My First Web Summit Experience and Lessons Learned - Navigating Informational Chaos

Last week, I attended Web Summit 2024 in Lisbon. My first experience at an event of that scale. It was overwhelming! Since joining INTERWEAVE, I’ve had so many great opportunities to learn and grow, and this was no exception. While I usually prefer more intimate events where there’s a chance for one-to-one interactions with panelists and speakers, I made the most of Web Summit with some prep beforehand. I’m grateful to our amazing team, Magda, Evi, Marianna and our CEO, Aigli who've attended before for their tips and guidance in preparing for this massive event. INTERWEAVE’s emphasis on learning and development really shines, and their support made all the difference.

To the event: The sheer variety of talks offers you broad insights, but it definitely comes with a dose of FOMO. With 5 pavillions and 15 stages running simultaneously, there’s always something potentially amazing you’re missing out on. Perhaps it's just too big. I kept copious notes and also had a second phone with me so I could grab audio from talks I thought would be super interesting.

The highlight was bumping into a few old friends like Manuel from what I think will remain in history as the worlds best and most intimate summit. Also a fellow speaker Evangelia from Open Conf. Sad I missed hooking up with my favorite Cypriot techie Panis who was posting profusely throughout as always.

Another Highlight for me was hooking up with a technologist who's tech I've been using for years. In a rather funny moment on the bus on the way back from the conference grounds, I'm still in full networking mode and feeling rather proud that I survived the torrent of talks, stands, panels, startups - I notice a guy standing in front of me. His name badge says "Michaelangelo" - I can't help myself and I reach out a to shake his hand saying "I love your work" - A little confused, he says "You know my work?". I respond "You did the Sistine Chapel and the statue of David, right? ". He sees the humor and we share a chuckle. He properly introduces himself as the founder of Volumio and one of it's core developers. "I know your work!" I say. "I love your work!". I do! I'm a real fan. Volumio is an example of excellence in open source. I've been using their software for years. I felt so privileged in that serendipitous moment. If the Michelangelo back in the renaissance made a music player, it would have been a Volumio. The best of Italian design and pure class. I think Michaelangelo and I will be lifelong friends going forward.

Back to the event. Here's a summary of selected talks and panels I participated in. Aigli advised me to explore talks spanning a wide range of my personal interests, but I also made it a point to select sessions aligned with INTERWEAVE’s focus on strategy consulting, cultural and tourism consulting, experience design, and innovation.

Fertility as a Service – Jessica Shaefer, Founder at Lushi

Jessica shared her journey from PR to founding Lushi, inspired by her own struggles with egg freezing. Lushi reimagines fertility care with at-home doctor visits and an app that blends medical guidance with psychological support. She highlighted the stigma around IVF and fertility preservation and the role of psychological well-being in medical treatments. There are massive challenges in raising VC funding for women's health issues. Her go to strategy was to raise from families experiencing the IVF problem themselves.

Takeaway: Innovations addressing deeply personal challenges resonate strongly and require bold storytelling to gain traction.

Nokia’s Vision: Building the Moon’s Cellular Future

Nokia Bell Labs probably invented everything and is creating the first cellular network on the Moon, supporting NASA’s Artemis missions. A compact network that will enable high-definition video streaming and real-time communication, showcasing the fusion of Earth-space tech.

Can Europe Launch Its Own SpaceX?

Exploring Europe’s potential to rival SpaceX by leveraging AI, modern manufacturing, and regulatory reforms. The message was clear: Europe has the talent and funding but needs a bolder entrepreneurial culture.

Yulia Navalnaya’s Call to Action

Navalnaya’s poignant session focused on tech companies' ethical responsibilities toward authoritarian regimes. She urged leaders to prioritize human rights, challenge oppressive laws, and collaborate with civil society.

Trumpf and AI: Revolutionizing Laser Tech

Trumpf demonstrated how AI enhances precision manufacturing, particularly in industries like hydrogen vehicles. The shift from cloud to edge computing is set to redefine industrial automation.

Museums Re-imagined: Tech Meets Tradition

Belvedere Museum’s AR treasure hunt inspired me. Engaging younger audiences with interactive tech like Pokémon Go-style experiences shows how culture and digital innovation can coexist beautifully. Museum visits are steadily decreasing and engaging younger audiences is an ever growing challenge.

LEGO’s Digital Transformation

LEGO completed a five-year transformation plan in just 18 months, setting a benchmark for agility and innovation. By embracing cloud-first infrastructure and scaling its digital workforce, the company redefined what it means to be a modern, tech-enabled brand.

Sustainability in Business

A panel discussed aligning strategies with the UN SDGs, leveraging AI and tech to promote sustainability, and shifting from profit-first to purpose-driven models.

Final Thoughts

Despite a bout of food poisoning on Day 3 suffered by a couple of the team, the event was great. I was very impressed at the robust conference tech for an event of this size. 70000 attendees and The WiFi worked. Also, the Web Summit app, with its agenda planner, attendee connection and messaging features, the live streaming and session summaries, proved invaluable to me.

Web Summit was full of insights, future looks and great for networking. Some talks were a bit pitchy and sales oriented but that's what you get sometimes. As always, the power of innovation to tackle societal, environmental, and technological challenges is immense. Is it worth attending? If you go with a bit of a plan then, yes. But only a bit of a plan. Serendipity is amazing. You will need to let go of FOMO though. Glad I went.