If you are an entrepreneur, a venture capitalist, a media executive or any other role in the digital world, there’s no better place to gain knowledge and insights than attending the ArabNet Kuwait event.
Below are the hot topics that will be covered:
Understanding the Kuwait Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
The Kuwaiti market has witnessed a surge in entrepreneurship support and institutions: funds, co-working spaces, acceleration programs, and angel investors, after the announcement of the $7B Kuwait National Fund for SMEs in 2013. This was further inspired by the $170M acquisition of Kuwait’s Talabat.com, which marks the largest regional exit since Yahoo! Maktoob in 2009. Kuwait is a prime market for the success of digital companies, with a robust national digital payment gateway, as well as high internet (91%), smartphone (93%) and social media (96%) penetration rates. Some of Kuwait’s leading entrepreneurship advocates will discuss the obstacles and opportunities for new entrepreneurs and the digital ecosystem.
Biggest Startups in MENA
While MENA’s startup ecosystem hosts only one “Unicorn”, or startup with a valuation of over $1B (namely Souq.com), it is home to a growing number of “Centaurs,” startups with a valuation of over $100M. This session hosts a collection of “Centaurs,” the region’s most successful and fastest growing startups, to discuss their growth journey, from launching a product, to building and growing a team, to adapting to evolving customer behavior, to the challenges of mass growth across different countries and markets.
Latest Trends in Online Content
Online video audiences are expected to double in 2016, reaching 1.5 billion globally, according to Cisco. While YouTube has long been the king of the social video space, it is facing some steep competition from Facebook and Twitter (Periscope / Vine) among others. At the same time, content creators like Uturn and other multichannel networks (MCNs), are investing heavily in new business models and optimized video content. This session will explore the latest trends in online video – from content production, to audience development, monetization and distribution.
Evolving Consumer Social Behavior
New mobile-first companies are rapidly changing consumer online behavior. Companies like Snapchat and Instagram optimize their platforms for mobile consumption and behavior, relying primarily on gesture based commands, mobile-first user experience, and vertical video content. These developments are also in part due to the optimization of mobile networks for higher data usage aiding the increased consumption of videos and mobile content. The competitive advantages and pitfalls of mobile social networks, their impact on consumers of different generations and geographies will be discussed. As well as the potential for social commerce and role of online influencers in driving behavior changes among consumers.
ArabNet Kuwait will be held on October 4th and 5th at Arraya Ballroom, on Al Shuhada Street in Kuwait City. If you are still interested in registering click here to be a part of this unique journey!
