What to expect at K:BOS 2026, and why past attendees say it's worth it

K:BOS 2026 is happening September 9–10 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, and if you're trying to decide whether it's worth the trip, the people to ask are the ones who were actually there last year.

We asked four Klaviyo customers what they walked away with from K:BOS 2025, and none of them led with the keynotes. They led with a flow that boosted repeat orders 5x, a new vendor picked up on the expo floor, and direct feedback sessions with the Klaviyo product team.

Here's what they told us, and who should be booking a ticket for 2026.

What did past attendees actually get out of K:BOS 2025?

The biggest wins weren't things people learned in a session. They were things they built afterward.

Zach Scheimer, Head of Martech Operations at Criquet Shirts, runs a lean retention operation, and for him, the in-person time was the whole point:

“As a one-person retention team, being able to bounce ideas off of other people in the industry was so important to me and enabled me to learn so much. Klaviyo does such a great job establishing community through in-person events, from Klaviyo Connect to K:BOS. In one conversation with the team at Loop Returns, I was able to build a flow for customers that return their entire first order which has boosted their repeat order rate 5x.”

Shannon Jörgenfelt, Sr. Manager of Email and Retention at Tatcha, walked away with something more concrete: a new vendor relationship and tactics she could put to work right away.

“I came home from K:BOS 2025 with a new direct mail vendor I met on the expo hall floor, two immediately actionable improvements to our subscription program from a session featuring Stumptown, Dollar Shave Club, Butcherbox, and Universal Yums, and a personal first: my debut as a panel speaker!”

Nathan Enderle, VP of Digital at Scheels, had a different kind of takeaway. He got direct access to the people building the product:

“My biggest concrete takeaway came from sitting down directly with the Klaviyo product teams: it became crystal clear that Klaviyo is focused on helping us truly deliver 1:1 personalized messaging to our customers on whichever channel they prefer. Having the team actively listen to our daily feedback on how to make that vision a reality made the entire event worth it.”

Stefan Milicevic, Strategy Director at Underground Ecom, attending his first K:BOS after previously going to K:LDN, noticed something about where the industry itself is heading:

“One takeaway that I had from K:BOS 2025 was that the industry is becoming more and more AI driven. In 2025 it was still developing and it was still happening in a very generalized way, but 2026 has proven that this is going to become a centerpiece of product development. Of course, I was very excited for the WhatsApp launch that happened in September.”

Justin Cowperthwaite, Founder & CEO of Marketech Digital, put it in terms of competitive benchmarking. For him, K:BOS isn't just an event, it's where the results behind the case studies actually get explained:

"K:BOS is the number one place to figure out what's actually working for the best operators in the e-commerce lifecycle ecosystem. It's a whose-who of top brands, agencies, and tech vendors, and it's the best place to figure out the tips and tricks that lead to those impressive numbers you always see plastered on case studies. The relationships I made at K:BOS were the springboard for the incredible 2026 we've had so far, and I'm looking forward to this year being another major step in setting up a great Q4 and 2027. Can't wait!"

What makes K:BOS different from other Klaviyo events?

Every session is built around what you can already do in Klaviyo, not general marketing theory, and that specificity is the thing attendees kept coming back to.

“What sets this conference apart from other industry events is its specificity: rather than general marketing concepts, every session dives into the actual capabilities of Klaviyo, and everyone in the room already knows the platform. That shared context makes it incredibly easy to walk away with things you can action immediately.”

– Shannon

Stefan noticed the same thing in how the event was structured: "People were encouraged to show up to talk, attend workshops, and the breakout rooms, which are great because they allow for a more intimate experience."

Who should go to K:BOS 2026?

Based on what these four said, K:BOS has the most to offer three kinds of attendees:

• Solo or lean teams. If you're the only person handling retention, lifecycle, or CRM at your company, this is the event built for you. Zach's flow came out of a single hallway conversation he wouldn't have had otherwise.
• Anyone who wants early, direct input on the roadmap. Nathan's takeaway wasn't about a feature. It was about being in the room while Klaviyo's product team was actively listening to feedback.
• Practitioners tracking AI and newer channels. If you're deciding how WhatsApp, AI-driven tools, or multi-branch flows fit into your program, Stefan and Shannon's sessions were where those conversations were actually happening, with brands like Stumptown, Dollar Shave Club, Butcherbox, and Universal Yums.

What to know before you register

K:BOS is an in-person, paid conference, so it's not a fit if you're looking for a passive, watch-from-home experience. Some sessions are live streamed and made available afterward, but the event is built around being there.

Registration is currently $499 (through August 9), increasing to $599 starting August 10.

One caveat worth being honest about: the value these attendees described didn't happen passively. It came from showing up with a specific problem, a specific vendor to find, or a specific person to talk to. If you go in without something concrete you're trying to solve, you'll likely get less out of it than they did.

Registering for 2026

K:BOS 2026 runs September 9–10 in Boston at the Hynes Convention Center. Registration is open now.