As dedicated followers of Web Summit events, we’ve been covering their remarkable journey across different platforms, from the vibrant streets of Lisbon to the innovative grounds of Qatar. We’re thrilled to announce that Web Summit will be launching a new North American flagship event in Vancouver in May 2025, succeeding the successful Collision Conference in Toronto.
Web Summit Vancouver: A New Era for North American Tech
Web Summit, the global technology events company based in Dublin, is set to bring its first North American event to Vancouver, Canada. Scheduled for May 2025, Web Summit Vancouver marks a significant milestone in the company’s mission to support and connect the global technology ecosystem. This new event will build on the success of Collision in Toronto, which rapidly became the fastest-growing technology event in North America.
In recent years, Web Summit has expanded its reach with three new events, including Web Summit Rio in South America, drawing over 55,000 attendees in its first two years, and Web Summit Qatar in the Middle East, attracting 15,000 attendees in its inaugural year. This November, Web Summit’s flagship event in Lisbon is expected to bring together more than 70,000 attendees from over 150 countries. Overall, participation in Web Summit events has surged by 51% since 2022, with a projected total of over 160,000 attendees for 2024.
Vancouver: The Perfect Host for Web Summit
Vancouver, with its booming tech sector, is the ideal location for Web Summit’s North American expansion. Home to over 11,000 tech companies, Vancouver’s tech industry is growing at twice the rate of the overall economy and ranks first in high-tech job growth in North America. The city hosts notable unicorns like Dapper Labs, Blockstream, Trulioo, and LayerZero Labs, alongside major tech giants such as Salesforce, Apple, and Amazon.
Paddy Cosgrave, founder and CEO of Web Summit, expressed his excitement about the new event: “We can’t wait to gather the tech world and take over the city next year. Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities with a flourishing tech community that connects the Americas, Asia, and the West Coast. The time has come to transition Collision into Web Summit. We have had the most incredible time in Toronto and are looking forward to continuing our Canadian journey in Vancouver.”
Economic Impact and Growth
The transition from Collision to Web Summit Vancouver is expected to bring significant economic benefits to British Columbia. Collision generated CA$189 million in economic impact for Toronto over its last three in-person events and is projected to bring CA$77 million in economic impact this year. Destination Vancouver anticipates that Web Summit Vancouver will generate CA$172 million in direct spending and CA$279 million in overall economic impact for British Columbia over three years.
British Columbia’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation, Brenda Bailey, emphasized the province’s commitment to technology: “British Columbia has a 30-year track record of creating and advancing world-class technologies, and we want to scale up our ability to commercialize innovation and translate these successes into a sustainable competitive advantage for our provincial economy.”
Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for PacifiCan, highlighted the transformative potential of the event: “Web Summit Vancouver is a transformative opportunity for the region that will create conditions for ongoing growth that will continue for years.”
A Bright Future for Web Summit Vancouver
Web Summit Vancouver will continue the legacy of Collision, bringing together founders, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors from across North America and beyond. This event will foster connections and facilitate the exchange of ideas about the latest technology and trends shaping the world.
Royce Chwin, President & CEO of Destination Vancouver, remarked: “A transformational event of this calibre will continue to build our reputation as an exceptional host city and sharpen Vancouver’s global destination competitiveness. And it will be an economic powerhouse – we anticipate that Web Summit Vancouver will generate $172 million in direct spending and $279 million in overall economic impact for BC in its first year.”
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim added: “Vancouver is ready to welcome the world. We’re a young, energetic city full of opportunity. Nowhere is that more obvious than in our thriving tech scene, where we’re advancing leading-edge technology like virtual reality and augmented reality. Vancouver is attracting highly-skilled people from around the world drawn here by our lifestyle, incredible natural surroundings, and the chance to be part of something exciting.”
As we prepare to witness this exciting transition, we’re eager to continue covering Web Summit’s journey and the impact it will have on the global tech community. Stay tuned for more updates and in-depth coverage of Web Summit Vancouver in 2025!
About Web Summit
Web Summit is a technology events company that connects a global community of founders, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors. Since its inception as a 150-person conference in Dublin in 2009, Web Summit has grown to host nearly one million people at its events, including Web Summit in Lisbon, Web Summit Rio in South America, Web Summit Qatar in the Middle East, and RISE in Asia. The company’s newest event, Web Summit Vancouver, will launch in May 2025.
Forbes calls Web Summit “the best tech conference on the planet”; Bloomberg describes it as “Davos for geeks”; Politico terms it “the Olympics of tech”; the Guardian labels it “Glastonbury for geeks”; Sky News refers to it as “the world’s most influential tech event”; and the Telegraph calls it the “planet’s ‘best’ tech conference.”
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