This October, Bucharest is on the verge of transforming into a buzzing hub of innovation, as the How to Web Conference 2024 gears up to welcome over 3,000 attendees from around the world. For two days, October 2-3, the Face Convention Center will be alive with the energy of business leaders, tech experts, and entrepreneurs, all converging to make Bucharest the beating heart of Eastern Europe’s tech community. The event promises a lineup of more than 100 speakers from global giants like Netflix, Google, Stripe, and Bolt, alongside international authors and industry pioneers. It’s the perfect space for learning, growth, and connection—not just for business, but who knows, maybe even for meeting your next life partner.
If the thought of missing out is creeping up on you, there’s still time to grab an Early Bird ticket—today’s the last day!
But what does it actually take to pull off such an event? To discover more and get some juicy confessions on how to organize such a complex event for the 4th time, I interviewed Monica Zara, How to Web Conference’s Head & Partner.
Making It Look Easy When It’s Not
As someone who’s seen Monica in action, you’d think organizing this is a breeze. But once you sit down and ask her what it actually takes, you start wondering if she has some extragalactic forces. Also, as insider information, I know that Monica knows exactly, at any point, how many days there are left until the event.
To paint a picture of where organizing How to Web Conference starts and ends, I asked Monica to describe the process.
“We always start by gathering feedback from participants, partners, speakers, and the team,” she explained. “There’s a debrief day right after the conference, inspired by how SEAL teams review their missions. We focus on two or three major improvements each year, and this time, we’ve added engineering as a new topic while also revamping our internal infrastructure.”
I learned that setting the date, securing the venue, and locking in partners are critical first steps. “The budget is a major challenge,” Monica admitted. “We start with nothing and build as we go, relying heavily on partnerships and ticket sales.” She goes on with the challenges, confessing, “One thing that I’ve never understood is why people prefer buying the tickets so close to the event. The anxiety of not knowing if people will get their tickets and show up at the event is nerve-wracking.”
Speakers That Are Worth Listening To
As for selecting speakers, Monica shared that their focus is on deep experience and expertise across six key topics: product & UX, engineering, marketing & sales, team development, investment, and startups. “AI is a hot topic this year, but we’re also covering areas like defense and industrial tech. Our keynote speakers are thought leaders who condense decades of experience into a powerful 40-minute session, providing real-world strategies that attendees can apply immediately.”
The Connection is Real
As someone who’s connected to the ecosystem and is often at national and international events, Monica is picking ideas and then bringing them into How to Web. “We’ve seen how important space design is for fostering interaction. From where we place the food corners to creating dedicated networking spaces, we rethink everything each year to facilitate the best experience for attendees.”
As technology plays a big role not only for their attendees but also for them as a business, Monica shared they’ll be launching a personalized networking app to help attendees connect even before the event kicks off.
The Power of the Aftermath
I know Monica as one of the most passionate and dedicated to her job. I also saw her face lighting up when, at an event, someone told her how they met a key person at last year’s edition.
So I dug deeper and wanted to hear what she found as the most rewarding aspect of organizing How to Web. Just as expected, Monica told me. “The aftermath is always the most rewarding. Months, even years later, people tell us about the business opportunities or the inspiring people they met. Knowing that we helped make those connections is what keeps us going.”
This year’s edition will be very interesting, as I could sense from the conversation. Monica is enthusiastic about the quality of the speakers they managed to confirm. “We have 100+ speakers, including global authors like April Dunford and brand representatives like Fonz Morris from Netflix. I can’t wait to see the exchange of ideas and opportunities that will come from bringing these brilliant minds together in Bucharest.”
With excitement building and the city set to become a tech hotspot, it’s clear that How to Web Conference 2024 will be an event not to miss. By the way, today is their last day for Early Bird tickets, so if I were you, I wouldn’t overlook this.
