How to Survive and Thrive at Web Summit 2024: Your Guide to Making the Most of Lisbon’s Premier Tech Event
Welcome to Web Summit 2024, where tech innovators, business leaders, policy influencers, and creatives from around the globe converge in Lisbon to discuss the future. It’s a colossal event filled with insightful talks, networking opportunities, and over 250 side events to choose from. This is your ultimate guide to navigating this high-energy, action-packed tech gathering, with survival tips for creating meaningful connections, gathering valuable contacts, and integrating the main and side events into a productive and memorable experience.
Image source: Web Summit website
What is Web Summit?
Web Summit has been labelled “the world’s premier tech conference” by Politico, a place “where the future goes to be born” by The Atlantic, and a “grand conclave of the tech industry’s high priests” by The New York Times. This year, the event will bring together not just leading tech executives and entrepreneurs but also policymakers, heads of state, and experts in fields ranging from AI and Web3 to climate and consumer tech.
With an agenda that spans keynotes, panels and many off-site events, Web Summit 2024 is the perfect blend of inspiration, education, and opportunity for meaningful connections in a rapidly evolving tech world.
Prepping for Web Summit: Before You Arrive
Download the App: The Web Summit app guides schedules, locations, and real-time updates. Bookmark sessions, connect with other attendees, and explore side events well in advance.
Plan Your Schedule but Be Flexible: With hundreds of sessions, side events, and networking opportunities, it's essential to prioritize. However, allow for spontaneity—some of the best connections happen unexpectedly.
Prepare Your Elevator Pitch: You’ll meet people from all over the tech ecosystem, so prepare a concise introduction. Aim to spark curiosity and convey your actions in a few impactful sentences.
Surviving (and Thriving) at the Main Event
Arrive Early for Keynotes: The keynote sessions feature some of the brightest minds in tech and fill up fast. Get early to grab a good seat, especially for high-profile speakers like Brad Smith from Microsoft, Ludhiana Jones from Bumble, and thought leaders from companies like Visa, Meta, and Microsoft.
Engage in Q&A: If you’re attending a smaller session, take the opportunity to ask questions. Engaging directly with speakers solidifies your learning and makes you more memorable to others in attendance.
Leverage Social Media for Real-Time Connections: Use LinkedIn and Twitter to connect with other attendees or speakers. A quick message or tag can lead to in-person conversations.
Tapping into Side Events: Where the Magic Happens
The Web Summit experience doesn’t stop at the main venue. Lisbon transforms into a vibrant hub of side events catering to specific interests, especially in AI, Web3, and emerging tech. Here are some noteworthy side events to add to your itinerary:
DePin/Web3 at Poolside: Ideal for those interested in decentralized infrastructures and blockchain applications, this is the place to connect with Web3 pioneers.
RWA/Web3 at Grow.in Spaces: Another must-attend for blockchain enthusiasts, this side event focuses on Real World Assets (RWA) and their potential impact on the Web3 ecosystem.
AIHub Lisbon Launch with Unicorn Factory: This event will unite crucial AI players worldwide. It’s a golden opportunity for anyone interested in AI to make strategic connections.
Ledger’s 10th Anniversary: Celebrate with one of the leading companies in digital asset security. This gathering offers a more relaxed environment in which to meet others in the blockchain and crypto space.
Tip: Side events often offer a less formal setting for networking, so don’t hesitate to approach people and start conversations. Check the full list of side events here.
Making Meaningful Connections
Use the “One, Two, Three” Rule to establish three meaningful connections daily. Start with “Hi, my name is…” and steer the conversation toward shared interests or mutual goals.
Follow Up on Connections Immediately: After meeting someone, send a quick follow-up email or LinkedIn message while your interaction is still fresh. Personalize your message to remind them of your conversation.
Have a Digital Business Card: Use a digital business card app to save paper and make a memorable impression. They’re easy to share and more likely to stay with your new contact. OWN Card is one I love.
Networking Tips: Stand Out in a Sea of Talent
Attend Workshops and Masterclasses: These offer smaller settings where meeting people and discussing niche topics is more accessible. Masterclasses and hands-on workshops are excellent for deep-diving into subjects with others who share your interests.
Seek Out Like-Minded Attendees: Use the event app to find attendees with similar interests or professional backgrounds. A quick message through the app can lead to a coffee chat or a walking meeting.
Join Group Discussions: Throughout the venue, there are open seating areas where people naturally congregate. Don’t hesitate to join group discussions or suggest a topic for conversation.
Post-Summit: How to Keep the Momentum Going
Send a “Nice to Meet You” Message: Within a day or two of meeting someone, follow up with a brief “nice to meet you” message referencing something specific from your conversation.
Post Insights on LinkedIn: Share your experiences, key takeaways, or interesting facts you learned at the event. Tag people you met and speakers you enjoyed. This keeps the networking going beyond Lisbon.
Stay in Touch with Key Contacts: Focus on a few key individuals rather than connecting with everyone. Send periodic updates or industry news that might interest them.
Web Summit’s Impact on AI and Web3
Web Summit 2024’s themes around AI and Web3 reflect the profound changes these technologies bring to industries. For AI enthusiasts, hearing from leaders like Thomas Wolf of Hugging Face or Max Tegmark of the Future of Life Institute offers a chance to stay at the forefront of ethical and technological debates. Meanwhile, the Web3 side events explore how blockchain and decentralized technologies could reshape finance, supply chain, and consumer goods industries.
By exploring these topics at Web Summit, attendees gain a competitive edge and are ready to bring fresh insights and ideas back to their own organizations.
Final Thoughts: Make Web Summit 2024 Yours
Whether you’re here to explore AI, blockchain, or tech’s broader impact, Web Summit 2024 offers a wealth of knowledge and networking potential. Remember, it’s as much about the people you meet as the sessions you attend. With a bit of preparation and a willingness to explore both the main event and its many side happenings, Web Summit 2024 can be a transformative experience for you and your career.
Get ready, connect, and dive deep into one of the most exciting tech events of the year!