Essential tech for real estate: Web Summit

September 2015

Web Summit has been called “the best technology conference on the planet” and it takes place in Dublin from the 2-5th of November.

And you should go. Why? For two reasons. First, they have grown from 400 to 22,000 attendees in just four years. And if you go you’ll see why; they throw technology at ‘engineering serendipity’. Which means they try and ensure that the events you attend (in and outside the conference) allow you to meet the people who are most likely to be ‘right’ for you. Google this to find out how they do it.

Secondly, property people are great at networking, but normally only with people just like themselves. We live in Eli Pariser’s ‘Filter Bubble’. At Web summit you would be exposed to a parallel world, where everything changes in just the time it takes to conceive and complete a decent sized property development. The cream of this archetypal ‘smart and lazy’ industry will be there and you’ll get a feel for why ‘retail is dead’, ‘the office is dead’, and ‘the end of self driving cars’ might not be such fanciful notions.

Web summit is where the true believers in ‘software is eating the world’ get together. And what they are doing will change the requirements across every property class. What happens there in November might not affect you immediately but I guarantee any notions you may have about ‘business as usual’ will be severely challenged.

And of course you can follow the Google dress code; ‘you must wear something’. No need to pack that suit.

Antony

Originally printed in Estates Gazette 12th September 2015