Looking ahead to Web Summit 2016

The FULL FABRIC team is getting its grappling hooks, snow boots and business cards ready, for we’ve been selected to exhibit at Web Summit. The biggest European tech event of its kind takes place in Lisbon from 7 to 10 November. We're excited to demo our software to lots of new faces, meet innovative peers from across the world and attend some interesting talks.

As the event approaches, read on for some wise words from a Web Summit regular, as well as a selection of the speakers who have caught our eye.

Image by William Murphy, used under a CC BY-SA 2.0 licence.

Wise words from Mada Seghete

Earlier this month Web Summit held an online Q&A with Mada Seghete, co-founder of metrics company Branch. A Web Summit veteran, Mada was enthusiastic about the opportunities on offer to all visitors. In terms of preparation, she commented:

“It can be overwhelming: sleep a lot before and get ready to be in a place with amazing energy. Come up with a plan in advance for every day you’re there.”

With so many influential, knowledgeable people in the room, she had some advice for startups eager to catch people’s attention:

“Get your pitch right: make sure it’s down to a sentence, and approximately 30 seconds. Get collateral, business cards, something you can give to people. Sheets that explain your product.”

Mada recommended downloading the Web Summit app in advance to make sure you know what’s going on when and where. She said it's a good idea to contact people through the app, and added that approaching people on the exhibition floor can work, too.

“Have a look at the events calendar and make sure you attend anything relevant or interesting. If you’d like to network with a speaker, wait for them to leave the stage and speak to them. That can actually be the best time.“

For other useful tips, watch the full Q&A on YouTube.

Three speakers we’re excited to see

Shane Snow, author and co-founder of Contently

Shane is an author specialising in science, humanity and business. It’ll be great to hear him speak about his book Smart Cuts, and how he co-founded Contently, the content-sharing platform which lets creatives build their own multimedia portfolio.

Bedy Yang, Managing Partner of 500 Startups

500 Startups is an international network of founders, mentors and investors. Expect Bedy to shed light on what the company looks for in partnerships and what she’s learned about startups five years into the job.

Rohan Silva, co-founder of Second Home

We’re excited to hear Rohan explain the idea behind Second Home, an innovative creative workspace located in London and Lisbon. We're sure he'll have some interesting things to say about collaboration and how to foster a co-working community across distinct industries.