Blackthorn, which describes itself as a Salesforce-native event management app, on Wednesday unveiled a new platform vision with enhanced AI tools designed to improve efficiencies for event organisers.
But first – what does a “Salesforce-native” app actually mean for event organisers and how does this differ from event platforms that use an API integration with Salesforce?
“Salesforce-native means we’re built on the [Force.com] platform itself. We use its underlying data model, security, automations – all of the enterprise-grade functionality of Salesforce,” said Blackthorn chief product officer Andrea Mantilla. “So, event planners are already working inside the same systems their business is using… they’re not jumping between tools to create, manage and measure events.”
This enables Blackthorn customers to leverage data across the Salesforce ecosystem and create more data-driven events, according to the company.
“We are the platform and the system of record for events end-to-end,” Mantilla said. Other tools connect to Salesforce via a “syncing process,” which creates “a lot of manual work for data reconciliation,” she added. “Lots of tools connect to Salesforce, but very few make it the operational backbone for events.”
However, Mantilla acknowledged that using an enterprise-grade tool like Salesforce also brings a certain level of complexity to the user interface. And here we arrive at the new platform vision, promising “easy-to-use” tools and a simplified UI.
“This product vision is about trying to preserve our CRM-native strength while also creating the most modern experience we can,” Mantilla told BTN. “Our core belief is that teams shouldn’t have to choose between a powerful Salesforce-native platform and an easy-to-use event experience. So, the vision is to remove the trade-off.”
Blackthorn's new web-based planner interface aims to streamline event management workflows
This will come to life across three product pillars: a web-based planner interface “that requires less reliance on Salesforce expertise” and one that is “optimised” for complex event workflows (pictured above); a drag-and-drop event page designer tool that will give planners “granular control” over branding (main image, pictured top); and an AI intelligence layer that will work across the platform.
The latter includes a natural language, chat-based AI agent – distinct from Agentforce – that can assist with repetitive tasks such as processing a refund or transferring a ticket. There will also be a series of pre-built dashboards and reporting templates that will “make it easier to surface actionable insights from Salesforce data,” Mantilla said.
“This is a result of looking at industry trends and really listening to our customers and prospects,” she added. Currently, Blackthorn's primary customer base is in the US and North America, but also extends across Europe and Australia.
The new Blackthorn platform will be introduced via a phased rollout from April 2026. Enhanced capabilities will be launched in stages, and once implemented, these features will be accessible to clients across all existing markets.
The company did not announce any changes to its pricing model. “As we roll out new platform capabilities, our priority is to ensure customers continue to see strong value from the platform,” Blackthorn said. “Any future decisions around packaging or pricing would be guided by customer feedback and communicated clearly in advance.”