Your startup at a giant event: how to leave with conversations and a story to tell, not just a full gallery

Originally published on NewHack, on November 9, 2026.

On the first night of Web Summit Lisboa, networking was already in full swing. At Night Summit, the event's evening program, founders, investors, and people from the ecosystem shared the same space.

Two dynamics caught my attention. The first was an oracle, a game people played together at the table that became a reason to strike up a conversation.

The second is an official part of the program, Speed Networking. These are 30-minute sessions where you switch partners several times. The sessions don't require reservations, and spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The official Speed Networking guidance suggests arriving 10 minutes early, because spots fill up fast.

Both show the same thing: the event is designed for you to connect from the very first night. But the structure only opens the door. What you do with those few minutes depends on how you show up.

At an event this size, it's easy to go home with a full phone gallery and little to tell. I'm covering the event by photographing, filming, and editing, and looking at everything through the camera has taught me a lot about what stays and what disappears afterward. That's what I want to share here with anyone building a startup who's going to any event in the ecosystem.

Before: know what story you want to bring back

Whoever films an event doesn't just record everything. Before turning on the camera, you decide what story you want to tell. It's the same with your startup.

Before going, answer this: if someone from your team or a customer asks "so, how was it?", what do you want to have to show for it? It could be a conversation with a specific type of founder, a demo from a competitor out there, a real reaction to your product.

And keep something on your phone that shows your startup working in a few seconds: a screen, a short video, a number. On a noisy floor, showing convinces faster than explaining.

During: tell your startup's story in 10 seconds

At a happy hour like the ones at Night Summit, conversation starts and ends quickly. You have a few seconds before the other person decides whether to stay or move on.

Three things that help you fit it into 10 seconds:

• Start with the scene, not the company. "You know when a restaurant loses an order during the rush?" hooks more than "we're a management platform."
• One sentence, one idea. If you need an "and also," cut it.
• End by opening space. A question for the other side turns the conversation into an exchange, not a presentation.

And at a happy hour, intention also means knowing how to move around. Small circles open up more easily than large groups, and politely stepping out of a conversation is part of the game. No one expects you to stay in the same spot all night.

The filmmaker's eye: what becomes real content

I've been moving through the event with a camera in hand, on the floor, at the booths, and in the outdoor area. And there's a big difference between what makes a pretty photo and what makes content someone actually wants to see.

The photo that struck me most so far was Terron hosting PITCH, with a full audience. At an event where everything is competing for your attention at once, having people stop to watch founders present says a lot. The photo doesn't just show a stage, it shows retention.

What usually becomes content:

• People explaining what they build. Someone talking about their own product with clarity is worth more than ten booth shots.
• Behind the scenes. The setup, the line, the conversation before the pitch. It shows there are real people behind it.
• Attention. An audience looking at the same spot, someone reacting to a demo. It's proof that it matters.

And not everything needs to go live. A conversation with a customer, a meeting with a partner, a relationship-building moment often doesn't become a post, but it matters a lot for the company. Knowing what to record and what to simply live through is also part of it.

That's why, when a founder asks me for tips on documenting their startup at an event, I start with a question: what do you want to communicate about your company? The answer decides what's worth recording.

After: publish while it's still fresh

The event ends and routine swallows everything up fast. Content you don't publish in the first week rarely comes out later.

• Choose just one story. Don't try to sum up the whole event. One conversation, one lesson, or one well-told scene is worth more than an album.
• Tell what changed for you. "I saw a startup doing X and it changed how I think about Y" sparks more conversation than "I was at Web Summit."
• Tag who was part of it. People who appear in your story tend to share it, and that reopens the conversation that started at the event.

It applies to any event

Web Summit is huge, but the logic works for any event in the ecosystem: know what story you want to bring, tell your startup's story in a few seconds, capture what becomes real content, and publish while it's still fresh.

At NewHack, we believe early-stage founders grow when they learn from those who have already built something and connect with other founders. Events are one of the best ways to do that, as long as you leave with more than a full gallery.

Follow NewHack's official coverage of Web Summit Lisboa on Instagram, LinkedIn, NewHack's blog, and Portal iMasters.