With thousands of participants, international tech events provide great opportunities for networking and making new business connections. For startups, businesses, and entrepreneurs, it’s a chance to pitch to potential investors and customers, showcase a product or service, and find partners. However, attending any event requires thorough preparation; otherwise, it won’t be that useful. DigitalMara has prepared a guide for getting more value from attending some of the most important (biggest) international tech events in Europe.
After the Covid period, events are returning to an offline format. Most are already well-known brands with established reputations. At the same time, expectations of participants are changing, and organizers are trying to keep this in mind. For example, they are trying to close the gender gap, inviting more women as speakers, organizing female business communities, and creating programs for female-founded companies. Events are also becoming more environmentally conscious, with a focus on reducing waste and carbon emissions. And don’t forget about livestreaming, contactless check-in and QR-codes, event apps and gamification — all meant to create a more interactive and immersive experience.
We’ve collected a list of top events in Europe worth participating in.
- Web Summit is one of the biggest and brightest tech events in the world. Every year, thousands eagerly visit Lisbon to join an open-minded digital community.
Statistics 2022: 71 000 attendees, 2 296 startups, 1 050 speakers, 1 081 investors and 94 countries
- When: November 13–16
- Where: Lisbon, Portugal
- Prices: general attendee – from €950, group offers – from €903, investors – €1,050.
- You can download the Web Summit mobile app from the App Store or Google Play Store once you receive your ticket.
- The ALPHA startup program provides early-stage startups with opportunities to showcase their products and services. They get a free exhibition booth, access to networking events, mentorship sessions, and a chance to pitch their ideas to a global audience. Applications are still open.
- SLUSH is a non-profit movement with the mission to create and help the next generation of groundbreaking entrepreneurs.
Statistics 2022: 12 000 attendees, 4 600 startups, 2 600 investors and 86 countries.
- When: November 30–December 1
- Where: Helsinki, Finland
- Prices: startup pass – €395, attendee pass – €1,095, investor pass – €1,095
- Slush has its own matchmaking platform, and also mobile apps available on Google Play and App Store.
- Startup Studio is a program for early-stage startups. Eighty ambitious companies from DeepTech, AI and ML, SpaceTech and several other thrilling sectors will be selected to showcase their products. Applications are open till September 7th. A one-day startup booth at Slush costs €2,000. Also, Slush has Investor Office Hours, which are 1-hour private sessions hosted by VCs with a wide range of topics. All applications should be submitted via the platform.
- MWC Barcelona is the mobile technology ecosystem at the largest and most influential connectivity event in the world, hosted by GSMA.
Statistics 2023: 88 500 attendees, 2 400 exhibitors, 202 countries and territories
- When: February 26–29, 2024
- Where: Barcelona, Spain
- Prices of 2023: discovery pass – €879.90, leader pass – €2,415.60, VIP pass – €4,949.90
- Preregistration for 2024 is open.
- The MWC app is available on Google Play and App Store. It’s mandatory for entry, serving as a Digital Access Pass for touchless entry.
- 4YFN (4 Years from Now) is a startup business platform that provides networking opportunities, access to investors and mentors, pitch competitions, and workshops. Applications are open till October 18, 2023.
- Viva Technology is a global tech conference organized by the Publicis Group in association with Groupe Les Echos.
Statistics 2023: 150 000 of attendees, 11 400 startups, 2 800 exhibitors, 450 speakers and 174 countries
- When: May 22–25, 2024
- Where: Paris, France
- Prices of 2023: startup – €280, attendee – €620, investor – €790
- Preregistration for 2024 is open.
- Viva Technology has its own matchmaking platform, and also mobile apps available on Google Play and App Store.
- VivaTech Startup Challenges are designed to identify and support innovative startups that have the potential to disrupt industries and solve complex problems. Startups have an opportunity to showcase their solutions, connect with industry leaders, and win prizes. You should check out the platform for new challenges coming soon.
- London Tech week is a week-long celebration of tech and talent in a world-class hub of innovation.
Statistics 2023: 30 000 participants, 300 speakers, 70 partners
- When: June 10–14, 2024
- Where: London, UK
- Prices for 2023:
- Preregistration for 2024 is open.
- London Tech week offers participants the Turnbull platform with AI-driven matchmaking algorithm. And mobile apps are available on Google Play and App Store.
- Startups have the opportunity to showcase their solutions, meet investors, and participate in pitch competitions, workshops and mentoring sessions.
Some practical tips for visiting international events
Before the event:
- When this year’s event is over, you can start getting ready for next year’s. Get registered, buy early-bird tickets for a sweet price, and what’s more important, apply to startup programs and competitions. Generally, the selection ends a couple of months before the start of the conference.
- The cost of attending can be high. It can be tight for startups or smaller companies. You can attempt to solve this problem by buying an early-bird ticket. About half a year before the event, organizers sell tickets with great discounts. You can save up to 70%. Also, there may be special offers for different categories, like women in tech, open-source developers, etc. Startups may apply for the program and receive a discount or a free ticket.
- All startups and companies have the same goals — to promote, sell, scale, and find investors and partners. It requires a lot of effort. Moreover, to stand out and showcase your business at big events such as Web Summit and VivaTech, you have to spend a lot on marketing and be creative in presentations.
- Such big events have mainly high-profile speakers. So smaller companies and individuals need to present something significant to be added to the speakers’ board. Therefore, you might want to start with smaller events where you can get recognition.
- Time is limited. Having a strategy and careful planning is crucial. To make the most of your time, you need to be very picky about what you want to see and who you want to talk to or listen to.
- Study the participants and their interests. Send personalized messages and set meetings in advance, if the event has a matchmaking platform.
- Plan your schedule for all days, with visits to all zones, sessions, workshops and personal meetings. But be ready for something to go differently than expected, and stay flexible.
During the event:
- The event mobile app has everything you need: your ticket, your personal profile, event schedule. You can easily plan your day and set your personal schedule.
- To get the most out of the communication, we would recommend visiting side events organized by investors and partners with less than 100 people and getting a startup booth at least for one day.
- Be ready to spend a lot of time in different queues at the entrance, for food and the bathroom. And do not come at the last minute, otherwise you may not get into the zone you want.
- A lot of people come to events just to sell, which sometimes creates a tense atmosphere. This may make others leery of sharing information. The best conversations are based on delivering value and personalized offerings.
After the event:
- Follow up with any contacts made at the event, whether it’s through LinkedIn or email. Keep the conversation going and see if there are any opportunities to collaborate.
- Review all your notes and identify key takeaways. Some of these can be used in practice, for example, to improve a product or service.
Summary
Attending events should be part of your sales and marketing strategy. However, it is a long-term investment of time and money, which means you shouldn’t expect immediate results and full-scale benefits afterwards and be ready to work more afterwards. Regard it also as an opportunity to study your competitors and how they position their product.
Sometimes big international events get criticized for being more about creating hype and buzz, rather than providing valuable insights and significant business opportunities. We would say everything depends on your preparation and mindset. It’s still a place for networking, where people are open for conversations and learning something new.
