STEP Conference 2016 celebrates its most successful event ever

DUBAI – 7 April 2016, STEP Conference 2016, which took place at the Dubai International Marine Club 4-5 April sold out and attracted more than 4,000 guests – a record for the event. With more than 120 speakers, the two stages played host to 53 presentations, debates, Q&As and discussions with topics spanning across innovation, technology, digital and entertainment. This year’s keynote speaker was Bassem Youssef, who in his discussion with VICE’s  Ahmed Shihab-Eldin to a packed out crowd, documented his transition from heart surgeon to satirist and also digital’s role in enabling a new wave of satire in the Middle East.

Sparks flew when Arif Naqvi of The Abraaj Group discussed building a business legacy in the region with Wamda Capital’s Fadi Ghandour, and the founder of Chess Boxing Global Iepe Rubingh had the audience practicing their jabs during his highly entertaining talk. Fifty startups took part in a pitch competition, with hopeful businesses vying for funding across three categories; Growth Stage Startups, Early Stage Startups and Seed Stage Startups. The three winners were; Bazillion Beings, Awery Aviation Software and Polyinspect. Video content was an often-discussed topic at STEP Conference 2016, with representatives from AJ+, Facebook and Twitter all stressing the importance of the format, if news networks and brands want to truly captivate their audiences.

The increasing prevalence of Cloud was discussed by IBM’s Maged Wassim, as well as insightful discussions from brands such as Uber, Facebook, Unilever and Google. The new for 2016 entertainment stage saw engaging talks and discussions from music giants MIMS and Dizaster as well as local talent Hamdan Al Abri. Away from the stages, guests were treated to an awesome festival vibe at the Dubai International Marine Club, complete with live music and food trucks.

Co-founder of Step, Ray Dargham, said: “Our record-breaking 2016 event has proven that STEP Conference is a global stage for all things tech, and it shows to the world that the MENA region is truly cutting edge and passionate in this ever-changing sphere. “This year has been our most disruptive yet with speakers such as satirist Bassem Youssef, and names you wouldn’t obviously associate with tech such as hip-hop artist Shawn MIMS and Daniel Brusilovsky from the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.

“It’s been really inspiring to see MENA’s brightest and best minds come together to share ideas on all things technology, digital and entertainment – the future looks very bright for the region.

“We’ll be back again next year – watch this space!”

Official Website – StepConference.com