DLD Tel Aviv 2015: 10 Innovation Week Events Not To Miss

The largest annual startup conference held in Tel Aviv is once again opening its doors this week. The DLD Tel Aviv Innovation Festival 2015, now in its fifth consecutive year, will see an expected 10,000 startup and high-tech industry insiders, including 2,000 foreign players, mingling at hundreds of exciting events.

Like every year, this DLD is attracting some of the biggest power players from the world’s leading tech and finance firms, all eager to get a piece of the Startup Nation’s pie. And it’s no wonder, as Tel Aviv was just voted the world’s best startup ecosystem outside the US by the Startup Ecosystem Report.

Aside from the main DLD conference, the week, known as “Innovation Week,” is packed with other private- and city-sponsored events scattered across some of the coolest locations around town. To help you figure out which events and parties not to miss, NoCamels has prepared a comprehensive roundup of the best and most noteworthy events happening in the ‘city that never stops’:

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1. DLD Tel Aviv Innovation Conference 2015

DLD Tel Aviv Innovation Festival 2015, part of the world DLD organization, is holding its famously unorthodox annual conference in Tel Aviv this week. Unlike traditional conferences, DLD features a plethora of events happening simultaneously. Lectures, panel discussions, technical sessions, meetups, cocktail parties and even ice cream socials will offer attendants access to high-tech and investment gurus, up-and-coming startups, high-tech giants, cool gadgets and even a beach run on the stunning coastline of Tel Aviv!

Admission is 1,500-2,000 shekels.

When: Sept. 6-12

Where: The Old Jaffa Railway Station (“HaTachana”), 2 Yehezkel Kaufmann street, Tel Aviv

2. The Sixth Innovation Cities Summit

Held by the City of Tel Aviv, this summit, titled “Cracking the Innovation Code” is held in association with the DLD Tel Aviv Innovation Festival 2015.

During the summit, which will showcase initiatives and digital solutions that meet urban challenges, city leaders from around the world, as well as business entrepreneurs will gather to discuss ways in which global cities can encourage, facilitate and foster innovation within the urban space.

SEE ALSO: Revolutionary Rooftop Farm In The Heart of Tel Aviv

Some of the prominent speakers include Eberhard van der Laan, mayor of Amsterdam and David Shing, AOL’s digital prophet. Admission is free; advance registration is required.

When: Sept. 7, 9 am through 4 pm.

Where: Suzanne Dellal Centre, 5 Yechieli street, Tel Aviv

3. Meetups

Dozens of technology, art and social meetups will be held at business establishments and public spaces along Rothschild Blvd. The meetups will be held simultaneously, featuring a wide range of topics: cyber-security, FinTech, animation, and even a dinner with VoIP pioneer Jeff Pulver. And that’s not all: Futuristic talks will attempt to answer such existential questions as “are we alone in the universe?”

Admission is free; advance registration is required.

When: Sept. 8, 7-11 pm.

Where: Multiple locations along Rothschild Blvd., Tel Aviv

4. Creative City Boulevard

This urban happening of culture and technology is perhaps the best embodiment of Tel Aviv, which is known for its vibrant nightlife. Creative City Boulevard will feature augmented reality games, works of digital art, a wearable tech display, musical performances, and more.

Admission is free.

When: Sept. 8, 7-11 pm.

Where: Along Rothschild Blvd. and its main square (@ Herzl)

5. Open Startups

During Innovation Week, dozens of high-profile local startups will open their doors to the public, offering a unique opportunity to see where the magic happens. This annual municipal event that showcases Tel Aviv’s unique startup ecosystem provides a glimpse of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.

Admission is free.

When: Sept. 8, 6-11 pm.

Where: Companies’ offices

6. Accelerator Blitz

Taking place inside the beautiful new building of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, this event showcases presentations from the most promising startups chosen by top accelerators. Six local accelerators have picked several exciting startups to pitch before the audience. Each startup will have five minutes to pitch using a presentation that will be screened on a huge, 300-inch screen.

Admission is free; registration is required.

When: Sept. 8, 7-9 pm.

Where: The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, 2 Ahuzat Bayit St., Tel Aviv

7. GameIS Festival

The Israeli gaming industry will hold its annual conference GameIS in conjunction with DLD. During the event, local companies and independent developers will take part in workshops, hear lectures by international guests and display their latest projects. Join if you want to check out the hottest new virtual games and their developers.

Admission in 300 shekels.

When: Sept. 9, 9 am – 7 pm (with party at 9 pm)

8. Chief Scientist’s event

This unique event will provide budding startups and entrepreneurs with individual meetings to become acquainted with the tools, possibilities and avenues of support offered by the Office of the Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Economy.

Admission is free; registration is required.

When: Sept. 9, 9:30 pm – 12:30 pm

Where: Cafe Greg, The Old Jaffa Railway Station (“HaTachana”), 2 Yehezkel Kaufmann street, Tel Aviv

9. Utopia Festival

This cultural event will address current social issues from a technological perspective – with a futurist twist. Topics include: technology and inequality, cyber wars, robotics and artificial intelligence. The festival, supported by the Goethe Institute, will be held at Google Israel’s campus, giving attendants a glimpse into its magnificent design.

When: Sept. 7, 9 am. – 5 p.m.

Where: Google Campus, Electra Tower, 98 Yigal Alon St., Tel Aviv

10. Exclusive events held by IBM, Amazon, Intel, Microsoft and Google

DLD also offers an opportunity to get to know some of the world’s largest tech companies, including Microsoft, IBM, Google, Amazon and Intel, which all have offices in Israel. Some sessions are by-invitation only, others simply require registration. From a seminar on cloud platforms hosted by Google, through Amazon Web Service’s technical sessions, all the way to Intel’s innovative booth (which will include a demo of a smart airport) – the world’s most cutting-edge technologies will be presented by leaders of giant tech corporations.

Registration required; some events are by invitation only.

When: Sept. 8-9, throughout the day

Where: “HaTachana,” 2 Yehezkel Kaufmann street, Tel Aviv, and additional locations

Photos: Pikiwiki, Orenvo5, Itay Sikolski/Google Israel, Random

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