VivaTech 2024 buzzed with innovations and the energy of a global tech community. One of the most famous European Startup & Tech Events had 165 000 attendees and 400 speakers, including Elon Musk, Bernard Arnault, Clara Shih, Linda Yaccarino, Dr. Werner Vogels, and many other tech leaders, and 13 500 represented startups this year. The event offered a treasure trove of learning experiences, from the pre-conference preparations to the insightful conversations with speakers and potential partners. Here’s a look back at VivaTech 2024 through Kitrum’s lenses.
Preparations for the conference
Our most crucial preparation task was to determine essential goals at the conference. The team’s main tasks at the event were:
- connect with potential clients and partners;
- divide roles for each team member;
- train to communicate a lot;
- practice pitching (since there were team members who were at such a large-scale event for the first time).
- communicate with media
- create remarkable content from the conference (videos, photos, posts).
This clarification helped us not only prioritize interactions and maximize our helpful time at the event but also properly set up the team. So, there were 6 people from Kitrum, including Kitrum CEO Vlad Kytainyk and me, Kitrum Head of Marketing Lilia Kravets.
Delving into the VivaTech website’s themes and speaker profiles allowed us to identify relevant sessions and side events. Also, the Kitrum outreach team sent emails on LinkedIn and the VivaTech app before the event to create a personalized schedule for each participant from the Kitrum side in advance. In total, during VivaTech 2024, we had 71 business meetings for 4 conference days.
Tip #1: Make a deep research into the conference audience and segment it. Segments can include early-stage startups, growing companies, mature enterprises, investors, etc. It is a great idea to research locations and domains that will be represented at the conference.
Our marketing department prepared materials like the Kitrum overview, case studies, and rate cards. We also created NFC business cards for quicker contact exchange. But here’s a tip #2: make extra copies because you can easily lose yours in the rush, as our CEO did.
One notable trend we observed at VivaTech 2024 was the emphasis on sustainability — no business cards, no plastic goodies, just meaningful conversations. Participants embraced this eco-friendly approach, sometimes offering something reusable and valuable, such as cups and bottles, or simply sharing QR codes on their e-materials.
Tip #3: People do not want to care much about paper materials in their bags for 4 days, so paper advertising is slowly dying.
Tech trends and industry insights from VivaTech 2024
40% of everything at Vivatech was about AI. Sessions delved into topics like AI advancements, the metaverse, and the next generation of blockchain applications, providing valuable insights into the future of technology. Salesforce even organized an entire AI avenue at VivaTech 2024.
We were also surprised by the rise of AI in the beauty industry. Now, almost every beauty company creates AI assistants for its products. Usually, they help determine skin and hair states or types and answer users’s questions using personalized data. This trend is also blossoming in the wellness domain. So, customized and personalized AI became the show’s star, which is expected by many.
A few thousand startups and hundreds of corporations were also talking about how to save the world. Climate tech is the most essential thing in the world this year and in the future. The event was buzzing with cleantech startups working to decarbonize: electric vehicles from Porsche, Tesla’s Cybertruck, Stellantis’s concept car, BYD’s integrated solutions, and Lightyear’s solar-roofed car. The automotive industry is fully integrated into the VivaTech ecosystem, reimagining transportation and leveraging deep tech to transform how we move. Yet, Elon Musk’s speech wasn’t so optimistic about saving the planet:
“We will have the first people on the Moon within 5 years, on Mars within 7-8 years. It’s essential for long-term survival consciousness because eventually something will happen on the Earth, and we have to be ready,”— Elon Musk at VivaTech 2024.
Besides ecology, VivaTech promoted a more inclusive and diverse tech industry by addressing specific challenges. The world is not homogeneous. Humanity needs more customized and varied solutions. Robotics, the future of retail and consumer experiences, AI that helps blind people see, and personal helicopters are mixed with questions about copyrights, ethics, sustainability, and what it all will mean for the future.
Interesting fact: The number of startups increased visually and began to look like the new startup boom. We are still deciding whether to keep the old-school startup culture because today, a person can create a startup for 8 dollars just by buying a domain.
Our team received many insights from cultural communication and the development of IT markets in different countries and regions. For your interest, Japan is the country of the year at VivaTech 2024. They represented great solutions in robotics. Their companies used QR codes, custom emoji packs, robotics shows, and demonstrations to promote their stands. China appeared among the TOP players in AI and digital niches. So, the entire Asian region is gaining an IT market, and it won’t stop. Also, the fantastic stand was from Dubai, which is actively developing in tech. Africa has been also recognized for their tech achievements.
When mentioning the USA, our team made the point that the recession in the US is over, and people are willing and ready to start spending more on services, including tech and marketing. This country has lost its position as the leader of innovations, and it now appears more like a polygon to take and test other people’s tech than to generate new ideas. But of course, it can be changed at any moment.
We were happy to meet Ukrainian projects as DTEK representatives and the Head of RnD at SoftServe with his team. Developers from our country of origin keep exploring new niches, researching foreign markets, and developing in various domains, from health protection to products for the government and defense of the country.
A great bonus at VivaTech is hearing from leading figures in the tech world who provide invaluable guidance on navigating the evolving landscape and staying ahead of the curve. Our teammates attended speeches of The Williams Sisters, Serena and Venus, about their Shares crypto and stock investment platform; Clara Shih, CEO from Salesforce AI, who was named one of Fortune’s “Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs,” TIME “Most Influential People in AI”; “AI for Good” by Dr. Werner Vogels, the Chief Technology Officer at Amazon, driving customer-focused tech, especially in cloud computing, and speeches of many other IT stars.
Fun fact: Our Kitrum CEO Vlad Kitainyk met the Amazon CTO twice over the last 2 weeks.Yeah, at VivaTech you can shake a hand to Werner Vogels while talking to startupers with glowing eyes.
Insights with projects we have met
At VivaTech 2024, our team and I met many exciting projects. Engaging in discussions with them helped us understand their present challenges and future aspirations, creating collaborative solutions. Here, I will mention only a few of the new promising contacts.
Companies impressed me the most
I was impressed by L’Oréal group’s beauty tech innovation power. For example, the skin technology platform with 3D reconstructed skin models can tan, heal, and print. L’Oréal group uses it for safety and performance testing. Their new AirLight Pro innovation combines infrared light for fast hair drying with no damage and energy savings. Also, they developed My HairReader, the first color advisor powered by artificial intelligence, and the AI App with complete guidance about recommending the user’s beauty routine with a personalized experience.
In addition to the market mastodons as L’Oréal group, we met a lot of cool startups. I’d like to highligh the following:
- Agron Sustain, a startup that specializes in cleantech and focuses on sustainable agricultural solutions.
- Droople, another cleantech startup that focuses on intelligent water monitoring systems.
- AVAtronics, a true pioneer in robotics, is revolutionizing the field with its advanced AI applications.
- Beekee, working in ICT, provides educational technology solutions.
- Zoundream is a digital health company utilizing AI to understand infant cries.
- Airbus Defence and Space, that promotes the possibility of using stem cells to grow organs, which is becoming a reality soon.
- Dopavision, a startup that uses a video game to solve myopia in children by stimulating a protein in their eyes that regulates eye development.
- NEOLISTO Care, a heartwarming discovery, uses smart textiles for remote monitoring to bridge the gap between parents and their premature and hospitalized newborns.
Companies that optimize our workflow
Kitrum’s team actively engaged with other developing projects, including those we already use. Notably, our CEO Vlad Kitainyk, a user of Airalo for travel and roaming, had a productive discussion with Borja Ruiz, Head of Partnership from Spain. Their conversation delved into the future of AI implementation, exploring its necessity and the potential for projects to thrive without it. Also, Vlad met Nathan Hsu, a co-founder and CEO of Plaud AI. Our team also commonly uses this mobile phone recorder with an Artificial Intelligence feature.
Besides, a few Kitrum members lost their NFC business cards, but luckily, the VKard company saved us. Vlad met their team and thanked them for such a helpful product for C-level executives and other representatives.
We were also impressed to find a great alternative to one product we use daily, reMarkable devices. Kitrum CEO connected with Richard Huang, Managing Director and Board Member at SuperNote. This company unites Japan, China, and U.S. They created an E-ink device to write like on paper but with broader functionality than in reMarkable tablets. After warmly conversation, Vlad got an invitation to visit Tokyo, which manifests genuine oriental hospitality.
Our team also actively uses Fireflies, founded by Krish Ramineni, to record essential brainstorming sessions. It was remarkable to find an excellent alternative! — AI-powered Postpace.io that optimizes internal workflow with video. This product combines Loom, Fireflies, and Google Calendar in one app. We communicated with their CEO, Saman Kazempour. He said this is a new project at the development stage of integration with numerous existing platforms. Their first famous product, a solution for creators, such as videos and animation, has been around for 14 years, and this platform uses Taylor Swift, Netflix, and even Disney. So, we can only imagine the future success of fresh Postpace.io.
Marketing and advertising services
As a Head of Marketing at Kitrum, I was happy to discover great marketing-oriented projects. First, I met Daniel Fokas, CEO and Founder of WHITE AD and PURPLE. This Greek company provides advertising, marketing, communication, and event organization services. We discussed a possible collaboration, and I got a present — a wine rack. It’s a great gift when you are on a business trip in France and living in Spain.
Another source of inspiration was David Wiestner, CEO of Comdaily, who introduced me to their innovative product, customized AI mailing at the MVP stage. This service, which can segment audiences, copy communication styles, provide advice, and automate processes in mail senders, has the potential to revolutionize marketing strategies.
Robotics projects
Robotics created a boom at VivaTech 2024. Other team members, our CEO, and I met numerous valuable robotics companies, such as United Robotics Group, which creates robots for different use cases, such as monitoring, serving food, etc. They have many centers in Spain and France and own R&D. We talked about how Kitrum can be helpful for their projects.
Our discussions also led us to Zoubir Ameur, the Chief Technology Officer at Icosium Robotics. Icosium’s groundbreaking work in bringing events and venues to life with AI and robotics is genuinely inspiring.
Another standout was the unique project by Devanthro, a German company. Their innovative robots allow users to translate their facial expressions remotely, allowing for more effective communication. With its potential application in nursing homes to alleviate the loneliness of retired individuals, this solution is Devanthro’s commitment to social impact.
And here is one more touching robotic experience — a Japanese startup, OryLab. It creats robots connected to the minds and limbs of people with knowledge of disability. This solution also helps to eliminate the loneliness and isolation of people.
Services that can help Ukraine and not only
Kitrum is a Ukrainian-American company. So, we paid attention to some services that can be helpful in dark times for Ukraine. For example, we were impressed by Olvid, a secure messaging app positioned as a more secure than WhatsApp, Telegram, and even Signal. It uses servers only for message exchanging, but all info about contacts and history is stored on the user’s devices. Olvid doesn’t have any information about users during registration and further. Users found themselves through private links. Olvid can be an excellent choice for the Ukrainian government and military.
Another hot topic for Ukraine now is prostheses for limbs. Revival Bionics is a company that can help Ukrainians who have lost their limbs because of war. They make modern, high-tech prosthetic limbs. Kitrum’s CEO, Vlad warmly communicated with Guillaume Baniel, CEO of Revival Bionics. Such projects give strong hope to people who have disabilities. All the personal connections forged at VivaTech laid a strong foundation for lasting partnerships and future projects.
Media Landscape
Viva Technology 2024 gave extensive media coverage, with over 2,000 journalists. Prominent media partners included AFP, BBC, CNN, Euronews, Financial Times, Forbes, Le Monde, Reuters, TechCrunch, and Wired. I enjoyed talking with top journalists from French Forbes, BBC, and others. For conference newcomers, I suggest having a good media kit that is added to the website and taken to journalists’ work. Engaging with the media allowed Kitrum team members to showcase our company’s innovations and position ourselves as leaders in our primary domains. Discussions with journalists provided valuable feedback on current media trends and how to tailor our communications strategy in the future.
Main lessons learned from VivaTech 2024
It’s important for the constant growth of the IT industry to attend VivaTech. By watching how other companies present their ideas and interact with attendees, we learned valuable insights into effective presentations and communication strategies. Here are some key points from VivaTech 2024 that should be implemented.
- Think big. As the speakers at the conference said, believing in billion-dollar possibilities can fuel success.
- Aim high, but be practical. Have a clear path towards significant growth, even if it’s not a trillion dollars.
- Targeted research. Researching potential partners before meetings can benefit your lead results.
- Serendipity matters. Be open to unexpected connections at conferences. This can lead to valuable opportunities you didn’t anticipate.
- Lead with value, then numbers. Highlight the benefits you offer to spark interest before diving into details or arranging the one-on-one meeting.
- Respect & active listening. Build relationships by showing sincere respect and genuine interest in others; don’t hesitate to small talk and ask questions before pitching.
- Localize your outreach. Tailor your communication to specific regions. Use local languages when possible (e.g., consider Japanese/Chinese headers for Asian markets).
- Captivate your audience. Businesses must be as engaging as a Netflix show in terms of capturing attention and time.
- Focus on skills, not competition. Collaboration is key. Learn from others’ experiences to enhance your team’s productivity.
- Innovation is commonplace. Stand out by offering solutions and expertise, not just new ideas.
- Nurture all contacts. Every interaction matters. Add all contacts to your CRM, regardless of perceived importance. Mark them with proper tags and add the context of getting them.
- Data-driven conferences. Track results! Future conferences should be justified by audience analysis and outreach plans based on lessons learned from previous ones.
- Bonus tip for true nerds: You can create an AI analyzer of text, posters, and pictures to gather contacts, websites, naming, and QRs from advertising stands and handouts. The Kitrum team can do this for you if you need help.
