From sneaking into fancy parties dressed in our best…hoodies to electric interviews – here’s our recap from TNW Conference in Amsterdam!
We knew it would be a blast, and indeed, it was. Mauro was excited about bicycles and canals, highlighting that Amsterdam is the real fairytale town, not Bruges (sorry, Harry Waters), because it is also so liveable with things to do, shops, jobs, and… tech. However, The Next Web is an international event, not just Dutch, and this was reflected in the talks we heard, the startups present, and the people we met.
We also witnessed an incredibly sustainable event. All the food was vegan, and all the coffee variants were dairy-free (not everyone was happy about that). However, the best part was that it was plastic-free and very easy to dispose of used materials, as well as top up on water with the various water stations around.
Day 1: Pre-event Warm Up!
The event was not in central Amsterdam but in Zaandam, about 15 minutes by train from Centraal. So was our hotel. So, after checking in, we checked out quirky Zaandam, with its retro facades and architecture inspired by Dutch buildings from hundreds of years ago. Well, with a slight twist…
In the evening, we made our way to Amsterdam for all the pre-event side parties and side events. We’re not sure we went to the one we planned, but we saw great views and met great people. First up, the TNW HQ in Singel. After a presentation on Valencia as a startup destination, the venue felt like being in Spain, but a glance out the window confirmed we actually were in Amsterdam and not tripping on shrooms.
But funny enough, it was a Latvian connection that we made at the party. We had great chats with Krista Krumina, Luize Sietina, and Egita Polanska and finally met Dutch tech media legend Remco Janssen in person. We then moved to another event we thought was the official pre-event party, but we believe we ended up smuggling our hoodied selves into a very exclusive ‘smart casual’ party reminiscent of most tech journalists’ least favourite type of startup team photography.
Day 2: TNW Conference Starts with a Bang
The day started in the best possible way as our own Julija (JJ) Jegorova interviewed none other than Ōura’s CPO, Holly Shelton. Little did Holly know, JJ is a massive Ōura fan, and so had an unending waterfall of questions, which could have gone on for a few hours. The conversation revolved around the considerations and thinking behind creating a ring that helps not just fitness fans but humans as a whole, including women, with their health holistically. Sounds like PR pros can really benefit from it…
Amsterdam is one of those cities where you run into people that you know from anywhere. We caught up with old friends over coffee and lunch: former mentee Matas Stankevicius, the always active networker Leonard Burger, and fellow agency owner and AI startup founder Yana Lapitskaya.
But there wasn’t much time for relaxation because JJ’s second session with Incooling was up! The world is run by computers and servers. So it’s imperative that these machines operate as cheaply, efficiently, and sustainably as possible. More than ever, generative AI and LLMs are expanding everywhere, making Nvidia the world’s most valuable company. The silent disco-style talk was well attended, with good questions and feedback from the audience.
As if it wasn’t enough, we had two PR workshops for startups interested in PR. Thanks to the event organisers for making an entire space available to us for this. Hopefully, a number of startups are now looking at their PR from a fresh perspective and will nail their next activities.
We left the venues with a ferry shuttle from the venue to Amsterdam Centraal via the river with beautiful views and fun company. After a light dinner at Westerpark’s Moulles & Gin and a walk, it was time to take the train back to Zaandam and recover body and mind for the second day of the event.
Day 3: Meetings in full Swing and an Unexpected Party
One of the sessions we wanted to catch was with Lithuanian unicorn Vinted and its Dutch CEO, Thomas Plantenga, on the circular economy and second-hand clothing. The session was led by Cristina Criddle, and to the audience’s delight, it got spicy! Tough questions were asked but also answered well and thoroughly.
Next up, and after checking out the bookshop inside the conference with startup-related books (every startup conference should do this), it was time for a talk on quantum with an all-female panel with Nicole Holzmann, Si-Hui Tan, and Shahar Graf. It’s a fascinating time for this area as quantum machines get better and their capabilities begin to be tested by the world outside of academia more and more. For those interested in learning more about quantum, check out the free quantum course by Quantum Delta NL. We’re excited about what’s next ;).
After so many obligations the previous day, we wanted to catch as many sessions as possible on day 2. The third session we attended was on 13 fuckup archetypes by serial entrepreneur and investor Marc Wesselink. Going total Dutch style, Marc gave us an extremely clear list of things startup founders should or should not do, which we could almost call startup commandments… or startup cardinal sins.
Our last official item on the agenda was, in fact, a business meeting; however, between the three of us at this meeting at an outdoor table, we attracted a few familiar faces and ended up having a sort of transition into the after-event party. It was great fun to meet so many people!
We took the last ferry shuttle for a late-night dinner in an orange-infested Amsterdam. The Netherlands played in the Euros (and got robbed against France).
Day 4: Exploring Amsterdam and a Local Spot Called Locals
An extra day to make the most of the trip is always a good idea. We met local (well, actually Utrecht local, but it’s all so close) Jekaterina Kuzelnaja for brunch at Locals, on one of the most picturesque corners of Oude Pijp, followed by a walk from end to end in Vondelpark.
After getting lost in the various canals and beating all our Oura activity records, we met Ioanna Lykiardopoulou for dinner at Cannibale Royale. Ioanna and Julija had met in Vilnius previously, and now Ioanna was ‘hosting’ us. The evening was crowned by drinks in the Amsterdam sun, for which Andrea Hak joined us to complete the Next Web and Black Unicorn mashup episode. Discussion topics included: how the event went and talks from the previous days, the evolution of journalism, scams of all types and travelling in South America.
For now, we’re back home to recover from all the events. The past few months have been a whirlwind in the best way; eventing is so much fun! But, we are glad to stay put for a while – time to enjoy summer, afternoon dog walks and recharge for more events later in the year!
More events reports from the team:
