HubSpot旗舰活动更名UNBOUND 2026在波士顿举办，超14,000人报名注册

This year's UNBOUND, formerly known as INBOUND, took place Sept. 16-18 in Boston.Photo: Courtesy of HubSpot

BOSTON—After 15 years as INBOUND, CRM platform HubSpot welcomed its revolutionized three-day convention, named UNBOUND, to Boston.

Taking place Sept. 16-18 at the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center, the big event embraced a dramatic transition from past years, says Kat Tooley, HubSpot’s vice president of global events and experiential marketing.

“We treated it as a real shift, not just a new name," she said. "The rebrand gave us a reason to pressure test every part of the event, not just the branding, and ask ourselves whether something actually felt like UNBOUND or like INBOUND with a new banner."

Tooley added that over 14,000 people registered to attend and over 1.6 million joined the livestream. Emphasizing the importance of in-person engagement, this year’s convention had an overwhelming mentality of change, from the high-wattage speakers to the omnipresence of AI businesses.

Below, we explore five features of 2026’s UNBOUND that changed the game from previous years.

1. AI is everywhere, but human connection is paramount.

Of all the businesses featured at UNBOUND, AI companies largely felt the most prominent across the color-drenched show floor and sessions. But despite AI’s constant presence, sessions and speakers made sure to emphasize that while technology can improve our livelihoods, human connection is an essential component of success.

“As much as we talked about AI, product innovation, and big ideas on the main stage, that's still what people wanted most,” said Tooley. “Our Meeting Hub & Suites were packed with the kind of one-on-one conversations you can't replicate online, and spaces like The Exchanges kept drawing people back throughout the week, not just once. Even with everything happening in the world right now, people showed up wanting to laugh, learn, and connect in person. Human connection is still king.”

Photo: Courtesy of HubSpot

Intimate conversations that went beyond AI were ever-present across the space, particularly in the Braindate Lounge, where 30-minute, attendee-driven discussions that were either one-on-one or in small groups allowed attendees to have casual conversations with each other. Still, the flexibility and accessibility of AI were appreciated by many: AI-generated session recaps were available in the mobile app, and a curated selection of more than 40 session recordings will be available on the HubSpot Live YouTube channel.

2. Activations and incentives win every time.

One of the most widely understood concepts of this year’s show floor was that booths featuring lively activations and incentives have the best foot traffic and, as a result, the best results.

Aurasell, a San Mateo, Calif.-based AI-native go-to-market platform, hosted one of the most popular activations on the show floor: A claw machine that welcomed passersby to attempt to win a Starbucks or Amazon gift card. The activation was so successful that Kari Reynosa, the head of global event marketing at Aurasell, confirmed that they had already booked over 50 meetings on just the first day of the conference.

Photo: Courtesy of HubSpot

“My team was trained beforehand to know that if I'm initiating with folks to do the claw machine, their job is to engage with folks that are literally their captive audience right there,” said Reynosa.

Other popular incentives for engaging in conversation included the chance to win a Tin Can, the popular Wi-Fi-enabled landline for children, at the Trestle booth, where attendees guessed the number of jelly beans in a container, and the chance at a pair of Beats by Dre headphones at the WiseStamp booth if attendees followed them on LinkedIn.

3. Immersive experiences create lasting memories.

There were several new formats welcomed to UNBOUND this year that used immersion as a means to engage participants and create lasting memories. One of the most unique was the Plasticity Lab, which played on the fact that brains build new neural pathways when you push them into unfamiliar territory. Participants chose one of three pathways—focus, discover, or release—and crafted slime using real crystals, scent capsules, and tactile add-ins. Each one is thought to stimulate different modes of creative thinking.

“We wanted the show floor to feel like there was always something worth stopping for," Tooley said. "Between sponsor activations, games, swag, and food, we added a few new layers this year, like The Unlock, an NFC scavenger hunt that turned the whole venue into part of the experience, and the Tech Stack Showcase, which gave sponsors another way to bring their products to life beyond a booth. The goal was to make sure people never felt like they'd seen it all.”

4. Big-name speakers emphasize embracing reinvention.

When it comes to HubSpot’s big-name speakers, which ranged from podcaster, author, and motivational speaker Mel Robbins to football legend Tom Brady, the message of the convention was clear: Change is inevitable, whether you’re one of the most decorated athletes in history or a person working in marketing. This was exactly what they were shooting for when picking speakers for this year’s event, Tooley said.

Photo: Courtesy of HubSpot

“Cynthia Erivo brought vulnerability and risk-taking. Suni Williams spent 608 days in space, and showed what it looks like to stay calm and adapt when the plan falls apart,” she explained.

During her session, Robbins, whose podcast reaches 194 counties and 11 million listeners every week, made sure that audience members understood that there’s no set time restriction for instituting change.

“Most people who know me, and this is really important, only know me because of the things I have done in the last four years, in my late fifties,” she told the crowd. “That's important, because if you’re telling yourself you're too old, too young, too this, too that, you’re wrong. Every single one of you has the ability to change your life.”

About the Author

Contributing Writer

Megan Johnson is a seasoned writer and reporter based in Boston who has broken the news of celebrity weddings, investigated corruption, and interviewed some of the most notable individuals in the world.