This year, Web Summit celebrated its 15th anniversary and attracted more than 70,000 attendees, 3,000 companies and more than a thousand investors from all over the world to Lisbon.
A Variety of Topics and Presentations
One of the main themes of the Web Summit was Artificial Intelligence. The event was internally divided by themes into Experience Summit, Marketing Summit, AI Summit or Media Summit, each offering a unique perspective on current trends.
While the larger pavilions showcased innovations and strategies from leaders in the tech world, smaller booths belonged to startups from different corners of the globe. Countries represented included Italy, Germany, Qatar, as well as Malta, Kosovo and Georgia. Unfortunately, you would look in vain for a Slovak stand at the Web Summit.
Lessons Learned and Tips for Visitors
If you are going to the Web Summit, it is a good idea to plan your programme in advance. Moving between lectures and discussions is similar to interval training – it is quite intense and time consuming. As experienced attendees, we also recommend planning ahead thoroughly, as there is no time left for that during the day itself.
Interesting guests and inspiring discussions
Web Summit isn’t just about technology. Among our highlights was meeting two world-renowned chefs: Henrique Sá Pessoa, a two-Michelin-star holder, and Kiko Martins, one of Portugal’s most celebrated culinary talents.
The discussions with personalities such as Demi Vollering, winner of the Tour de France 2023, Brittni Mason, Paralympic medallist, and Christine GZ, rally racer, were also unforgettable.
From a marketing background, speakers such as Jay Richards (Imagen Insights), who stressed the importance of building long-term relationships with customers, and Stevie Johnson (Disrupt), who underlined the growing influence of content creators in marketing.
Visit of UMAR
During our trip to Lisbon, we couldn’t miss a visit to UMAR, an organisation that has been fighting for women’s rights and gender equality since 1976. Founded after the Carnation Revolution, this organisation works on issues such as gender-based violence, public education and the defence of women’s rights.
A nice moment of the meeting was the presentation of their children’s books, through which they thematize stereotypes and fight against them. One of them, As famílias não são todas iguais, presents the diversity of families, while the other helps children to accept the diversity of people. Therefore, at the end of this children’s book there was a mirror in which everyone could see themselves. 
Meetings at the Slovak Embassy
At the reception organized by the Slovak Embassy, we met with innovators, startups and guests from various fields. Not only us, we were impressed by the startups from Benly, who presented a revolutionary contactless business card – a modern, simple and effective solution for networking. One of the founders of Benly is Timea Klopčeková, who was recently awarded as a Woman in IT, within the category IT Student of the Year,
Lisbon: A city of Inspiration
Web Summit is not only a technology event, but also an opportunity to experience the inspiring environment of Lisbon. This vibrant city, full of energy and creativity, is the ideal place to bring together business, innovation and culture.
Web Summit 2025 has already started its preparations. Have we inspired you to be part of it?
