Is Slush worth visiting?

Slush 2016 is now behind, and for me it was the fifth or sixth Slush visited (should keep journal!). There were some 17,500 participants visiting and hundreds of companies represented over two days. Quite an event!

Slush is must if you want to pitch your startup, get feedback, meet investors and get funded. However, you don’t need to be a startup dute or investor to get excited about Slush.

Lets explore why.

For starters, Slush is a great place hang out and meet mind-liked people. Seeing old friends and get introduced to new people is always fun and useful. The whole context is ideal for exchanging thoughts about latest innovations and ideas, both during daytime and in the side-events and parties.

Secondly, you can see bunch of new products, services and technologies simply by walking around. And you can actually meet and talk with the proud entrepreneurs face-to-face, and ask about details and backgrounds. I have explored companies in Slush whose services I have later used, so seeing stuff in live really makes difference.

And it should not be forgotten that the event is a huge spirit lifter. For two days, you can dive into a world where everything is possible. People will encourage you to try out your idea, they try to find you a project if you need a job, and so on.

Of course the fun does not come for free. Your need to pay few hundred euros for basic tickets, and you need to pay travel and accommodation. However, many companies are sponsoring their employees to get tickets and some organizations such as Startup League covers costs partially.

So, is it worth of going? Yes, at least once, if you are even a bit curious on the startup life, or if you are having a startup already. And, you don’t need to travel to far Finland, as there are other Slush events to participate, such as Slush Singapore or Slush Tokyo.