The Next Web Conference Opening in 7 quotes

White sneakers, blue chino, and a black turtleneck: as soon as Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten walks up the stage, we all know: The Next Web Conference has officially begun. While Boris is juggling with 1, 2, 3, 4 and actually 5 balls, the visitors of The Next Web are reminded of IoT, blockchain and all the other disruptive innovations that once again will change the world – just like, well, the internet has done before.

This is the start of The Next Web Conference in 7 quotes.

#1: You’re never too late

“I have been, on several moments in my life, afraid I was too late for being part of disruptive flows. However, we’re again going through a revolutionary phase in technology, so please: feel that excitement today and tomorrow”, Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, co-founder of The Next Web.

#2: Don’t walk out of a talk

“Some advice from a speaker. Don’t walk in and out during a talk; it’s annoying for a speaker. Just don’t. Scroll Twitter for twenty minutes, I don’t care. Just don’t walk in and out a talk”, Pep Rosenfeld, Creative Director at Boom Chicago and host of TNW.

#3: Digital natives

“I’m looking forward to speaking with digital natives at The Next Web. To get feedback from actual digital natives, instead of our main target group (corporate real estate managers, facility managers, and workplace managers) is exciting: they might know more possibilities for our smart office solution”, states Youri Wildeman, business developer at Lone Rooftop.

#4: Innovation in blue

Is this how the Dutch police will fight cybercrime? 

#5: Furthering Africa

“A lot of people in developing countries in Africa cook on an open fire, which is bad for their health and the environment. Therefore, we made an electronic solution, that also provides energy. We combined several innovations, enabling people to actually have an electronic light by night. Funny detail: we export our product from Africa, to Asia!”, Thijs Faber, financial lead at African Clean Energy.

#6: All the founders standing in the line for the…

TNW isn’t handing out free BTC: this is the queue for a Marketing Track in The Dome. Mind you: this is the queue, while the track has actually started.

#7: A real-life walkthrough of my Linkedin-connections

“For us at Silicon Canals, The Next Web Conference is the most important event of the year. We discover the most awesome new startups, but it’s also the moment in the year we get reacquainted with old friends. God, it feels like a real-life walkthrough of my LinkedIn-connections sometimes”, Remco Janssen, founder of Silicon Canals.