Web Summit draws startups and tech titans to Vancouver for the second year

One of the world’s biggest tech conferences returned to Vancouver and even more attendees are coming to help shape the future.

Government representatives from dozens of countries, staffers from hundreds of companies, and 20,000 attendees from more than 100 countries have taken over Vancouver’s convention centre for Web Summit.

British Columbia’s provincial government poached the massive tech conference from Toronto last year with a $6.6 million commitment over three years. All levels of government kicked off the event Monday, doing their utmost to convince well-heeled investors and startups alike to do business in this province.

Considering attendance is up 30 per cent year over year, the charm offensive seems to be working.

“It’s difficult for international conferences right now (since) airfares have doubled and tripled on some routes, but there are more people here than ever before,” said event CEO, Paddy Cosgrave in a one-on-one interview with CTV News.

Vancouver’s mayor claimed that in the past 5 years more than $30 billion has been invested in tech companies in the region and he’s eager to continue that momentum.

“Web Summit isn’t just a conference, it’s a catalyst,” Ken Sim told audience members at the kick-off event.

There are more than 20,000 attendees with media from around the world also converging on the event—where the focus is on artificial intelligence products, design, and discussion.

“I think a lot of people have been fixated on,’ Wow, look what AI can do’ but the bigger question is, ‘Which AI are we all going to rely on in the future?’” said Cosgrave. “Will it be free Chinese open-source models, or will it be pay-to-play American closed-source models?”

Canada’s first federal artificial intelligence minister is in Vancouver for the conference and has been focussed on digital sovereignty for companies and citizens alike to feel more confident about the technology.

“It doesn’t mean we’re building a digital moat, it doesn’t mean that you won’t have access to great technologies from around the world,” said Evan Solomon. “Sovereignty does not mean solitude, it means that we have options so we don’t have to rely on other countries for everything (and) we have control.”

The provincial government considers the $2 million a year it shelled out over the three-year term to poach the event from Toronto, where it was called the Collision conference, money well spent.

“Right now, we are in that unique place where there’s a shift in the world and more and more companies, I believe, are looking for jurisdictions where their people want to live, where they’ll be valued because they’re coming from all over the world,” said Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s jobs and economic development minister.

He pointed out that from clean energy to biotech, the province has been a hotbed of innovation and development and policymakers have worked hard to make British Columbia an attractive place to do business.

“We need other companies to bring capital and invest here because we have the talent pool that they need, but I would love to see our companies partnering with companies, from other parts of the world and setting up shop (here),” he said. “I think that two-way movement of talent and knowledge not only makes both jurisdictions better, but it actually amplifies the talent that we have here.”