Sesame Summit 2026 – application open

Selected Events: Summer 2023

NFesT

July 4-6 – Spain
NFEST is an innovative and diverse festival with a fringe-style approach, occurring in various spots within the vibrant city of Barcelona, Spain from July 4th to July 6th. Over the course of three days, attendees can expect an engaging program consisting of interactive panel discussions and workshops exploring various subjects related to web3, new technologies, and AI. The festival will also feature captivating live music performances, opportunities for yoga, meditation, and wellness activities, a dynamic exhibition showcasing live artistic displays, as well as dedicated sessions for networking and connecting with like-minded individuals

WALLIFORNIA

July 4-6 – Belgium
WALLIFORNIA, situated in the sunny city of Liège, Belgium, serves as an innovative Entertainment+Tech hub where startups, professionals, and investors collaborate to shape the future of their respective industries. With a primary focus on Music, Sports, Esports, and Gaming, WALLIFORNIA provides an ecosystem conducive to development and progress. It will bring together global professionals in the Music and Tech sectors. This summit is renowned for delivering inspiring talks on innovation, specifically tailored to startups, music professionals, and investors. Renowned speakers from diverse backgrounds, such as experienced professionals, successful entrepreneurs, visionary artists, and industry experts, generously share their valuable experiences and insights.

TOA Festival

July 5-6 – Germany
Join a vibrant community of over 5,000 curious minds in the heart of Berlin! Immerse yourself in a unique learning experience where you can gain invaluable insights from renowned founders, investors, operators, scientists, and creatives. An impressive lineup of speakers includes industry trailblazers such as Tao Tao, Sheel Mohnot, and Pia Mancini. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to expand your knowledge and network with the best in the field.

ETHBarcelona

July 5-9 – Spain
ETHBarcelona is a remarkable community-led passion project dedicated to the Ethereum blockchain, cryptocurrency, and decentralization. This vibrant initiative celebrates the values and spirit of the community while focusing on education, innovation, art, and creating positive social impact. At ETHBarcelona, our goal is to empower individuals by equipping them with the necessary tools to deepen their knowledge in blockchain technology. We believe in providing resources and opportunities for people to learn how to build impactful projects that can contribute to positive change in society.

Big Time Summit

July 7 – Cyprus
Embark on a journey into the future of web3, fintech, and AI, where groundbreaking innovations are shaping the world. Connect with visionary thought leaders, trailblazing entrepreneurs, and industry disruptors at our event. Get ready to gain invaluable insights and expand your network among the best in the field. Our distinguished speakers include Petr Kozyakov, Arthur Firstov, and Valeria Minaeva, who will share their expertise and vision for these transformative technologies. Don’t miss out on this extraordinary opportunity to be at the forefront of the next technological revolution. Reserve your place now!

Blockdown Festival

July 10-12 – Portugal
BlockDown Festival, the ultimate convergence of Web3 innovation and culture! Immerse yourself in an extraordinary experience where you’ll connect with industry pioneers, thought leaders, and visionary entrepreneurs. But that’s not all – alongside the insightful discussions, you’ll also get to indulge in a variety of captivating talent displays, captivating fashion shows, engaging gamification, and unforgettable epic parties. At BlockDown, they bring together the brightest minds and creative spirits to explore the frontiers of the digital world. Their esteemed speakers, including Robby Yung, Pär Helgosson, and Ida Kymmer, will share their expertise and groundbreaking insights, providing you with unparalleled knowledge and inspiration.

NFT Show Europe

July 14-15 – Spain
Immerse yourself in the European destination for web3, digital art, blockchain, and metaverse experts. Prepare to be enchanted by a multisensory experience that will leave attendees captivated. This unique event brings together visionaries and pioneers from various fields to explore the intersections of technology and creativity. Indulge in an array of interactive and experimental art installations that push the boundaries of imagination. Engage with thought-provoking discussions, workshops, and showcases that highlight the latest advancements in web3, digital art, blockchain, and the metaverse.

Stable Summit

July 15-16 – France
Paris is set to host a groundbreaking event where leaders from across the stablecoin ecosystem will gather for the first time. This unique occasion offers a platform for collaboration, networking, and sharing insights on building the future of finance. Join us as we bring together industry pioneers and visionaries who are shaping the stablecoin landscape. Immerse yourself in thought-provoking discussions and gain valuable insights from esteemed speakers such as Sam Macpherson, Robert Lauko, and Taylor Brent.

WebX Asia

July 25-26 – Japan
Explore the forefront of innovation in Web3, business, and investment. Gain valuable insights into the latest Web3 news, AI business information, crypto and financial assets, and participate in engaging business workshops led by Web3 industry leaders. Join us to hear from renowned speakers such as Fumio Kishida, Masaaki Taira, and Teana Baker-Taylor, who will share their expertise and vision for the future of technology and business.

World Blockchain Summit

August 2-3 – Singapore
Experience the power of collaboration and innovation at the World Blockchain Summit Singapore 2023, where global blockchain leaders, enterprise experts, and government officials come together to shape the future of web3. This prestigious event serves as a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and forging impactful partnerships.

Techsauce Global

August 16-17 – Thailand
Techsauce Global Summit (TSGS) is widely regarded as one of Asia’s top 3 tech summits and the largest in Southeast Asia. It is where global tech businesses meet, build solid relationships, and make the real deal. Organized yearly by Techsauce since 2016, TSGS reunites all the tech sectors to show its best.

Coinfest Asia

August 24-25 – Bali
Coinfest Asia is an insight & networking festival focused on Crypto and Web3 ecosystem. This year’s theme will be #Converge to unite Web2 and Web3 companies through an immersive and festival-like conference. Coinfest Asia 2023 is inviting global industry players from Web2 and Web3 to showcase their Web2.5 convergence technology, find new partners, and promote & raise their brand awareness.

The Conference

August 29-30 – Sweden
The Conference is a two-day gathering in Malmö, Sweden. A thousand curious minds from all over the world meet to delve into the promises and pitfalls of human-machine-nature-and-more relationships.

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crowds throng the avenue before the Blue Stage at VivaTech 2025
Events 7 hours ago

At Sesamers, we’re always looking to be the first to learn about the latest trends in the startup and tech events space. That’s why it feels like a privilege that Sesamers was invited by Olivia Hervy, chief ecosystem officer of VivaTech, to the exclusive kick-off VivaTech 2026, alongside key partners.  As Europe’s largest startup and tech event prepares for its 10th anniversary, scheduled for June 17-20, 2026 in Paris, being part of this circle of industry professionals gives us early insight into what promises to be VivaTech’s most ambitious edition yet, with significant expansions and new experiences that reflect a decade of growth and evolution. Major infrastructure expansions After calling Hall 1 and 2 at Porte de Versailles home for a decade, VivaTech 2026 is relocating to Hall 7, a new three-floor building that the event will occupy fully. The venue now features 30% more exhibition space across three floors; upgraded infrastructure; excellent internet connectivity, and a much larger business center. The building has 12 dedicated restaurant areas, providing ample dining options to better accommodate the growing crowds. The centerpiece is a brand new, 2,200-seat main stage where the event’s most significant announcements and keynotes will be held. Greater business focus Building on 2025’s  success (180,000 attendees, 14,000 startups), VivaTech 2026 introduces several business-focused improvements: Doubled innovation showcase The “Garden of Innovators” concept has been expanded upon, with organizers promising to double startup participation, product announcements, and exhibition surface area compared to previous editions.  Located on the first floor, the welcome area will showcase exemplars of innovation through the centuries to remind attendees of humanity’s continuous drive to invent and create. Germany takes center stage For 2026, Germany has been selected as the “Country of the Year,” and VivaTech will highlight the nation’s contributions to the European tech ecosystem with an eye towards strengthening Franco-German technological cooperation. Thematic villages  VivaTech 2026 introduces a new organizational approach: We have four dedicated thematic arenas, each of which features its own startup village and specialized programming: Each thematic village will feature startups building in those sectors, creating focused ecosystems where attendees can explore innovations that cross-pollinate within a concentrated area. Every theme features its own dedicated stage, which will host talks, panels, and presentations tailored to that sector. An additional Executive Arena will cater specifically to marketing and tech leaders, providing a hub for C-level discussions and strategic content. “Revolutions in Progress” VivaTech2026’s theme emphasizes ongoing technological revolutions, with particular focus on: Special anniversary experiences To mark the event’s 10th anniversary, VivaTech 2026 will feature several special events: Looking forward With its tagline, “VIVA LA REVOLUTION,” VivaTech 2026 positions itself not just as a retrospective celebration, but as the launch pad for the next decade of European tech innovation. The expanded format and new experiences point to how the event is evolving from a showcase into an increasingly sophisticated business platform for the global tech community. VivaTech 2026 builds on last year’s impressive satisfaction metrics (92% of exhibitors satisfied, 82% of attendees planning to return) while substantially expanding capacity and capabilities to serve the growing European tech ecosystem.

a wall of amplifiers
Events 9 hours ago

Europe recorded €108 billion from exhibitions and events in 2024, according to UFI’s latest data. The continent welcomed 102 million visitors to over 2,000 certified exhibitions across 17 countries; Web Summit Lisbon set a record with 71,528 attendees in November 2024, making it the largest edition to date; and Stockholm’s Techarena secured just over €1 million from VC firm BackingMinds to expand internationally. By any reasonable measure, Europe’s events space has absolutely crushed the events game. End of story. Fin. However, from where I’m sitting, the elephant is still lurking quite comfortably in the room. At the risk of being ostracized, I’ll go ahead and ask the question: Why are some of the most innovative companies on the planet still schlepping to Austin for SXSW to make their biggest announcements (Salt Lick and Stubbs BBQ’s aside)? The room vs. the world Looking at the numbers: Europe’s events spark more meaningful connections per square meter than anywhere else on Earth. In 2025, VivaTech set records with 180,000 visitors, a 10% increase from a year earlier. MWC Barcelona authoritatively anchors a circuit stretching from Kigali to Las Vegas. The continent plays host to an estimated 32,000 exhibitions annually, generating 4.3 million full-time equivalent jobs. These are numbers you cannot take lightly. But walk into any European tech conference and you’ll witness something that should make every one of us reach for the Advil: major announcements received by something akin to a boisterous golf clap from 500 or so people. And that’s it. Those announcements then usually disintegrate into the digital ether, seemingly never to be heard of again. Meanwhile, across the pond, a throwaway tweet about the same topic has the potential to garner upwards of 50,000 shares and three podcast invitations faster than you can drink your morning coffee. But data and numbers don’t lie, and when it comes to events, they’re frankly embarrassing. Europe’s events sector processes roughly €108 billion, and is  extraordinarily efficient in bringing decision makers together in the same space.  European startups consistently struggle with what should be the easier bit: translating those promising conversations into sustained media coverage, investor attention and market validation. The great muppet caper Picture this scene playing out roughly 847 times per week across Europe: Monday: A Finnish startup leveraging AI presents a true breakthrough in supply chain management/optimization/operations to 200 logistics executives at a specialized track. The demo is genuinely impressive. The potential is genuinely massive. The audience is the very definition of target market. All the right pieces are in all the right places. Tuesday: Three tech publications publish brief summaries, perhaps even covering the entire conference, and not just the logistics breakthrough. The fledgling company’s LinkedIn post gets 47 likes (including the founders’ mothers, university mates, and the intern). A single podcast interview is scheduled for three weeks later. It may or may not happen. Wednesday: The story is now less alive than disco was on July 13, 1979. Look that one up, kids. Now let’s compare the same actions to the American playbook, which, if I’m honest, makes me simultaneously impressed and nauseous. The same company makes the announcement at a Bay Area-based event (yep, you know it as well as I do). It generates immediate response across a variety of channels from some  truly influential voices and some noise makers, but enough to garner the attention of major media (print, podcast, and pulp) outlets within 48 hours. It then spawns derivative content, and creates a sustained conversation that drives real, true, business development for the startup for weeks. The difference here isn’t the quality of the innovation; it’s how the messaging was amplified. Folks, you can hate me for saying this, but this is where Europe is getting schooled. There is no stopping in the Red Zone Take one look at today’s media landscape, and you’ll leave with a rather morbid impression. The problem isn’t structural fragmentation; it’s an endemic contraction. Leon may be growing, but European tech media is shrinking,  at precisely the wrong moment. A brief reminder: TechCrunch, long the go-to outlet for European startup coverage, quietly shut down its entire European operation in 2025 when private equity firm Regent LP acquired the publication.  Digital Frontier, the London-based tech publication that launched in early 2024 with a team of 20, “paused” operations just a few months ago, making all 16 staff members redundant.  Business Insider cut 21% of its staff in 2025, citing “extreme traffic drops” and AI disruption. Just days ago, we all found out that The Next Web, once one of Europe’s flagship tech conferences and media brands, was shutting down its events and media operations after nearly 20 years. The Financial Times, which bought TNW in 2019, confirmed it was winding down the business by the end of September following a “strategic review.” Conference attendance had dropped to 4,500 in 2025, less than half of pre-pandemic levels. The failure to capture content The folks at Black Unicorn PR earlier this year put together a guide that reveals something anyone working in European tech media already knows but pretends isn’t true: “Unlike the U.S., which has a few dominant tech media outlets and an emerging class of star indie writers, Europe hasn’t yet consolidated its practitioners’ knowledge in one place.” Stop and think about what that really means for a second. Sure, we’ve got strong regional players, and I salute Sifted, EU-Startups, and Tech.eu doing the do. But the lack of a unified amplification machinery, by definition, puts Europe at a disadvantage over Silicon Valley stories that are destined to be heard in Phuket faster than you can finish reading this sentence. To put it bluntly, European tech events suffer from content capture failure. The most valuable insights surface within conversations, at roundtable discussions, and networking sessions that generate no permanent content.  Unlike American events, which increasingly operate as content factories designed for social media amplification, European conferences optimize to create value in the room rather than post-event content distribution. All that

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Winning the JEC Startup Booster's 2025 Sustainability Award transformed Strong by Form from a 'promising startup' into a serious player with industrial credibility.

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