Some events you expect to go beyond imagination. In search of inspiration and with admittedly big expectations I entered the venue of The Next Web Europe's tenth edition in Amsterdam: home to startups the likes of Peerby, Booking.com and WeTransfer. All prime examples of how the digital economy is disrupting the market place. Hence, I hoped to find the vibe of the disruptive … [Read more...]
Why Data Is The Backbone of Barcelona’s Smartcity Future
Despite the lingering economic crisis in Spain, Barcelona - a relatively small city with an urban population of 1.6 million - seems to be prospering in its golden age that arrived in the 1990s. Barcelona is currently #11 on the list of most visited cities in the world. It's considered among the top 10 places in the world to do business, sits 11th for global scientific … [Read more...]
Barcelona Tech & Startup Events and Conferences Guide For Summer 2015
Spring has sprung and summer is close behind. Barcelona entrepreneurs have about 12 weeks to hustle and close deals before Spain grinds to a halt for summer holidays. However, in between now and August, there are a few dozen opportunities to meet and mingle with key players in your respective industry. Tech and startup events have become so popular over the last decade because, … [Read more...]
10 Amazing Examples Of Personal Branding In Barcelona
The term "branding" has traditionally been associated with companies - large corporations that have expensive ad agencies and consultants hard at work polishing their image and positioning their brand in the marketplace. However, an interesting by-product came about with the rise of the social media revolution: the personal brand. Don't get me wrong, personal branding has been … [Read more...]
Barcelona Mini Maker Faire 2015 – Call For Makers!
//CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS// The 2015 Barcelona Mini Maker Faire enters its 3rd amazing year. This time around the Faire will be bigger, better and brighter than ever: a new team lead by Fab Lab Barcelona and Made Barcelona, more makers from Barcelona, Spain and all over the world, and a brand-new location right in the heart of Barcelona: Plaza de las Glories Would you like … [Read more...]
Lessons From Launching Startup Dodgeball Across Europe
I remember vividly that the excitement was always at its highest whenever Völkerball was on the sports curriculum in primary school. “I loved the game in school so much that I felt disappointed whenever the game was over”. Then years later in San Francisco around September 2006 the excitement built up quickly again when I had a chance to play dodgeball, the American version of … [Read more...]
Before The Digital Economy Comes The Digital Company
By 2016, almost half of the world’s population is expected to be connected to the Internet. That’s over 3 billion people. This is the phenomenon that is fuelling the ‘Digital Economy’. This new digital economy is recognised by governments and by the European Commission as a powerhouse for innovation, competitiveness and growth, holding tremendous potential for entrepreneurs … [Read more...]
Barcelona’s Quest to Become The Smartest City of Them All
Barcelona has been named the Smartest City in the world for 2015, according to a February publication by the research house, Juniper Research. The list ranks cities across a combination of “smart” capabilities, emphasizing those with smart grids, smart traffic, smart lighting, and also other aspects as social cohesion and technological capabilities. Smart City Barcelona came … [Read more...]
5 Ways To Reduce Your Employee Churn
How much of your precious time and money do you spend looking for new employees? Does your employee churn resemble something like that of Mass Mutual Life Insurance, viz. awful? Turning your employees over as rapidly as Amazon isn’t favorable to your bottom line, with experts estimating that it can cost up to as much as twice an employee’s salary to contract and train up a … [Read more...]
Why Corporate Venturing Is Key To Fortune 500 Survival
Creating a promising internal venture capital fund is increasingly seen by large corporations as a way to stimulate innovation and growth. While the track record of corporate VC funds has been rocky at best, in 2015, it's almost certainly a necessary initiative for the survival of Fortune 500 organizations. In order to avoid being disrupted, corporations realize they need to be … [Read more...]