Translated from 日本語 • View original Thank you for responding to the three secrets of "a trip to touch the world" that is not scary even if it is a single woman the other day!
This time, it is an event report that I announced.
TOA in 45 seconds
July 13 (Wed) - 15 (Fri), 2016 I participated in Tech Open Air 2016 held in Berlin, Germany!
I made a short movie, so let's take a look at the atmosphere here.
What is Tech Open Air?
This event is also called "the coolest Tech conference in Europe". http://toa.berlin/
It will be held in Berlin, Germany, which is a leading European startup.
As you can see in the official Overview, this conference is relatively new, starting in 2012, but it is expanding rapidly every year.
Quoted from: http://toa.berlin/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TOA16_overview_X.compressed.pdf
I saw almost no Japanese people, although not zero.
The two people who work at Goodpatch's Berlin office that I met there are also Germans.
What is the Participation Fee?
I bought it in March at the earliest Early Bird, so it cost €237 (tax and fees included). It's quite cheap for this kind of conference.
In the end, it will cost you more than €450, so it is recommended to buy it early.
With Early Bird, I also got a food ticket worth €10 and was able to pay for lunch.
Where is the venue?
It seems to vary depending on the year, but this year it was Funkhaus Berlin.
It seems that it was a broadcasting station in East Germany between 1956~1990, and the hall has a classical atmosphere.
There are four venues in the building and two in the courtyard.
Wander around inside and outside while checking the schedule on the official app.
Except for the satellite, it is very easy to go back and forth within one venue.
As the name "Open Air" suggests, the outside is open and looks like an outdoor festival!
If SXSW is the FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL in the tech industry, TOA is like Natural High Camp. (If you like festivals, you'll know!) ）
Actually, the weather was bad this time, and I took the outdoor photos in a short sunny time.
I wanted to drink beer by the river, but I gave up because it was cold.
What kind of program?
It consists of a main event and a satellite event for three days.
DAY1-2 Morning-Evening: Main Venue Evening: Satellite Event
DAY3 Full Day: Satellite Event
Home
Famous speakers from Facebook, Airbnb, Kichstarter, etc. are participating.
Business, Design, UX, AI, VR...
Rather than tech-driven how-to or information disclosure, I have the impression that there are many topics that attract upstream thinking and sympathy for startup businesses.
Each session was short at 15 to 30 minutes, so I rarely left halfway through, and I was able to go around each session without getting bored or tired.
I hardly saw anyone taking notes their PCs, etc., and it was very comfortable to feel that they were concentrating on the speaker's talk.
Even the largest room with keynote lectures is about the size of a movie theater.
When I took a seat in the foreground, it was as if I was listening to TED live!
Satellites
This event is held at the offices, restaurants, and cafes of startups based in Berlin.
- Make
- Learn
- Network
- Other
It was divided into four categories, and I went to the experience of designing and producing 3D prints, as well as networking parties on EyeEm and KAYAK.
You can participate in satellite events from Eventbrite even if you don't buy an official ticket, but they will quickly become full.
If you buy an official ticket, you will receive a special ID and can book satellite events in a separate frame.
I was able to book a popular event even at the last minute.
My Opinion
It will be compared to SXSW (Interactive) that I wrote about before, but TOA is very homely.
Rather than carefully gathering information in advance and participating in it with a lot of enthusiasm, it is the perfect event to come and look for interesting topics and communities.
At the booth, you can always get beer or Red Bull for just a tip, so you can drink in the morning, bask in the sun, or chat.
I liked the laid-back feeling of Berlin, a free and slightly chaotic city.
I went there as a hobby, not on a business trip, so I think I was able to enjoy it without trying too hard.
Brexit is said to have moved more than 100 startups to Berlin.
There is still little information in Japan, but it may become an even bigger event in a few years, so keep an eye out for it now!
Thank you for reading to the end. Next time, I will write about a visit to the office of a startup company.