‘The best technology conference on the planet’ – Forbes
‘Where the future goes to be born’ – The Atlantic
‘The giants of the web assemble’ – Wall Street Journal
‘A great conclave of the tech industry’s high priests’ – New York Times
What do have 70.000 visitors (from 170 countries), 1200 speakers ( one third are women), 2500 journalists, 2000 start-ups, 210.000 coffee cups and a metro strike in common?
They are all part of the Web Summit 2018 (www.websummit.com) – one of the world’s biggest technology and innovation conferences – to be held in Lisbon’s Altice Arena (November 5-8).
The spectacle will be preceded by a Surf Summit in the seaside town Ericeira, continued after hours by a Night Summit downtown and concluded with a Sunset Summit in the Portugal Pavilion at the Parque das Nações.
The event – created to connect technology with industry – is the global stage for conducting business, recruiting talent and promoting brands.
In 2016 held for the first time in Lisbon, this year’s manifestation will be even bigger and better than the one in 2017, with a tree planted for every participant to encourage sustainability.
Since the two previous editions yielded 300 million euro annually on accommodation and transport, government persuaded the organization to maintain the Websummit in Lisbon over the next ten years – until 2028 – and is willing to invest therefor 11 million euros per year.
‘I think the summit is a great idea and excellent for the reputation of the country’, says António Saraiva, president of the Confederation of Portuguese Industries (CIP). ‘But I doubt a revenue of 3 billion euros in 10 years. There are very little honest investments with such a big profit.’
‘What do these estimates rely on?’ Where is the rationale?
To me, it smells a little bit like a show-off with next year’s elections coming up.’
The Portuguese Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHRESP) is more optimistic, expecting the 70.000 visitors to spend at least 61 million euros during their stay in the capital.
That the metro will strike on the first and last day of the happening is unfortunate but inevitable in a country like Portugal.
Enjoy your stay (pic SAPO)