DLD Tel Aviv 2017: Ten Innovation Festival Events Not To Miss

DLD Tel Aviv, Israel’s largest annual startup conference, will once again open its doors next week. With thousands of guests from around the world, and hundreds of startup and high-tech executives, the week-long festival will feature dozens of events, meetups, lectures and demos.

Tel Aviv – which was voted the world’s best startup ecosystem outside the US – is home to more than 7,000 startups and technology companies which employ roughly 38,000 people. With such a large ecosystem of creativity and innovation, there’s no wonder that global organization DLD (Digital Life Design) picked Tel Aviv as one of a handful of locations for its conference.

Aside from the main DLD conference, the whole week (starting Sept. 3) – known as “Innovation Festival”- is packed with other private- and city-sponsored events scattered across some of the hippest locations around town.

NoCamels has rounded up 10 of the most intriguing events happening next week to provide you with the ultimate guide.

DLD Tel Aviv Innovation Conference 2017

DLD features a variety of events happening simultaneously at the site of the 124-years-old Jaffa Railway Station (which no longer serves as a railway station). Events will include lectures, panel discussions, technical sessions, meetups, demos, pitching and socials, which will offer conference guests access to high-tech and investment gurus, up-and-coming startups, high-tech giants and cool gadgets.

When: Sept. 4-7

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

Tel Aviv Cities Summit

This annual summit will address key issues that urban administrators must consider as they face ongoing technological and urban revolutions that shape communities nowadays. It brings together entrepreneurs, city planners and visionaries from cities around the world – who together experience the innovative spirit of Tel Aviv.

2,000 participants are expected to attend the summit this year, including representatives from leading cities and organizations around the world. Mayors, city officials, thought-leaders, and entrepreneurs will discuss creative approaches to urban challenges.

SEE ALSO: Tel Aviv’s Startup Ecosystem Ranked No. 3 In The World

According to the mayor’s office, “this past year has seen an unprecedented global disruption of global politics, urban fabrics and the world of technology. Cities that serve as laboratories for bold and constant experimentation, now must face new challenges that are rapidly evolving. Cities and their leadership are required to defend their values as global, open and innovative centers; in face of these new challenges, cities’ ability to communicate, connect and learn from one another becomes more important than ever before.”

When: Sept. 5

Where: The Tel Aviv Museum of Art, 27 Shaul Hamelech Blvd., Tel Aviv.

Creative City Boulevard

Creative City Boulevard is a public event stretching from Tel Aviv’s Ha’Bima Square along Rothschild Boulevard, featuring unique art installations, technological demonstrations, interactive reality games and robots, as well as innovative art installations, performances and even an escape room.

SEE ALSO: From Creative Spirit To Innovative Startups: What Makes Tel Aviv One Of The World’s ‘Techiest’ Cities

In addition, there will be more than 30 lectures in bars and restaurants along the boulevard.

When: Sept. 6, 6-11 pm

Where: Along Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv

 4YFN Mobile Events

4 Years From Now (4YFN) is a platform that enables startups, investors and corporations to connect and launch new ventures together. The organization will host several events, including startup pitching sessions, networking, tours, panel discussions on various topics, and workshops.

When: Sept. 5-6

Where: Several locations across town

Chief Scientist’s consultation meetups

As part of the DLD convention, Israel’s Innovation Authority (formerly the Office of the Chief Scientist) will set up a pavilion to consult startups on support and grants, opportunities for research and development cooperation with other nations, and more. This is also an opportunity for members of the high-tech ecosystem to meet Innovation Authority staff face-to-face and get updates and information.

When: Sept. 7, 10 am-2 pm

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

Exclusive events held by Samsung, Google, Facebook and Microsoft

DLD also offers an opportunity to get to know some of the world’s leading tech companies, including Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Samsung, which all have research and development centers or offices in Israel. At DLD, these tech giants will present some of the world’s most cutting-edge technologies.

Some sessions are by-invitation only, others simply require registration.

When: Sept. 6-7

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

Israel Dealmakers Summit

The Israel Dealmakers Summit will host several VIP events at DLD, with C-Suite executives from Fortune 500 companies. Dinner and networking events will feature CMOs, Chief Digital Officers, CTOs, venture capitalists, top entrepreneurs and other executives across the digital marketing, technology, and media ecosystem.

When: Sept. 6-7

Where: Several locations across town

Drones arena

Whether they are used for taking aerial photos, for reconnaissance purposes, or to deliver your order of books, drones are all the rage. At the DLD drone arena – a caged area built especially for this event – visitors can watch and experiment with all the latest drone technologies.

When: Sep.6, 11 am-4 pm

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

Pick a startup

This fun raffle is one of the final events of DLD Tel Aviv. Startups need to register in advance, so that when they arrive to the conference, they will receive a number. During the event, numbers will be randomly picked, and the chosen startups will get to go up on the main stage in front of a panel of judges, and have three minutes to pitch their startup. The winner will get a yet-to-be-announced prize.

When: Sept. 7

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

Garage Geeks’ meet the leaders event

During the closing event of the DLD conference, top international executives from leading global corporations will network with startup entrepreneurs. Yossi Vardi, a veteran tech entrepreneur and the organizer of DLD Tel Aviv, will host.

When: Sept. 7

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

*Please check event websites for registration and admissions information.

Photos: DLD Tel Aviv, Pikiwiki, Google Israel, Flytrex

Subscribe to NoCamels weekly newsletter and get our top stories