Q&A: General Manager, Dragoslav Radin about Web Summit 2016

In six short years, Web Summit has grown from 400 attendees to over 50,000 attendees from more than 150 countries. It has become “Europe’s largest and most important technology marketplace”, a crossroads for the world’s largest buyers and sellers of technology, alongside many of the world’s most disruptive emerging technology companies.

For the past few years Beenius is participating at important industry events and summits. WEB SUMMIT in Lisbon was the event of the year says Mr. Dragoslav Radin, General Manager at Beenius. Read the interview where Mr. Radin shared his impression from the event.

1. How would you describe WEB SUMMIT 2016?

One thing that fascinates me is the growth rate of this event in last 6 years. The extra appeal to the event gave also this year’s location- the city of Lisbon. The Portugal government strategically invests and supports start-up companies with their financial instruments and infrastructure. Portugal government was giving away free tickets to all students for Web Summit 2016 main stage events.

The attendees of this year’s event was a mixture of entrepreneurs, start up fans and companies which are supporting financially small business or otherwise co-create the future of the world with implementing their ideas, designs, products and innovations.

2. How would you evaluate the Web Summit as General Manager of Beenius?

Great amount of start-ups and exhibited companies presented ideas that were in great interest of Beenius and the industry we are working in. For sure, Beenius could expend the service portfolio with some of the presented companies, and make it even more interesting and attractive for potential new service providers, telecoms, broadcasters and content owners.

3. The Web Summit’s buzzwords were?

The 2016 buzzwords echoed also at the Web Summit. Big Data, analytics and machine learning found the way in different industry segments. The blockchain technology was adapted to expand its use beyond simple digital currencies. Start-ups, open-source communities and large financial institutions alike are improving and expanding the technology with the aim of one day using it to facilitate exchange of fully digital assets.

Artificial intelligence (AI) was presented on different levels, chatbots are used today in finance, telco and hospitality industry where they enable personalized communication with potential new clients and existing customers. AI was also presented as humanoid robot on the central stage of the event.

Beside AI, the Intelligent Mobility presented so called autonomous vehicle and self-driven cars. Today’s level where cars are only connected to internet and social media is just the beginning of infomatization of the automotive industry. We will see a lot more in coming years in this segment. “Internet of vehicles” is a sort of sub segment of IoT where vehicles can communicate with each other, with roads, other infrastructure and all other traffic participant.

Imagination has no limitation, showed one of the inspired speakers who presented his vision of 2020. At year 2020 the idea of honeymoon will mean that you take your honey literally to the moon, for the price of airplane ticket from Australia to US.

4. What do you expect from Web Summit 2017?

I am glad to hear it will be in Lisbon, not just because I personally love the city but also the location is perfect from business side. Beenius clients are near and that way I can combine business and pleasure on this trip.
I am sure that I will once again meet new people, new entrepreneurs, companies and smaller start-ups that are only at the beginning of the business path with fresh and innovative ideas that could support Beenius to develop even further innovative services for our customers and partners. I am sure that Web Summit 2017 will once again syndicate the new and fresh ideas all joined in one place.

See you again next year!