How to make the most of Web Summit - Starter Kit

Once in a year, Lisbon turns into a tech wonderland. More than 1200 top speakers, plus some mad-hatters, rock the stage with mind-blowing ideas and insights. 1800+ startups invite you for a cup of tea by their stand and do their best to leave you speechless when showing you their product. Networking with over 70,000 attendees with a Cheshire smile will happen everywhere around the city 24h a day. All this geeky and techy madness lasts for 4 days only, on November 4-7. So unlike Alice, you must be prepared to enter the rabbit hole and make the most of the Web Summit 2019 Conference.

“Every adventure requires the first step.” - Cheshire Cat

The struggle is not to take the first step but to take it in the right way. Web Summit lasts only 4 days, so there is no time to lose on things like check-in, looking for rooms, or deciding on the best speeches to attend. Whether you are the Web Summit newbie or a veteran attendee, there are many essential things to prepare. Let us take this weight from your shoulders. We have a Starter Kit for you - actions you must go through so that your Web Summit 2019 adventure can start and unfold in the best way. 

The "Web Summit App" Kit:

• If you haven’t done it yet, search your email inbox for the access instructions to the Web Summit app. This app is your everything at Web Summit. First of all, it contains your ticket to the conference. There is no need to print it. The app is also your handy networking tool, business card, and personal calendar.

• Creating your Web Summit app account is like entering the red carpet. Once a year, this app becomes a huge networking online platform. Set up your profile carefully, as this is your digital business card, highlight your assets, and provide all the contact information needed. Spice it with something creative and fun, like a memorable quote, a branded profile picture, or a catchy job title.

• With your Web Summit digital personality set, go on and search for people you want to meet in person and get in touch with them within the app. There will be 70,000+ attendees at Web Summit and no time to get to know them all. Aim to start conversations with people of interest, companies, and startups before the event, and even set the meetings for the conference itself. Last year it was a pleasure for us to go from virtual to real communication with our favorite startups at Web Summit 2018.

• The knowledge flow at Web Summit is limitless; however, our time and mind storage isn’t. The app lets you check the whole schedule that includes 23 tracks and over 1200 speakers. Add favorite ones in your personal schedule. It is impossible to ignore the hot topics and remarkable speakers like:

"Dude, where's my flying car?" with David Wallerstein (Tencent) and Daniel Wiegand (Lilium Aviation)
"She's 'The Man': How superstar Becky Lynch came to dominate the WWE" with Becky Lynch (WWE)

The "First Aid" Kit:

• Make sure you have a photo of your ID on your phone.

• Have The Web Summit app always accessible with “My ticket” tag open.

• Have a water bottle with you as Web Summit provides water refillers around the event. This year Web Summit has taken the commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. You can find related speeches and environment initiatives included in the schedule. Also, please keep in mind, no printed ticket is needed.

• Grab a power bank with you. The Web Summit app will be your right hand during these 4 days. Moreover, you will definitely need your phone to get connected with the amazing people you meet, to do fast research, make cashless payments, or take a random selfie with Paddy Cosgrave. 

• Have a fancy look that ends up with comfortable shoes. Most likely, you will walk at least 13,5 km. Visualise it: 13,5 x 70,000 = 945,000 km. Together, all 70,000+ of us will walk to the moon and back by the end of Web Summit.

•  Even if it’s quite big, make sure you always have your lanyard and wristband with you. You will need it to access the event buildings and get to the Night Summit.

• Warm clothes and a raincoat are required. Portugal, Lisbon sounds sunny, cheerful, and summerish, but let us remind you that Web Summit happens in November. Expect rain and cold of 12-18 degrees C.

The "Personal Branding" Kit:

• Are you concerned about how to stand out of a 70,000 people crowd? You don’t have to. You already got our advice on how to create connections in advance and how to plan personal meetings during Web Summit. The real challenge is to make yourself memorable. Our suggestion is to prepare the elevator pitch: who you are, what you do, and why to pair with you. Make the pitch stunning and be ready to shoot it out at any moment.

• Back up your words with your social media profiles. Professionals and business hustlers will always check your expertise. Do your homework and update your Linkedin profile, Twitter profile, and personal portfolio, if any.

• Go social and attract others to catch up with you at Web Summit 2019. We encourage you to be vocal on online platforms, post about your plans at WebSummit and about your experience during the event.

• Have a business card up the sleeve prepared. You never know when your phone, the Web Summit app, or the internet connection might give up on you. Use your business card and power it up with your nicely prepared pitch.

“We are all quite mad here, you will fit right in” - Cheshire Cat

The "Night Summit" Kit:

• Once you are registered for Web Summit, you are free to attend Night Summit. This conference is a tech wonderland, remember? And the magic lasts even after the sun is down. There is the only requirement, you must have your lanyard and wristband with you to access the parties.

• An excellent follow-up is the key to a long collaboration. Strengthen your new connections with a nice drink and good music at the Night Summit. 

• Work hard, party chill. You come to Web Summit with a goal in mind: to look for investment, to learn, to network, to start collaborations, etc. Each day requires you to have a clear mind and full batteries. We suggest you go easier on discount drinks at Night Summit and go harder on socializing and enjoying the atmosphere.

• Party time must also be planned. Don’t forget to include them in your personal schedule. Be ready for surprises like partying in the former “red light district” of Lisbon.

The "Perks" Kit:

• Web Summit is taking care of Santa Claus's duties in advance. Check your email inbox for nice perks and digital goodies. A discount on Shutterstock, a free trial to the Washington Post, and many other surprises are waiting for you in your inbox.

• Give before you get. It’s time to surprise everybody with your goodies, so as to stick to people’s minds. Work on your business card to make it stand out of the deck. Also, plan on bringing with you cool stickers, adorable postcards, reusable water bottles, or any other branded goodies that must be extremely creative or useful to be taken home. 

• Think of perks while packing your luggage. We bet you will need some extra space in your suitcase on your way back home. We don’t exactly encourage goodies farming, but gifts may come to you naturally. Useful or amazingly creative, you will want to take many of them back home with you.

The "Time Savers" Kit:

• If Web Summit is happening in all Lisbon, then where is the check-in and registration for the event? We recommend you to check-in from the moment you arrive. There are two options:
  - Terminal 1 of Lisbon Portela Airport (Saturday, November 2 – Tuesday, November 5).
  - Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL), Alameda dos Oceanos, Lisboa, Portugal (Monday, November 4 – Thursday, November 7).

• Plan your local itinerary. Web Summit 2019 will be held in the Altice Arena and FIL, Rossio dos Olivais, 1990-231Lisbon, Portugal. Think in advance about your way of getting here from your accommodation and back.

• Annoying to carry, easy to lose, this year, Web Summit encourages us to leave cash at home. Electronic payment options will be provided across the entire event.

• Web Summit took care of one more of your headaches. There will be WiFi provided at the event, so you don’t have to bother yourself with hotspots and mobile data.

• You will need a delicious Portuguese supper and proper sleep to get in the mood for Web Summit. But in case you are arriving the same day the event starts, you can go straight to the conference and leave your luggage at the cloakroom right beside the registration area.

• We know from the Web Summit veterans that seats at the talks are limited, and they get reserved really fast. Increase your chance to find a free spot by arriving earlier. Hack the waiting time and set your meetings and chats close to the stages you are interested in. The common interest for a particular talk is also a nice starter for a great collaboration.

The "After Web Summit" Kit:

• Take a good nap after getting home from Web Summit, then you have to harvest your effort at the conference. Go to your new contacts list and do follow-ups. Connections built at an event are quite fragile. Strengthen them with a friendly mail or even a call afterward.  

• Spread the knowledge within the social buzz that is still happening after the event. Express your wonderings, results, and experiences at Web Summit via your blog and social media profiles. 

• Sign up for the 2020 edition. Unless you didn’t quite follow this Starter Kit, you might be thinking you have nothing to learn from Web Summit. Otherwise, you are ready to make even more out of Web Summit 2020. Make sure you catch the ultra, mega, hyper early-bird tickets.

“Would you like your adventure now, or should we have our tea first.” 

We, at Wolfpack Digital, prefer the tea along with doing Web Summit preparations. Let’s make the most of this tech wonderland. Please pin us in comments with your tips and tricks of getting fully ready for Web Summit 2019.  

In case you want to pair up with some event hustlers or you are looking for a top app development team to discuss your business idea, Valentina, Mirona, and I (Ira) are up for it. Let’s connect on the Web Summit app, and have a talk on the event afterward. 

What are the chances to have a perfect match with experts in web & mobile app development form Transylvania, in the middle of Lisbon? Told you, Web Summit is a true wonderland!