Contrary to speculation, Web Summit will go ahead – online and offline from December 2-4, 2020
Web Summit will host up to 100,000 founders, partners and speakers on its proprietary online conference platform. This will be Web Summit’s second online conference hosted on its own platform following the 30,000+ attendee Collision from Home event (June 23-25), which is bringing people from more than 140 countries around the world together.
“Business events alone is a US$1.5 trillion industry, approximately 100-times the size of the music industry. The purpose for most of us going to these events is networking. The serendipity that happens at events is the allure and magnetism that draws people back. We have been building software that enables connections at events for over half a decade so we could pivot quite naturally online. Our platform will hopefully enable people from all over the world to make the same meaningful and valuable connections that are somewhat similar to the real world” says Paddy Cosgrave, CEO and founder of Web Summit.
The format of Web Summit in Lisbon will likely be decided in early October. At that point, whatever decision is made on the format of Web Summit in Lisbon will strictly adhere to Portugal’s health protocols for events at that time. That decision will thereafter be reviewed weekly and subject to health protocol changes until the opening day of Web Summit in Lisbon on December 2. Tickets for Web Summit in Lisbon will go on sale in early October, provided Portugal’s health protocols permit events at that time.
