, due to size, practitioner mix, and the buyer vs. seller environment
Open, because you are surrounded by executive level peers
Content
Often secondary, larger events built for networking
At the core of our event, all sessions are co-created by Art of Procurement and we retain editorial control
Sponsors
Expo halls, booths, and product demos
No booths. Partners come prepared to help you solve challenges
You leave with
A wider view of the market, and more options
Decisions tested with peers who are making the same calls
Who's not talking about AI today? Everyone is, and it's very vague, conceptual, and aspirational. Catalyst is a safe space to talk with a group of peers about the examples they're pursuing, what they're doing, what went wrong, and what didn't.
Catalyst
The big shows put the whole market in front of you. Catalyst is where you make sense of it.
For one day, senior procurement executives work through the decisions AI is forcing on their operating models, in small groups, with people making the same calls inside their own organizations. The conversation starts from what is running today, what broke, and what people would do differently.
One decision, pressure-testedBring a live operating-model decision. Leave having tested it with peers who have faced the same trade-offs.
What others are actually runningSpecific examples from peer organizations: what is in production, what stalled, and why.
A 90-day commitmentOne change you will make in the next quarter, said out loud to peers who will ask how it went.
- The room
- 50 to 60 senior procurement executives
- Format
- Roundtables and masterminds, practitioner-only tables
- Cost
- Complimentary for qualified procurement executives
- 2027 theme
- What Actually Works
“No vendor maze. No badge chasers. Just real conversations.”Joseph Reinholtz, Direct Procurement Leader, on Catalyst New York 2025
Catalyst in 2027
Detroit
Wednesday, September 22, 20279:00 am to 6:00 pm · focused on direct materialsApplications are open.
Founders' Circle
The most useful conversation about procurement technology rarely happens inside a sales cycle.
Founders' Circle takes the deal off the table for an afternoon. There is no pipeline to manage, no deck to sit through, and no next meeting to book. Senior procurement executives and a small group of procuretech founders talk openly about ideas, roadblocks, challenges, and opportunities, with nobody buying and nobody selling.
For procurement executivesAn unguarded read on where the technology is heading, from the people building it.
For foundersThe ground truth on what it takes to make technology work inside large, complicated organizations.
- The room
- 10 to 15 senior procurement and 10 senior provider executives
- Cost
- Free for procurement executives. Founders and provider executives pay $3,000, only if accepted.
- Insights Partner
- McKinsey & Company
“No hype, just procuretech founders and practitioners talking honestly about what's actually working, what isn't, and where AI is genuinely removing friction in procurement today.”Ian Cotter, Co-founder, Zavo
Founders' Circle in 2027
Next up
In their words
I almost didn't come. I have a huge worldwide end-to-end system going live next Wednesday. I'm so glad I came. I'm taking learnings back to my CFO, my CTO, and my head of engineering.
Linda ChuanChief Value Officer and Chief of Staff to the CFO, Box
It's a unique space where people come together with an open mind and their guards down, and really talk about the problems we're all dealing with. Nobody is going to come up with a solution alone.
Christine MooreFounder and Managing Partner, RAUS Global Solutions
What makes Catalyst different is a much more intimate group. You don't have a lot of people just shuffling around. It's less sales-oriented and much more conversational.
Jeffrey OstranderNorth America Supply Chain Leader, SLB
Relevant insights do not come from presentations alone. They emerge through direct exchange: when assumptions are challenged, when experiences from different companies and industries come together.
Oliver TreselerVice President Procurement, Purem by Eberspächer
Founders' Circle is a brilliant event, bringing a great group of practitioners and founders together to support each other and accelerate progress.
James O'NeillHead of Procurement Strategy & Operations, Sainsbury's
Questions executives ask first
What does it cost?
Catalyst and Founders' Circle are complimentary for qualified procurement executives. At Founders' Circle, founders and provider executives pay $3,000, and only if their application is accepted.
Who gets in?
Senior procurement executives: CPOs, vice presidents and heads of procurement, and transformation, digital, and center of excellence leaders, typically from organizations with $500M or more in revenue. Each application is reviewed individually to protect the balance of the room.
How is this different from a big procurement conference?
The big shows are the best place to see the whole market. Catalyst is where you make sense of it. With 60 executives instead of thousands, and practitioner-only tables, the day is spent working through decisions with peers.
Are sponsors in the room?
The practitioner tables stay practitioner-only. Partners make the day possible and take part in clearly marked main-stage sessions.
What happens after I request an invitation?
We review your application and reply within two business days. If it is a fit, we confirm your seat by email with the venue details and a calendar invitation. If the room is full, we will offer you the waitlist.
Will what I say be shared?
Founders' Circle is off the record, so people can speak plainly about what is and is not working. Nothing said in the room is attributed without your agreement.
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