Slush week is here, and tomorrow there will be snow, eventually turning into Slush…
The main venue will be dark and loud, and so will be the Helsinki City. As Peter Vesterbacka put it in the Slush earlydays: “It’s cold and dark outside, and the coolest developers are inside”.
Again the Slush week events and venues are multiple, spreading all over Helsinki. But as it is still cold and dark, the best and coolest people are inside, in multiple events, as there are the Slush official side events, and the Slush organised side events and the partner side events and then the huge category of “Slush Community Events”.
So, onto the side events and some hints & tips by the Slush usual suspects and true pros.
There are multiple ways to find these side events, and for the Slush badge holders the easiest is the Slush platform https://platform.slush.org/slush24/side-events. Since Slush is again sold out, and not everyone has the badge, there are other sources for side event information; perhaps still the biggest one being Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.fi/d/finland–helsinki/slush-side-event/
Pro-tip for non badgeholders, the hotel lobby is a great place to meet Slush goers with or without the badge, as well as the “Siipi” area, right at the HolidayInn. No Slush badge required, as these events are at the main venue, at “Siipi” area, right at the HolidayInn hotel.
Laura Avonius: Singer, songwriter, performer and an entrepreneur at Audicin: 1: Pirates of impact 2: New Nordic Healthtech matchmaking 3: Convening Global North and Global South Women Entrepreneurs to Celebrate Women Entrepreneurship Day
Aki Snellman: Aki, the mobile man, and nowadays also forest man from KOKO Forest: 1: Borderland Security Eastern Finland 2: Supercharging Green Business 3: Slush 2024: The new business from remote sensing 21.11.
Kirsi Ekberg: Dreamer and doers, and AI developer at ViLiKe (who has a bit different Slush this year, congrats MamaKirsi: 1: Early stage entrepreneurship for new born babies 2: AI & diapers workshop 3: Art of re-birth for aspiring startup founders. All remotely straight from fresh baby bubble 24/7
Hartti Suomela: The surfer-runner from the Valley, helping Nordic companies to succeed in U.S. 1: Muso(to)pia 2: Parallel launch party 3: Morning runs
Vitaly Stockman: The startup evangelist with a hat, and some great stories about future of work(place) at Desk.me: 1: Japan x Finland Day2: Explore Tokyo -The Ultimate Future Ground for Entrepreneurs 2: Tokyo Pitch Night in Helsinki 3: Slush Founders Day 19.11. (hint from Vitaly: The Japan events will have some great people present, like Antti Sonninen, who is based in Tokyo, and can help guide you in tapping into Japan, a market of very high potential, eager to cooperate with international startups.
Me: Yey, apart from being a journalist, I am an entrepreneur by heart and within the last move(s) totally hyped about the Slush and especially of the side events: 1: Slush Day 1 Karaoke Chaos by Singa 20.11. (and Musictech first!) // 2: Alice’s Wonderland Immersive Museum Art meets Tech at our (ShopperScreen) showroom & office, with the launch of PromotionBike on 20.11. 3: Music Tech Meetup & After Party @ Musopia on 21.11
There. Quite variation in the events by few pros (and myself:). Note, some of these might be sold out, or require additional invitations, sorry. In any case, Enjoy!
So, welcome to the North! – Remember (Slush 2016 poster) – “Nobody in their right mind would come to Helsinki in November”. And this year many are staying until December huh. ENJOY Slush 2024!!