When Zappos approached Lean Startup Co. a little while back about hosting our conference in Downtown Las Vegas, we saw it as an opportunity to further expand our mission beyond Silicon Valley. South Bend, Indiana went from Rust Belt to Tech Belt with EdTech in the Bend. Detroit has Technology in Motion (TIM). Austin has SXSW. Revolutionary work can be done anywhere, and that's part of what this move is about. In addition to iconic hotels, casinos and restaurants, DTLV, just north of the strip, also has the Downtown Project: a thriving scene of tech startups, arts, culture, and education. Conference attendees will be staying at the Downtown Grand Hotel, one block from the conference venue, and right in the middle of DTLV--immersed in the city’s entrepreneurial culture day and night.
We’ve also made some changes to how the conference is structured. Instead of organizing workshops by company size as we have in the past, we've created more focused topic tracks that will highlight entrepreneurs in every industry. These workshops and keynote presentations will put you in the same rooms as innovators from across the world, representing businesses of all sizes, from many fields.
And because learning from peers is also such a critical part of Lean Startup, this year's conference will place a special focus on bringing together the Lean Startup Community, allowing enterprise executives, nonprofit leaders, NGO’s and of course startups at all stages to meet like-minded colleagues, share stories, and form lasting relationships.
With Zappos’ support, we've created a higher-end, more intimate conference centered around hands-on learning by doing and making meaningful connections with fellow Lean Startup practitioners. As a result, tickets are more limited than in the past and we expect them to sell out quickly.
I'm really looking forward to the changes, as well as the chance to learn myself. I hope to see you there.
Lean Startup Conference 2018
November 14 – 16, 2018
Zappos Campus, Downtown Las Vegas
