Web Summit 2024: Lisbon Hosts 70,000+ Tech Visionaries
Web Summit hosted its annual event in Lisbon from November 11–14, bringing together more than 70,000 people from the tech industry.
Web Summit brings together “policymakers, heads of state, and the founders and CEOs of technology companies and fast-growing startups to ask a simple question: Where to next?”
This year’s event heavily focused on Artificial Intelligence, with over half of the 3,000 attending companies coming from the AI sector. Companies use AI technology for various activities, including certifying wood exports and building flying vehicles. Experts project the AI industry to reach €780 billion by 2030.
The Web Summit drew attendees from over 150 countries and featured over 800 speakers. It welcomed over 2,000 media members and more than 900 investors. The event covered 30 diverse topics, ranging from advertising and climate change to cryptocurrency and sports.
There were keynote speakers, panel discussions, and many networking opportunities. The Web Summit, hosted in the Lisbon Exhibition Centre, offered five pavilions where companies showcased their products and ideas.
Beyond the great speakers, the Web Summit event also creates a forum to generate debate around important topics. This year, senior executives from top tech firms such as Apple, Microsoft, and Meta discussed with European officials to cover subjects such as social media regulation. Panels also explored whether Europe should develop a rival to SpaceX.
Other critical areas on the agenda included the potential impacts of Donald Trump’s return to the US Presidency and how Ukraine continues to innovate despite the ongoing conflict.
Web Summit began in Dublin in 2009 as a small tech conference with just 150 attendees and has since grown significantly. It now hosts its primary event in Lisbon every November and offers several events worldwide. It aims to enable “meaningful connections between the CEOs, founders, investors, media, politicians, and cultural figureheads who are reshaping the world.”
