This year was my first-ever Web Summit, and as someone who actually lives in Lisbon, I assumed that would give me a bit of an advantage. Easy commute, no travel stress, and the comfort of knowing my own city.
What I didn’t expect? Just how massive, intense, and wildly energizing this event actually is.
I attended from Tuesday to Thursday (the days with the most action), and while the rain tried its absolute best to kill the vibe, the show had to go on.
A fun fact: apparently this is the first time in 10 years of the Web Summit in Lisbon that it’s rained this much!
I was also vlogging every day and posting updates across our Rewardful LinkedIn account, my personal profile, and even the Web Summit subreddit, which made the experience even more immersive.
So here’s my honest POV on what it’s really like attending a Web Summit for the first time!
1. Preparation Matters More Than You Think
I can confidently say Web Summit is bigger than it looks online. Like… way bigger!
If you’re not prepared, it gets overwhelming fast. Thankfully, living in Lisbon meant I knew how to navigate around traffic, where to enter, and which routes are faster on rainy days (pro tip: they never warn you enough about the walking). But what truly saved me was the Web Summit app.
I marked every talk, every networking session, every masterclass I didn’t want to miss, and it kept me sane.
Also, note to future self (and anyone attending): Wear better shoes because there’s a lot of walking and bring your own food or snacks because everything is overpriced.
2. Networking Feels Like Speed Dating
Networking is one of those things everyone hypes up, and yes, you meet tons of cool people. But the pace is crazy! Most conversations lasted around 5–10 minutes because everyone is trying to maximize their time.It’s energizing but also a bit overwhelming.
Found it a bit easier to meet like-minded people on the dedicated niche sessions focused on interests, industries or job positions (e.g. networking for creatives or networking for AI enthusiasts).
Everyone told me: “Web Summit magic happens at the after-parties.”
Almost all of them overlapped. Almost all of them were packed. And almost all of them involved people who still had name badges on at midnight.
I didn’t go full send on the after-party marathon, but I get the appeal because the conversations were a bit looser, longer, and often more memorable.
3. The Best Marketing I Saw Happened in the Bathroom
On Day 3, I found a guerrilla marketing poster from WeRoad inside the bathroom titled “Missing Marketing Manager.”
It was funny, clever, and exactly the type of creativity you need when you’re one of 70,000+ attendees trying to stand out.
A reminder that sometimes the smartest marketing isn’t flashy but unexpected.
4. AI Was Everywhere
No surprise here, but AI was the biggest buzzword of the entire event.
From live pitch stages (think Shark Tank but for startups) to keynotes from tech giants, the message was clear: AI is a tool, not a threat.
A session I loved was the search optimization masterclass by SearchTides on “how to win in the era of the LLM buyer.”
It made it clear that buyers are shifting, behavior is changing, and marketing must evolve with it.
5. Videos Are The Future of Creativity
One of my favorite talks was from Vimeo’s CMO, who shared a wild statistic:
Video now makes up 87% of all internet traffic.
You basically can’t afford not to use video anymore.
If your landing pages, newsletters, or product storytelling aren’t leveraging video yet, you’re leaving attention (and conversions) on the table.
Final Thoughts
Even with the rain, the crowds, and the overpriced snacks, my first Web Summit was packed with inspiration, insights, and new ideas.
If you’ve never been and you work in marketing, tech, partnerships, or product, my advice would be to go at least once, even just for the experience.
