TheCity

Tag: Web Summit

  • The Web Summit Dublin

    The Web Summit Dublin

    Ringing the Nasdaq bell
    Ringing the Nasdaq bell

    The Web Summit officially opened today bright and early at 9am with found Paddy Cosgrave taking to the main stage.

    The day was split up between numerous stages in the RDS with some of the biggest names in tech talking about the industry, innovation and moving forward.

    Big names of the day included Kevin Rose of Google Ventures alongside Tony Hawk, known primarily as a professional skateboarder.

    Gary Vaynerchuk gave an empowered and passionate rant about the industry and how he wants change in the way business is done, citing how he works harder and smarter than most people out there.

    Father of the Internet, Prof. Kleinrock gave a discussion on “A Brief History of the Internet and Its Dynamic Future”, opening the floor to questions which he answered openly and honestly when discussing controversial topics such as drones.

    “Drones are a technological wonder, they’re also a nightmare… It’s in the eye of the beholder” he said, whilst pointing out that innovators were never expected to think about the implications of what they were creating.

    The halls were full of companies advertising their wares, showcasing new apps and mediums of social interaction as well as bizarre utilities such as machines for collecting analytical data on bees.

    Many companies brought along gimmicks to attract an audience in the form of video games, and oxygen bars, with many going the extra stretch to give out as much free merchandise as possible, all in the name of exchanging business cards.

    The Web Summit is expanding into The Summit in coming years with more events going on around it consisting of the Food Summit which took place in the adjacent Herbert Park, served up by Good Food Ireland, as well as the Night Summit which is providing entertainment throughout the evening for the 10’000 attendees whilst promoting some of the best bands in Ireland.

    Paddy Cosgrave at the ringing of the Nasdaq bell
    The Web Summit Main Stage
    Tony Hawk and Kevin Rose discuss the Hawk Foundation
    Ringing the Nasdaq bell
    Gary Vaynerchuk talks no bullshit policies with regards to consumers
    Enda Kenny ringing the Nasdaq bell
    Making Music on the Main Stage
    Spark of Genius judges
    Alphaville, the village of start up companies
    Talks started early just before 9am
    Companies pitching their ideas to investors
    Sams Barbers shaving people ahead of Movember at the Websummit
  • The Dublin Web Summit

    The Dublin Web Summit

    web-summit-imageThe Dublin Web Summit hits Dublin again with the party kicking off tonight. Tomorrow we get down to business with everyone from tech, design, and start ups to advertising and music, pouring into the RDS from around the world.

    Now if you haven’t gotten a ticket, there’s a limited number left, but for the 10’000 attendees who have, we have a list of what’s going on and where.

    The Web Summit has grown exponentially over time and is now more than just a Web Summit with intentions of rebranding themselves as just the Summit, taking on music, food, among numerous other endeavours. This is the place to network and see potential giants in the industry before they truly kick off.

    First off, registration starts early, with the doors opening at 7am, and there will be a queue, these things are inevitable.

    Along with some engaging speakers, the Web Summit plays host to the Night Summit and the Food Summit too. With the Night Summit taking place around Dublin showcasing some of the best acts on the Irish Music Scene including Le Galaxie, The Cast of Cheers, Tieranniesaur and many more.

    The Food Summit takes place in Donnybrooks own Herbert Park showcasing over 60 Good Food Ireland approved businesses.

    One focus of the Web Summit is social interaction and meeting people you’d never normally meet, as well as checking out what companies are up to now, and what we can expect from them in the future.

    But let’s be honest, the main focus of the entire event this year is who’s talking what.

    wsd-1

    Unfortunately Tony Hawk has had to pull out last minute due to a family emergency, a real shame considering the greatest skateboarder that ever lived is also the curator of Tony Hawk foundation which has donated more than $4.4-million to 529 communities in all 50 States.

    But alas there are many more to take the stage over the two days.

    Drew Houston CEO& co founder of Dropbox

    Dropbox is probably the most common replacement for the USB key ever. Dropbox was a game changer which completely revolutionized how we store our data on the web. If you’ve ever seen an interview with this man you’ll understand he’s incredibly smart, make sure to catch him the Web Summit this year.

    Jordan Casey CEO of CaseyGames

    Casey is only 13 years old, and is a self taught programmer who has created several games at his tender young age. He’s no stranger to taking to the stage either, he has showcased at numerous other events and the Web Summit is just another notch in his belt. Impressed? You should be.

    Shane Smith of Vice

    Shane Smith is the founder and CEO of Vice, the global media youth brand. A respected visionary and acclaimed journalist, Smith launched Vice in 1994 and since grown it into an international network of digital channels.

    Kevin Rose of Google Ventures

    Kevin Rose is a Partner at Google Ventures, where he primarily focuses on early-stage and seed investments. He previously founded Digg among numerous other endeavours. Don’t miss this man speak.

    David Carr of the New York Times

    David Carr has never invented, launched or run anything of consequence. As a reporter and columnist for the New York Times, he talks to many people who have done all of those things. He serves as a Boswell on the excellence of others. And he’s a genius who spends far too much time on Twitter.

    And Finally…

    Elon Musk

    Only added last minute, what hasn’t this man done… Elon Musk, founder of Paypal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX, is to be the closing speaker at the Dublin Web Summit this week. If you don’t understand what any of these things are, you shouldn’t be at the Web Summit. This one will be a tough one to get into.

    Paddy Cosgrave Web Summit founder and CEO said “Elon Musk is the greatest entrepreneur of his generation. He is disrupting numerous industries simultaneously in a way that few have ever even attempted.”

    Dubbed “Davos for geeks”, the Web Summit is Europe’s largest festival of ideas and events – this year over 10,000 attendees will travel from 100 countries to attend.