Exploring new horizons, Vidverto attended the world-famous Web Summit 2024 in Lisbon. Our representatives, Kate Pylypenko, who leads media buying for the French Market, and Kseniia Maistrenko, Marketing Manager, went to connect with publishers and industry leaders, discover innovations, and bring fresh ideas.

What’s Web Summit All About?

Web Summit is often called the “world’s best tech event,” and it’s easy to see why. It’s where the brightest minds in tech, business, and innovation come together to share ideas, showcase cutting-edge projects, and discuss the future.

Initially held in Dublin in 2010, the Web Summit began as an intimate gathering of just 400 people. Continuously evolving, it became one of the largest and most influential tech events worldwide, drawing startups, established companies, and tech enthusiasts alike. In 2016, the conference relocated to Lisbon, Portugal, where it has thrived as a centerpiece of the European tech scene. 

The Highlights of Web Summit 2024

Encouraging networking and providing opportunities for collaboration, the Web Summit gathered over 71,000 participants from 153 countries. With over 3,000 exhibiting companies and 953 speakers, the summit brought representatives from AdTech, AI, fintech, healthcare, e-commerce, and other industries. The greatest ones were IBM, Microsoft, Adobe, Meta, Visa, Dell Technologies, Huawei, etc.

“Among the speakers, I particularly appreciated the intervention of Eshan Ponnadurai, Head of Meta’s Consumer Marketing. Showcasing insight from his extensive experience in Asia and the US, he emphasized how cultural diversity can increase community engagement. He also discussed the changing digital marketing landscape, drawing on his background at Meta and other tech giants such as Google and Uber to offer fresh perspectives. His approach underlines the need for authenticity in advertising, championing campaigns that resonate with the consumer personally.” – Kate Pylypenko, France Regional Manager.
At Web Summit 2024, industry leaders shared insights into AdTech and AI:

1. Find a Balance between Personalization and Privacy: Addressing privacy concerns and complying with data processing regulations becomes even more challenging.
2. Building Community and Brand Loyalty: As Don McGuire, Chief Marketing Officer at Qualcomm, mentioned: “Technology is unlocking new ways to identify and engage audiences.”
3. The Evolution of Influencer Marketing: Discussing the next phase of influencer marketing, Toma Sabaliauskienė, Chief Marketing Officer at NordVPN, noted, “The creator economy is a marketing juggernaut, and brands are taking notice.”
4. Navigating Data Privacy in Advertising: Dan Gardner, Co-founder & Executive Chairman of Code and Theory, emphasized the need to prioritize transparency and privacy while exploring new ways to engage audiences.

Key Trends: AI in Tech

Featured by keynotes, panels, workshops, and networking opportunities, the Web Summit engaged forward-looking talks on trends like AI in video production, tech predictions for 2025, and creative AI’s potential.

“Showcasing the latest tech innovations, it emphasizes AI’s transformative impact that goes beyond chatbots to a deeper understanding of its role. AI is becoming an essential part of content creation and its personalization, especially in the media industry.” – highlighted by Kuo Zhang, President at Alibaba.com.

“AI is personalizing content and customer experiences.” – emphasized Frank Cooper, Chief Marketing Officer at Visa.

“We will explore how it is reshaping creativity across the digital advertising ecosystem.” – explored Chris Caldwell, President and CEO of Concentrix.

Joining the discussions, a prominent social media influencer, Alex “Supercar Blonde” Hirschi, shared strategies for using AI tools to create a sustainable business while keeping the audience authentic and engaged.

To Sum up

Web Summit 2024 wasn’t just an event – it was an experience. It gave Vidverto new ideas, fresh perspectives, and incredible connections.

We’re excited to implement the insights Kate and Ksenia brought back and look forward to leveraging these learnings to continue delivering exceptional results for our partners and clients. See you next year, Web Summit! 🚀