Web 2.0 Expo Europe Examines Key Industry Themes

The second annual Web 2.0 Expo Europe will define the current state of Web 2.0 and, more importantly, outline its future. The three-day conference, co-produced by O'Reilly Media, Inc. and TechWeb, will attract the largest pan-European community of international technical, design, marketing, and business professionals, entrepreneurs, start-ups, and VCs building, leveraging, and driving the European Web economy. Each will bring a unique and insightful perspective to the dynamic state of innovation happening on the Web. Scheduled for October 21-23, 2008, Web 2.0 Expo Europe will be held at a new venue, the Berliner Congress Center in Berlin, Germany.

"The dramatic growth in both consumer and enterprise adoption of Web 2.0 will bring even more attention to this sector during a period of economic turmoil," said Jennifer Pahlka, co-chair of Web 2.0 Expo. "But it also provides us an opportunity to revisit the core agenda of Web 2.0 and the deeper possibilities it represents. At Web 2.0 Expo Europe, we'll talk about why companies and individuals are making immediate strategic shifts, but also investing in Web 2.0 for the long term."

The conference agenda is divided into four tracks: Design and User Experience, Development, Marketing and Community, and Strategy and Business Models. These tracks are designed to meet the increasing demand for Web 2.0 comprehension and skills, and to build a broader understanding within the European Web 2.0 community.

Web 2.0 Expo Europe will serve to dispel current myths and inspire dialogue around subjects crucial to the success and development of this platform. The agenda has been developed to address existing trends and applications which will serve to enhance Web 2.0 in the future from leading executives, entrepreneurs and visionaries from across the US and Europe, including:

Timo Arnall (Sweden), Oslo School of Architecture & Design -- The Web in the World

Drew Bartkiewicz (UK), Vice President of Cyber and Technology Risk, The Hartford -- The Emerging Business Risks of Web 2.0 Models

Markus Beckedahl (Germany), Creative Commons Germany / newthinking communications GmbH -- How do you CC?

Giel de Nijs (Netherlands), Philips Research -- First Steps Towards an Online User Experience Testing Community

Alexandra Deschamps (UK/Italy/Canada), Sonsino Tinker -- In Case of Turbulence: Open Source Hardware's Next Challenges

Bruno Figueiredo (Portugal), Ideias & Imagens, Lda. -- Designing for Flow

Alberto Nardelli (Italy), UnLtdWorld -- Changing the World for the Better Using Web 2.0

Luis Suarez (Spain), IBM -- Thinking outside the Inbox

The Web 2.0 Expo has also confirmed additional high profile keynotes who will present topics that are foremost on their minds, such as Martin Varsavsky, FON, Patrick McDevitt of TeleAtlas, Tariq Krim, Julian Bleecker, from Nokia Design and Tony Coppel, Yahoo! Europe.

  The Web 2.0 Expo conference series consistently provides attendees:

  --  A far-reaching conference program for Web professionals, marketers,
      and entrepreneurs
  --  A bustling expo connecting the companies and projects of the Web
      ecosystem
  --  In-depth workshops to get up to speed on essential new technologies
  --  A chance to hear news of the future from industry leaders and
      innovators
  --  An un-conference approach that turns the audience into participants
  --  Networking social events and hallway conversations throughout the
      entire week of October 20th in Berlin that might change the way you
      work and play

Web 2.0 Expo Europe is one of five key Web 2.0 conferences organized by O'Reilly and TechWeb, which include Web 2.0 Summit and Web 2.0 Expo events in San Francisco, and New York. The Web 2.0 series has been bringing together the most innovative and successful internet industry figures and companies since 2004. The list of premier sponsors of Web Expo Europe this year will grow as the event nears but currently includes Platinum sponsors eBay, Mobile.de, Nokia and Silver sponsors AOL Developer Network, Atlassian, Jive, Telligent, Zanox, and Zoho.

  More information can be found at http://www.web2expo.com/.
  To sign up for newsletter http://newsletter.web2-0expo.com/

To sign up for the Facebook group http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Web-20-Expo/30453332736

  To follow on Twitter http://twitter.com/w2e_europe08

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About TechWeb

TechWeb, the global leader in business technology media, is an innovative business focused on serving the needs of technology decision-makers and marketers worldwide. TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed media brands in the business technology market. Today, more than 13.3 million business technology professionals actively engage in our communities created around our global face-to-face events Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat and VoiceCon; online resources such as the TechWeb Network, Light Reading, Intelligent Enterprise, InformationWeek.com, bMighty.com, and The Financial Technology Network; and the market leading, award-winning InformationWeek, TechNet Magazine, MSDN Magazine, Wall Street & Technology magazines. TechWeb also provides end-to-end services ranging from next-generation performance marketing, integrated media, research, and analyst services. TechWeb is a division of United Business Media, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.

  13.3 million business decision-makers: based on # of monthly connections

  About United Business Media Limited (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/)

United Business Media Limited (UBM) is a global media and marketing services company that informs markets and brings the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print, and with the information they need to do business successfully. UBM serves professional and commercial communities, from IT professionals to doctors, from journalists to jewelry dealers, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. UBM employs more than 6,500 people in more than 30 countries. UBM's businesses operating in the US include CMPMedica, Commonwealth Business Media, Everything Channel, PR Newswire, RISI, TechInsights, TechWeb and Think Services. UBM is listed on the London Stock Exchange (UBM.L) and has a market capitalization of $2.5 billion.

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