Web Summit 2018. Tips & tricks
Organizational part
Tickets
Tickets:
- Full (€850)
- 2 for 1 (€850)
- Woman in Tech (€85)
- Awarding (free)
- As a volunteer (free)
Flight tickets:
- Direct flights Wizzair or Fly UA (if you have more than 6 months till conference)
- Wizzair Kyiv -> Frankfurt -> Lisbon
- bus tickets :)
Accommodation
Tips:
- Book near the conference
- All good accommodations are booked very fast
- Ask about heating (!!!)
- Airbnb could be the best option
- Book additional days for explore Lisbon
Main part
Before conference
Tips:
- Set your goals
- Try to have your LinkedIn and other professional accounts up-to-date
- Install Web Summit application, update your info & connect to people that you would like to meet
- Try to select needed talks
- Pass registration in airport, it will save your time in 1st day of conference
- Prepare elevator pitch about yourself, there will be a lot of networking :)
On conference
Tips:
- Try to arrive earlier every day (a lot of queues, 'first come first served' approach)
- Main stages have video recordings, find 'niche' stages regarding your topics https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJtkHqH4Qof97TSx7BzE5IQ
- Do not change stages a lot, big distances and queues are 'eating' your time
Opportunities for employee
- Enjoy atmosphere https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shSLieOZxjc&list=PLxptNs2MLOjmCEHsQAh86hOvajWxMpjtt&index=2
- Visit stages (Centre stage, Auto/Tech & TalkRobot, Creatiff, CryptoConf, HealthConf, Startup University etc.)
- Visit Amazon/Google stages
- Feel the trends
- Visit Pitch stage
- Visit stands
- Ask your questions after talks via https://www.sli.do
Opportunities for company
- Present company on stand
- Create your own stage with speakers
- Employee branding in the world-wide event
Opportunities for startup
- Find customers (on other stands or via networking events)
- Join as an 'alpha' or 'beta'
Networking
- Networking is everywhere
- Visit Ukrainian community meetup (or do not :))
- Visit Web Summit official party
- Visit networking events
- Actively use Web Summit app (setup meetings, use scans, use recommendations etc.)
Other tips
- Bring warm clothes
- Bring your sandwich or be prepared to queues and expensive food and drinks
- Bring coffee from Starbucks, because on conference it is not tasty :(
- Comfortable shoes is a must (!)
- Tax free (from 64 euros) terminal doesn't work in airport with low-costs
Trends
- AI is EVERYWHERE
- VR is still a 'hype' topic
- Alternative energy
- Cloud is the MUST
- Diversity in big companies
- LEAN and Impact mapping are still must
My favorite talks
- Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the man who invented the web almost thirty years ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lEyAMSws34
- Darren Aronofsky, director https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t4jJO0APhU
- David Skok, author of the ForEntrepreneurs blog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkThrRM-Vp8&list=PLxptNs2MLOjmF6mfnL-DI44cBEy8bbRhO&index=26
- Amazon cloud workshops
- Pitches & demos
- Startup workshops