Another aspect that makes the Web Summit such a vibrant and extraordinary Fair, is that it is a hybrid between exhibitions, world-renowned speakers, entrepreneurs, and investors looking to invest in the Next Big Thing. A colleague remarked that it resembles a gigantic Dragons Den. Attendees and exhibitionists had access to a staggering
group
of
international
investing companies, governments, and existing companies in their respective fields, to whom to pitch ideas, and seek mentorship, partnerships and investment. More than 1300 of the
paying top dollar to attend. These
world’s most influential technology
figures are testimony to a collective
industry, innovators and people who
investors and leading funds were
perception and belief that the return on
have refused to surrender to the
present there to scout for individuals,
investment potential, by far outweighs
momentum of mediocrity, cannot
ideas and companies in which to invest.
options offered on the side-lines.
miss a future Web Summit. The 2017
There were more than 650 mentoring
Entrepreneurs,
captains
of
Web Summit will again be hosted in
sessions where entrepreneurs and
What happens in Lisbon‌
Lisbon, Portugal, around November
investors offered advice to start-ups. It
The organisers of the Web Summit, did
2017. Tickets are already on sale.
was estimated that over $100 billion of
a sterling job of incorporating business
If you are curious to know what
investable capital was represented at
and pleasure. Knowing full well that
tomorrow will look like, and what the
the Web Summit.
many of the attendees would love to
future holds in terms of innovation
manned
socialise, pub crawls were organised
and technology, the Web Summit is
exhibition spaces to lure investors,
in various neighbourhoods around
the place to visit.
entrepreneurs and start-up companies
Lisbon every night. The pubs, clubs and
In a sense, the Web Summit is
to their respective countries, with
restaurants of entire neighbourhoods
both exciting and sad. Sad in the
offerings
were
sense
Numerous
of
governments
relocation
assistance,
demarcated,
advertised
and
that
many
policymakers
investment, tax breaks and unrivalled
signposted so that attendees could
around the world are still dabbling
networking
Again,
congregate there over drinks, meals and
with
one could see why more than 53,000
music. Thousands upon thousands of
infrastructure patently destined for
attendees from 166 countries saw
exhibitors and attendees attended these
obsolescence very soon; but exciting
value in travelling to Lisbon, and
fantastic pub crawls every evening.
in that many governments recognise
opportunities.
concepts,
technology
and
and encourage these new trends, and actively recruit the people and businesses who are venturing far outside of the proverbial box. For us, the Web Summit was a lifechanging experience. As the saying goes, the only two guarantees in life are death and taxes. The other guarantee is change. At the Web Summit, one gets to peak into the future, and you cannot walk away without a tingling excitement, having brushed against the genie’s lamp.
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