Updated September 11, 2025

Cookie policy 🍪

This cookie policy applies to all Web Summit’s websites and any product or service that links to this policy or incorporates it by reference.
(collectively, “Web Summit”).
Updates
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time so please review it occasionally. The date of the most recent revisions will appear on the top of this page.
<h4>Table of contents</h4>
<ol>
<li><a href="#what_are_cookies">What are cookies?</a></li>
<li><a href="#what_type_of_cookies_do_we_use">What type of cookies do we use?</a></li>
<li><a href="#log_files">Log Files</a></li>
<li><a href="#web_analysis">Web analysis</a></li>
<li><a href="#retargeting_and_data_acquisition_by_third_parties">Retargeting and data acquisition by third parties for banner ads</a></li>
<li><a href="#if_you_have_questions">If you have questions</a></li>
<li><a href="#managing_your_cookie_preferences">Managing your Cookie Preferences</a></li>
</ol>
<h5><a id="what_are_cookies"></a>1. What are cookies?</h5>
1.1. What are cookies and why are they important for user experience?
This website uses cookies.
Cookies are text files containing small amounts of information which are downloaded to your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. Cookies are then sent back to the originating website on each subsequent visit, or to another website that recognises that cookie. Cookies are useful because they allow a website to recognise a user’s device.
Cookies do lots of different and useful jobs, such as letting you navigate between pages efficiently, remembering your preferences. They help us understand how our website is used and improve your online experience. They can also help to ensure that adverts you see online are more relevant to you and your interests.
<h5><a id="what_type_of_cookies_do_we_use"></a>2. What type of cookies do we use?</h5>
2.1 Which cookies are used by Web Summit?
Strictly Necessary Cookies. Most of the cookies we use are session cookies, which are automatically deleted from your hard disk at the end of the browser session. Session cookies are needed to help the website function.
Analytical and Advertising Cookies. In addition to these we also use longer-term cookies that stay on your hard disk. On a subsequent visit it is then automatically recognised that you have previously visited us, and we know which input and settings you prefer. These cookies are stored on your hard disk and are automatically deleted after 30 days. They make our website more user-friendly, more effective and more secure. These cookies make it possible for us to show you information that is relevant to you. The sole purpose of these cookies is to adapt our content to your needs as well as to make browsing our pages as enjoyable as possible.
Performance Cookies. These cookies help us analyse how our website is used. They collect information such as which pages you visit most often, how long you spend on a page, and if you encounter any error messages. The data from these cookies is aggregated and anonymised, meaning it cannot be used to identify you personally. Their sole purpose is to improve the functionality and overall performance of our website, ensuring you have a smooth and seamless experience.
A full list of all cookies used can be found <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oDdOm-hloMMb5y5igVyA82nYimjAfMaJGOZa6H0sdrk/edit">here</a>.
2.2 What data is stored in the cookies?
Only pseudonymous data is stored in our cookies. On activation, the cookie is allocated an identification number; we do not allocate personal data to this identification number. Your name, your IP address and other such data that might allow the cookie to be traced to you directly are not stored in the cookie. We receive only aggregated information, relating for example to which of our pages have been visited, which products were viewed, etc.
2.3 What is onsite targeting?
Data is collected on Web Summit websites using cookies for optimisation of our advertising and of the entire online experience. This data is not used to identify you personally but solely serves the purpose of conducting a pseudonymous evaluation of the use made of our pages. With this technology, we can present advertising, special offers and services to you, the content of which is based on information obtained from a connection to click-stream analysis (for example, advertising that is based on the fact that during the past few days only you have viewed a specific page). Our aim here is to make our offers as relevant to you as possible and to present advertising that corresponds to your areas of interest.
2.4 Are there also cookies from third-party suppliers (so-called “third-party cookies”)?
Web Summit makes use of a number of web partners who help to make our websites more interesting for you. This is why, when visiting our websites, the cookies of these companies may also be stored on your hard disk. These cookies are deleted automatically after a pre-specified period. The cookies of our partner companies also contain solely pseudonymous or anonymous aggregated data. This relates, for example, to data on which pages you have looked at, whether anything was bought or a signup occurred, among other actions. Here, some of our advertising partners also collect information from our websites on which pages you have previously visited in order to be able to show you advertising that best complies with your interests.
2.5 Retargeting
Our websites make use of so-called re-targeting technologies. We use these technologies to make our offering more interesting for you. Retargeting allows users who have already shown an interest in our events to also be provided with suitable advertising on the websites of our partners. The use of personalised, interest-oriented advertising is generally more interesting for users than advertising that has no such personal customisation. The use of this advertising approach by our partners is undertaken on the basis of a cookie technology and an analysis of previous utilisation behaviour. This form of advertising is completely pseudonymous. On using our sites, cookies are deployed and thereby usage data is collected from you, stored and utilised. Your data is furthermore stored in cookies beyond the end of the browser session so that it can be called up again on your next visits to the websites.
2.6 How can you prevent the storage of cookies?
In your browser, you can enable a setting that storage of cookies is only permissible when you agree to it, and thereby prevent the further storage of cookies in the future. If you want to accept only Web Summit cookies but not the cookies of our service companies and partners, you can select the browser setting ”Block third-party cookies”. As a rule, the ‘Help’ function in the menu bar of your web browser will show you how to reject new cookies and how to inactivate old ones. 
The following links provide information on how to modify the cookies settings on some popular browsers: 
<a href="https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/safari/sfri11471/mac">Apple Safari</a> 
<a href="https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?hl=en&amp;p=cpn_cookies">Google Chrome</a> 
<a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/view-cookies-in-microsoft-edge-a7d95376-f2cd-8e4a-25dc-1de753474879">Microsoft Edge</a> 
<a href="https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/cookies-information-websites-store-on-your-computer?redirectslug=Cookies&amp;redirectlocale=en-US">Mozilla Firefox</a>
<h5><a id="log_files"></a>3. Log Files</h5>
With each visit to the Web Summit website, usage data is transmitted by the respective Internet browser and is stored in record files, the so-called server log files. The records stored in this way contain data on date and time of the call-up, name of the page called up, IP address, referrer URL (URL of origin, from which you came to the websites), the quantities of data transferred, product information and the version of the browser used. These log file data records are evaluated by us, to help us further improve our websites, as well as to make our pages more user-friendly, to detect and correct errors more quickly and to control server capacities. We also use log file data records to defend our site against attacks, e.g. in the context of DDOS attacks, which are intended to block access to our site by overloading it with enquiries.
<h5><a id="web_analysis"></a>4. Web analysis</h5>
In order to continuously improve and optimise our offer, we make use of tracking technologies. For this purpose, we enlist the services of Matomo.
<h5><a id="retargeting_and_data_acquisition_by_third_parties"></a>5. Retargeting and data acquisition by third parties for banner ads</h5>
In the context of re-targeting and banner ads, Web Summit make use of the 
services of third parties, which set cookies on our sites.
<h5><a id="if_you_have_questions"></a>6. If you have questions</h5>
If you have questions about the use of cookies on our websites, please contact us at <a href="mailto:data.protection@websummit.com">data.protection@websummit.com</a>.
<h5><a id="managing_your_cookie_preferences"></a>7. Managing your Cookie Preferences</h5>
Web Summit allows each visitor to or user of the Web Summit websites to manage their cookie preferences at any time. To manage your preferences, click on the “Manage Cookies” button at the Cookie Banner or at the bottom of the website page.