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According to Forbes, Web Summit is the best technology conference on the planet and it is where the future of technology is gathered under one massive roof for four days. Events are now held in Toronto and Hong Kong as well as Lisbon.
Three Irish men held the first conference in 2009 in a hotel in Dublin. It was attended by bloggers, journalists, and technologists. In 2010, the number of attendees grew to 400. Due to its speedy growth, the organizers decided to move the location to Lisbon as the city’s infrastructure was more suitable.
Web Summit overview
This event now covers a whole range of topics including Internet technology, emerging technologies, and venture capitalism. Guest speakers are not just your usual tech geniuses. While there are talks from the best in the field, there are also celebrities and politicians. Notorious guests have been Steven Hawking, Elon Musk, Al Gore, and António Guterres, the U.N Secretary General.
Who’s attending?
The Web Summit in 2019 is expected to have over 70,000 attendees and 11,000 CEO’s from more than 160 countries. Around 2000 journalists will be there to report all the happenings and an impressive 1,200 speakers will be there.
Some of the world’s largest biggest companies will be represented by CEOs and founders. Not only is the conference attended by large brand names, but you will also find many exciting new startups and influential investors. Regarding press, there is coverage from CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and Forbes.
What to expect at the Web Summit Lisbon, 2019
Women in technology
Web Summit is dedicated to improving diversity in the tech industry. For this reason, they have made sure that the line up includes significant women from a range of industries. Attendees will hear from:
- Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic- President of Republic of Croatia
- Barbara Martin Coppola- Chief Digital Officer of IKEA
- Nancy Brown- CEO of the American Heart Society
- Barbara Slater- Director of Sports for the BBC
- …and many, many more
To promote more interest from women, Web Summit gives thousands of tickets to female attendees each year. For 2019, 20,000 tickets were given to women for the Lisbon, Hong Kong, and Toronto events.
The ALPHA programme
Those who are in the early stages of startups in the software or connected hardware fields can apply for the ALPHA programme. If selected, the startups will enjoy workshops, Startup Universities, Mentor Hours, and Investor meetings. Opportunities for networking, funding, and media coverage are endless. Previous startups include Transferwise, SpotAHome, and Getaround.
This year’s Speakers
Those attending the Web Summit Lisbon 2019 will have the pleasure of hearing talks from:
- Guo Ping- Rotating Chairman of Huawei
- Margrethe Vestager- EU Commissioner for Competition, European Commission
- Jaden Smith (yes, THE Jaden Smith)- Co-founder of 501CTHREE.org and JUST water
- Brad Smith- President of Microsoft
- Katherine Maher- CEO of Wikimedia Foundation
Web Summit Lisbon 2019 begins on the 7th of November 2019 at the Altice Arena & Fil. It is wise to book in advance as prices do increase closer to the date.
