Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Istanbul
The Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) is a gathering of startup champions from around the world—where entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers and other thought leaders work together to help bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare.
The GEC brings together thousands of delegates from 170 countries to discuss economic and policy challenges around growing entrepreneurial ecosystems. With live events featuring the latest, best-in-class programming and research, GEC is a unique opportunity to meet fellow practitioners and stay apprised of new ideas, insights and developments. This annual event – hosted by a new entrepreneurial city each spring – is designed so that delegates return home with fresh ideas, tools and connections to leverage in their pursuit of forward-leaning entrepreneurship support efforts.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the next GEC will be host in Istanbul on April 16-19, 2018. Previous GEC city hosts have included: Kansas City (2009), Dubai (2010), Shanghai (2011), Liverpool (2012), Rio de Janeiro (2013), Moscow (2014), Milan (2015), Medellin (2016) and Johannesburg (2017).
This milestone event aims to raise the bar of the congress to position it as the “Davos of Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builders” for the next decade. The congress will feature numerous parallel tracks and networking platforms for sharing and inspiration, learning and exploration and aligning and reflection. Throughout the program, GEC 2018 will focus on three main themes, including:
- Innovation Culture: From the individual to institutions to society
- Zero Barriers: From personal mindsets to systemic discrimination to engrained cultural hurdles
- Exponential Thinking: From incremental to disruptive innovations in how we live, work and interact
Who should attend
The Global Entrepreneurship Congress is open to all members of entrepreneurship ecosystems from everywhere in the world. It is a global sharing, learning and networking vehicle for entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, researchers, corporate executives, entrepreneurship support organizations and other thought leaders who have an interest in building stronger local ecosystems and expanding their global reach.
The official language of the congress will be English. Simultaneous translation services will be available in Turkish and several other languages based upon demand for the plenary sessions only.
GEC 2018 REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Roughly 3,000 people from 170 countries will convene at GEC 2018. There is a registration fee of EUR 99 for non-members of the Global Entrepreneurship Network — this refers to full current membership in existing GEN programs such as Startup Nations, Global Entrepreneurship Research Network, Global Business Angels Network, Global Entrepreneurship Week, etc.
GEN delegates, speakers and sponsors will receive a separate code for registration.
All other interested parties are welcome to attend the Congress on Tuesday-Wednesday, April 17-18, 2018, for a EUR 99 fee to confirm their two-day registration. Confirmed GEC participants are eligible for a 50% discounted ticket rate to attend the GEC 2018 Grand Finale on the evening of Wednesday, April 18th.
Official Link
Deadline: Ongoing
