Vancouver Welcomes 15,000 Attendees for First-Ever Web Summit Tech Conference

More than 15,000 tech professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors from 120 countries are gathering in Vancouver this week for the city’s first-ever Web Summit, one of the world’s largest technology conferences.

Running from May 27 to 30, the event features headline speakers including Bluesky CEO Jay Graber, AI company Cohere co-founder Ivan Zhang, and author and philosopher Cornel West. The conference is packed with panels tackling major issues like the future of artificial intelligence, the next wave of social media, and emerging investment strategies.

“This is a really exciting week to welcome the world and showcase the innovation, technology, and talent we have here,” said Linda Buchanan, Mayor of the City of North Vancouver and chair of the Invest Vancouver Management Board.

For local businesses, the summit represents a major chance to gain international exposure. Brett Henkel, co-founder of Burnaby-based clean tech firm Svante Technologies, said attracting investors and spotlighting manufacturing potential in B.C. is vital. “We want to get people to know that this is a great place to do business and manufacture — especially clean tech.”

Smaller businesses are set to benefit too, Henkel added, noting the event can open the door to fresh partnerships and funding opportunities across the region.

Vancouver’s access to the Asia-Pacific market and its growing network of experienced tech companies make it an attractive destination, according to Gurpreet Kalsi, director at Fujitsu Intelligence. He called the arrival of Web Summit in Vancouver “long overdue,” saying it’s a sign of the city’s readiness to take a more prominent role in global tech.

“The number of international attendees proves the demand,” Kalsi said. “We have the right talent pool and a vibrant start-up ecosystem — I’m very excited.”

Originally founded in Ireland in 2009, Web Summit has since grown into a global event, with its flagship conference in Lisbon drawing over 70,000 participants last year. Vancouver’s debut as a host city marks another milestone in B.C.’s emergence as a rising player in the international tech scene.