Web Summit fails in the organization, but shines among companies – 04/05/2023 – Tech

The public was faced with queues, and there were people outside of master classes and lectures during the Web Summit Rio, the carioca version of the largest technology fair in Europe, with tickets starting at R$ 2,000.

Those who missed the attractions had no access to the content of the debate, as only the main stage meetings were broadcast live. The voice of the speakers on that stage, at least, was more audible in the broadcast than in the upper bleachers of the Pavilhão das Artes do Riocentro, the largest space on the venue.

When it was time to leave the Web Summit, there was a lack of taxis and app cars for the 21,367 payers. Queues formed as participants meandered through Riocentro. On the first day, people reported waiting more than two hours to get transportation.

The subjects were several: artificial intelligence, fintechs, crypto, innovation, data, marketing, environment, education, health and urbanism.

Voices critical of the effects of technology and thinkers, however, were few. Artificial intelligence enthusiast Ben Goertzel was one of the few academics at the event, alongside Meredith Whittaker. Industry representatives predominated among the spokespersons. Much has been said about the present and little about the future.

In direct competition with the United States for the lead in technology development, China and its innovators were left out of the Web Summit.

In any case, those who invested in the event left satisfied.

The so-called masterclass lectures, given by partners who paid BRL 70,000, were all sold out and received praise. They had the longest format of the event, with 45 minutes.

Presentations by international guests, such as the CEO of OnlyFans, the former WikiLeaks informant and the president of the confidential messaging application Signal, in turn, had 25 minutes.

Banco do Brasil set up two large stands, one of which simulated customer service in the metaverse. The audit firm KPMG took a 1.5-meter humanoid robot that yielded photographs.

Those who did not set up a stand said they regretted it. Executives heard by the report, under anonymity, are already making plans for the 2024 edition.

Among the startups, there were almost a thousand participants in search of contacts and funding, according to the organization.

Based in Vitória (RS), Jade Autism, which promises inclusive education through technology for people on the autistic spectrum, received the award for best proposal and was in the center of the spotlight.

Foreign delegations, from Switzerland, Spain and Ukraine, also participated in the Web Summit. The representative of the Swiss startup Upgrain, Eduard Müller, claims to have managed to contact food and brewing companies, including the giant Ambev. He hopes to enter the Brazilian market in 2024 with food recycled from beer barley.

wanted by Sheet, the organization of the Web Summit reaffirmed its commitment to hold five more editions of the technology event in the capital of Rio de Janeiro. The organization, headed by Portugal, said it was surprised by the demand for seats on the opening night, after leaving paying guests out of the event. It guaranteed that these people would be welcomed in the more than 21 open stages in the three days of presentation.

Who also earned with the event was the city. The city of Rio de Janeiro projects that the Web Summit should move more than R$ 1.2 billion in the city by 2028.

“The event exceeded our expectations, and I believe that Paddy [Cosgrove, CEO do Web Summit] and Arthur [Pereira, vice-presidente do Web Summit] as well”, said Alexandre Vermeulen, CEO of Invest.Rio, the City Hall’s investment promotion and attraction agency, in a note.

In a lecture on the main stage of the Web Summit, Mayor Eduardo Paes (PSD-RJ) shared plans to attract the innovation sector to the city. “First, we have Porto Maravalley, which will host a startup hub and the first undergraduate college at Impa [Instituto de Matemática Pura e Aplicada]ImpaTech, which will look more at applied mathematics and computer science,” he said.