After two years, the WMF, the largest Digital Innovation Festival, will return in person on July 15, 16, and 17, 2021. Following over 21,000 attendees at the 2019 edition and 24,000 online participants across its two hybrid events last year, the Festival will once again welcome a portion of its audience to the Palacongressi in Rimini for its 9th edition.
With the new July dates announced – rescheduled in compliance with the latest institutional guidelines – the WMF is preparing to return with a three-day event dedicated to the world of digital and social innovation. This will be explored comprehensively through professional training, featuring an extensive program and over 55 thematic rooms, alongside more than 100 events focusing on current affairs, culture, entertainment, business, and the future. The festival will address and investigate key technological advancements and their societal potential.
To ensure broad and widespread participation, in addition to the seats reserved in Rimini, the WMF will maintain a hybrid format and the option to follow the entire agenda online through the functionalities of the ibrida.io platform, previously used for the two editions held in 2020.
The opening concert of the Festival, featuring the sounds of Roy Paci, has already been revealed. This will be the first of three live concerts to be held on the Mainstage of WMF2021 over the three days. All contests, talks, and events scheduled on the Mainstage will also be broadcast live streaming on the Festival’s digital channels. These include the final of Italy’s largest Startup Competition and the WMF Awards ceremony, which recognizes individuals and organizations that have distinguished themselves in the national and international innovation and web marketing landscape. Additionally, the “ National Award for Big Data and AI Research” will be presented by WMF and the IFAB Foundation to a young researcher who has presented a particularly significant research and development project in the field of big data and artificial intelligence.
The main stage, which hosted current Ministers Enrico Giovannini and Patrizio Bianchi last November, will feature a strong institutional presence through testimonials from Florence Mayor Dario Nardella, Fondazione Rondine President Franco Vaccari , and many other guests to be announced soon.
The event will also host numerous voices from the scientific and academic world, including Pierre Philippe Mathieau from ESA (European Space Agency), Anna Grassellino (FermiLab), Luciano Floridi (psychologist at Oxford and Alma Mater Studiorum), and inventor and physicist Federico Faggin. Figures from the entertainment world like actor Alessandro Borghi – who will co-host the first day – and the web, such as The Jackal, complete a rich lineup of guests that will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
Expo Area, Training, eSports, and Drones
The meetings and stands of the Expo Area of the Web Marketing Festival will return live. In previous editions, this area hosted major tech companies and facilitated networking opportunities among attendees and over 500 sponsors, partners, and exhibitors. This July, the Ministry of Culture will also be present. Within its exhibition space, curated by the Digital Library – Central Institute for the Digitization of Cultural Heritage – it will showcase innovative experiences from Italian state museums and cultural heritage sites.
All WMF2021 stands will also be accessible online via the ibrida.io platform for an integrated experience.
Further opportunities for business and networking can be found in the Maker&Tech District and the Startup District, two dedicated zones featuring over 130 startups, companies, and innovative projects.
Among the significant novelties of this ninth edition are the various exhibition areas that the WMF will dedicate to drones, technological prototypes, innovative research projects, book presentations, and eSports, with gaming stations created in collaboration with Tech Princess.
The quality and breadth of professional training remain paramount. WMF2021 will feature interventions from over 600 speakers and more than 55 vertical rooms addressing current themes and trends such as Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, 5G, Robotics, IoT, Circular Economy, Social Media, Open Innovation, Blockchain, Automotive, Aerospace, Cyberbullying, Sustainability, eSports, Advertising Communication, Entrepreneurship, Debunking, and many more.
New thematic areas for WMF2021 include a room dedicated to the digitalization of Public Administration and the SDG Room, focusing on themes related to the objectives of the 2030 Agenda.
Additionally, institutional working groups will analyze and discuss the main directives proposed by the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan). An hackathon in collaboration with ESA will focus on climate change monitoring, and another, in partnership with the European Parliament, will address the “Together for Europe” project, fostering democratic dialogue on the EU’s central role in present and future collective challenges.
Significant attention will also be given to the world of entertainment : in collaboration with AGIS and AGICI, the WMF will host the first edition of the Innovation Film Fest. This innovative showcase for cinema will feature short film screenings, special guests, awards, meetings between videomakers, producers, and distributors, along with educational events and workshops.
The WMF agenda also includes numerous active calls, initiatives, and opportunities. Among these are the Call for Digital Creators and the Emerging Band Contest in collaboration with RDS Next, and the Call for Young Innovators in partnership with ANGI (National Association of Young Innovators). The latter aims to support young people who have initiated activities or projects in digital and social innovation, enabling them to share their ideas and experiences with the Festival’s innovative ecosystem.
As with past WMF events, the ninth edition is the result of a shared development process involving individuals, companies, and organizations passionate about innovation. This collaboration inspires the creation of events and activities each year that deeply explore the universe of Digital and Social Innovation, track key market trends, and offer training that meets professional needs.
Leading up to WMF2021, it is also possible to propose themes to be addressed, vertical events, training rooms, and workshops.
WMF – The Biggest Digital and Social Innovation Festival
With over 21,000 attendees at the 2019 edition and 24,000 online participants from the two hybrid events in 2020, the WMF stands as the largest Digital and Social Innovation Festival. Conceived and produced by Search On Media Group, the Festival serves as a tool for society, an innovation accelerator that annually organizes events, projects, and initiatives in Italy and abroad dedicated to the shared construction of a better Future. It engages in dialogue with institutions, local authorities, universities, schools, companies, and local entities.
Pubblicato in Digital Marketing
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