Wonderful experience as a First Timer at Web Summit – some recommendations for visitors and exhibitors.
Attending the Lisbon Web Summit was game changer for 4See, we had been working remotely with beta customers, refining our offering without much external validation. At Web Summit we exchanged ideas, explored potential partnerships, forged valuable connections, navigated the bustling event with over 20k steps every day. We experienced everything from long queues and overpriced sandwiches to bad coffee and the challenge of prioritising talks amidst FOMO. Despite these challenges, the Alpha experience from the day of the stand, the Showcase, the mentor hours that challenged us to think differently and the vibrant city with great nightlife more than compensated for it!
Our journey began when we applied for Start-up tickets that were sold out by the time we applied – we were then offered an opportunity to be considered for an Alpha spot – due to double booking we eventually took this pre-selection teams call from the car and were absolutely thrilled days later to learn that 4See was chosen by the adjudication committee.
The opportunities of being chosen as an Alpha Start-up were abundant and despite feeling unprepared for some, we applied anyway for Start-up meetings, PITCH competition, Showcase, Masterclasses and Mentor hours.
Crafting our 40 words pitch involved multiple rewrites and retakes, condensing our message into a brief yet powerful narrative that remains part of our marketing material still. The 60-second PITCH submission was another fantastic exercise in word crafting, with meticulous notes on what to include and exclude for maximum impact.
We were successful in our application for Mentor Hours – Nuno Mateus-Coelho, from CNN Portugal provided invaluable insights that led us to accelerate our expansion into other markets. Marlies Lukkes from Shell presenting a different view on funding and growth models for various business types.
The round tables with the other start-ups offered diverse perspectives – with participants in various stages of development, from seed rounds to beta versions and even initial planning.
Through the Alpha programme, we were recognised and featured as an Impact start up – a surprising and motivating validation of our business’s contribution to advancing SDGs.
For first timers – the sheer scale of the exhibits and the number of talks that are taking place concurrently can be overwhelming and really difficult to fit it all in. Here are my recommendations for attendees
- Choose your top 5 talks every day
- Give plenty of time to navigate between the different stages
- Plan your breaks to avoid queues at key times
- Schedule downtime to chat and just float
- Download the app
- Plan some Night Summit activities
Stand out moments for me as an Alpha Start-up included:
- Being identified as an #impact Start-up, which generated significant interest as 4See advances SDGs.
- Day 2 at our Alpha stand, which exceeded expectations with fantastic camaraderie, community and connections.
- The showcase on Day 3, a nerve-wracking yet exhilarating experience with a packed audience, including people standing around the edges and sitting on the floor. With two minutes before my presentation, I contemplated backing out, but I’m glad I didn’t!
The support of other Start-ups, the Irish community and the ladies of TechFoundHer was outstanding. The immensely positive, optimistic buzz of bright minds tackling the world’s problems makes this an event I cannot wait to return to.
If you have any questions about Web Summit or would like a chat about Sustainability reporting email maureen@4seeai.com
4See automates the data capture and reporting effort for primarily SME’s but any company that does not have the resources or expertise to compile a Sustainability Report for their Funders, Customers or Government Tenders. We provide an Independent and Auditable service with improvement recommendations and collaborate with organisations to improve their Sustainability metrics.