Opening remarks

Unlock Day Two at Web Summit Lisbon 2025: Navigate the World’s Largest Tech Conference and Connect with Ease

Mr. Casey Lau, Co-Host of Web Summit, extended a warm welcome to attendees on day two of Web Summit Lisbon 2025. Addressing the vibrant crowd on Center Stage, he acknowledged the early start for many after what was surely an unforgettable night of networking and engagement. He expressed hope that participants had made valuable connections and were prepared for another day filled with inspiration, innovation, and opportunities for connection.

Before diving into the day’s agenda, Mr. Lau provided a crucial reminder for all attendees to maximize their experience. He urged everyone to utilize the official Web Summit app or visit WebSummit.com/schedule to review the comprehensive schedule across all stages. This guidance is essential for navigating Europe’s largest tech conference effectively, ensuring participants can plan their day efficiently.

The sheer scale of Web Summit Lisbon 2025 was emphasized, with Mr. Lau noting that traversing the venue can take considerable time. He highlighted that moving from Center Stage to Pavilion One, for instance, requires over 30 minutes. This detail underscores the expansive nature of the event, prompting attendees to plan their movements carefully to avoid missing desired sessions or meetings.

To further illustrate the immense size of the conference, Mr. Lau shared an anecdote about an internal competition among his colleagues. They track who walks the most steps throughout the week. He revealed that Mr. Paul Butler, the Senior Vice-President of Event Production, consistently wins this challenge, often accumulating around 100,000 steps during the event week, a testament to the vastness of Web Summit.

A significant enhancement for this year’s event is the expanded “Meetups” feature. This initiative, which began last year and saw growth at Web Summit’s Qatar and Rio events, has been fully integrated and expanded at the newest Vancouver event. Meetups are designed to foster deeper connections among attendees, allowing them to gather based on shared industry interests or personal hobbies.

Mr. Lau provided examples of popular meetups already attracting significant interest. He mentioned a “future of work” meetup scheduled at the Wheelhouse and a “history fans” meetup at the Royal Vessel Bar. Both of these specific gatherings had already registered over 500 attendees, demonstrating the strong demand for these specialized networking and community-building opportunities.

Concluding his opening remarks, Mr. Lau encouraged attendees to explore the diverse range of meetups available. He personally invited participants to connect with him directly through the Web Summit app. By doing so, he offered to share which specific meetups he planned to attend later that evening, further promoting engagement and personalized networking among the conference goers.