Superlatives everywhere. The main stage in a football stadium-sized arena, 1,200 speakers, more than 1,800 exhibiting start-ups, 70,000 visitors from over 170 countries: The WebSummit is definitely unique within Europe. Of course, we at trbo also wanted to see the spectacle.
That is why Anna and Esther went to Lisbon last week to see the huge event. Because with all the superlatives, the question arises: What really comes out of this event?
The WebSummit took place in Lisbon for the third time. Starting as a tech conference with 400 visitors in Dublin, 70,000 people crowded through Lisbon last week. This means a huge organizational effort, both for the organizers and for the city of Lisbon itself. Apart from a few small things, the organization went surprisingly smooth. From the registration to the admission to the completely stable running WiFi – it was obvious that the organizers were well prepared.
However, the WebSummit is actually better suited for smaller start-ups who want to find out whether their product is really ready for the market or for those looking for investors. The daily changing Start-Up booths were by far the most visited – it was quite crowded. Companies that exhibited at the WebSummit for recruiting purposes will certainly have found what they were looking for among the 70,000 participants.
On the first day it was announced that the WebSummit will be held in Lisbon for the next ten years. However, rather without us in the next years. But with 100,000 visitors planned for 2020, the organizers can certainly bear that.
Esther wrote a review on the four days at the biggest European tech conference for the t3n magazine. Curious? You can read the German article hier eine Demo.