Web Summit 2016 is officially underway. The doors opened at 5pm, before CEO and co-founder Paddy Cosgrave took to the stage to welcome attendees to Lisbon at around 6.30pm.
The event took place at the MEO Arena, Lisbon. This is a purpose built music venue, which will host Web Summit's main stage for the next few days.
We've opened the doors to #WebSummit Opening Night. It's going to be big. 🚀🚀🚀 pic.twitter.com/tnvWKn1iL6
— Web Summit (@WebSummit) November 7, 2016
The event was in such high demand that organisers were literally turning people away, even those with full admission tickets. Web Summit organisers were quick to point out, however, that they had place large screens outside the venue to ensure everyone could catch a glimpse. Some 3,000 people were left out in the cold, quite literally.
Web Summit is so packed, they're actually turning people away and have shut the arena doors #websummit #andisontour #womenintech pic.twitter.com/eiNvDGr1AP
— Laura Hanna-White (@laurahannawhite) November 7, 2016
Cosgrave walked on stage and seemed incredibly proud of his production.
"This is completely crazy. I remember our first Web Summit when only 400 people showed up. We have 53,000 people from 166 countries at Web Summit this year."
He then proceeded to take his mobile phone out of his pocket, encouraging everyone in the arena to do the same and share the Facebook Live stream with their friends and family. As he was doing it, he said "Let's see if the Wifi will hold up, it'd be a world first if it does."
It didn't.
Cosgrave quickly put his phone back in his pocket, before welcoming the Prime Minister of Portugal onto the stage.
Update at 20:13 - Web Summit's press office has been in touch to say the issue was a "technical glitch" with Paddy's phone.
