I am really pumped about 2018. Last December, we made the decision to spend as much time as we could talking to past attendees, speakers and investors to get a clear feeling of what #LIS meant for them. We then went back to the drawing board and re-imagined the experiences we would provide in 2018. This is a collection of those thoughts and what you can expect from #LIS18.
- Less Is More
There’s always immense pressure to put out the most content possible, to have a full room at all times and to deploy a non-stop experience. But this year we’re going to remove that pressure (which is mostly self imposed) by simply trimming down and focusing on what makes #LIS unique: an intimate, chilled and sunny space for entrepreneurs and investors to connect.
- Women
If the lack of women in tech is evident, we believe the same can be said for the lack of women in the investment scene. That’s why we’re following Slush’s lead and decided to commit to a better, stronger and clearer representation of women on stage. If a panel on blockchain doesn’t have a woman in it, it’s because we’re not doing our jobs right, not because they don’t exist.
- On Stage: More Time, Less People
Most interesting topics cannot be addressed in a 25 minute, 5 person panel. We’re scaling back the number of panelists and increasing the time for discussion up to 45 minutes. We’ll also have more keynotes with follow up live interviews and Q&A from the audience. Quality, not quantity. That’s what we’re looking for.
- Power to the Moderators
As Willy Braun from Daphni points out in this great article, having engaging and committed moderators is key for a great event. We’re putting a great emphasis on this in 2018, aiming to give moderators as much power and support as they need to run a great conversation on stage.
- Drivers
To deliver a strong experience at #LIS in 2018, we’re helping investors, startups and key partners with curated matchmaking, we’re helping startups figure out how to pitch both on stage and one on one during the event, and we’re hosting a series of side events, such as The Investors Academy, The Speakers Dinner, The Founders Getaway and the Midnight Conference (more on these soon), designed to make these worlds collide.
#LIS was founded on this idea of a space where people can engage, connect and learn without the burden of FOMO or the need to act inconspicuously (or as it’s more commonly known: never show your badge). That’s what we’ve achieved these past years. And that’s what we’re looking to take one step further.
If you want to reach out, feel free to write me back at tomas.bento@beta-i.pt
Ps. If you’re wondering about joining us, our Early Bird flies away on February 18th.