networking event within the event

The Summit, which this year attracted more than 70,000 visitors, programs hundreds of speakers and designates a “Forum” for the latter group to schmooze in, creating a kind of networking event within the event in itself.

The consensus amongst those I spoke to while walking this vast, speakers-only space indicated an approving thumbs-up for Katherine Maher, the new CEO, who gave a speech on the opening night full of high-minded phrases about Web Summit’s role being “more urgent now than ever,” to rapturous applause. Just as well.

“We worked VERY hard on that speech…” whispered a Web Summit source to me, afterwards.