27 Unexpected Facts About IT Arena

August 23, 2018

Ukraine turns 27! On this occasion, we gathered 27 most interesting facts about IT Arena, one of the largest tech events in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, which kicks off already in a month. Find out what were the weirdest things on speakers’ riders, how many people are involved in the organization of the event, and how it has changed over the course of 5 years.

 

  1. The venue of the conference – Arena Lviv Stadium was built for European football championship – Euro 2012. The stadium is designed for 34,915 spectators, and the size of one screen at the stadium equals to an area of an average one-bedroom apartment. stadium

  2. IT Arena began as a local event, but in 5 years it grew to the size of one of the biggest tech conferences in Eastern Europe. For 3 years in a row, the conference has been named the best tech event of Ukraine by DOU.ua.

  3. In 5 years, the conference was visited by over 7000 attendees from Ukraine and abroad. The geography of attendees includes South Africa, South Korea, and Australia. IT Arena 2018 is expected to be visited by 2500 attendees.

  4. IT Arena is the first conference of this scale in Ukraine fully held in English.

  5. The first conference consisted of 11 tracks – from IT-outsourcing to Data Science. Now, IT Arena focuses on 4 industry sectors: Business, Technology, Product, and Startup.

  6. 77% of all conference speakers come from abroad. Many of them represent global companies such as Google, eBay, Soundcloud, Amazon, Uber, Bayer, etc. best (86)
  7. On average, finding a speaker for IT Arena takes 4 months.

  8. Among the most interesting things required by speakers’ riders was a parrot that can talk.

  9. The mascot of IT Arena is Arina, an AI-powered computerized host, who has its own Facebook page. best (5)
  10. On average, IT Arena attendee makes 16,000 steps in one day of the conference.

  11. The total number of people involved in the organization of the conference (including vendors, video production, photographers) is 828 people.

  12. In addition, more than 100 volunteers join IT Arena every year.

  13. In 2017, IT Arena attendees drank 20,738 cups of coffee.

  14. Vasyl Virastiuk, Ukrainian strongman competitor, the winner of Ukraine’s Strongest Man and World’s Strongest Man, was the head of security at IT Arena 2017.

  15. Two years ago, the first Ukrainian electric car Synchronous was presented at the conference. The car resembles a medieval carriage and is already used as a hotel shuttle.

  16. One of the most successful startups presented at IT Arena was Solar Gaps – solar-powered blinds that allow you to use alternative energy even if you live in an apartment. The startup has already attracted more than $ 1 million in investment.

  17. Esther Dyson, the most influential woman in the tech world according to The New York Times became the keynote speaker of IT Arena 2016. Esther dreams of living up to 120 years and aging on Mars. Meanwhile, she is actively investing in startups related to healthcare and space. DTV_9965
  18. In 2017, IT Arena moved the 3rd day of the conference from the stadium to the Lviv’s old town. This way, the organizers aimed to create an informal atmosphere for attendees, and offer a chance to get to know Lviv better for people coming from other cities. Visitors liked this format, and this year 50 meetups will take place in 10 different locations of the historic center.

  19. In general, if all IT Arena satellite events are taken into account, attendees spend 40 hours on networking during a conference. It is said that even introverts network at IT Arena.

  20. Once a speaker mixed Ukraine and Hungary because of the similar spelling of these two words in his language. For a while, he was sure he’s flying to IT Arena in Budapest.

  21. The conference is known for its loud afterparties. In 2016, the parties grew into an open-air festival of electronic music – Futureland Festival. The previous headliners include the world-famous Netsky and Cassius.IMG_2087 (2)

  22. Ring, a company that develops IoT solutions for home, presented its developments at Tech Expo during IT Arena 2016. Already in 2018, the company was bought by Amazon for an incredible amount of more than $ 1 billion!

  23. The youngest attendee of IT Arena was less than 1 year old. There is a separate Kids Zone where children are taught the basics of programming while their parents attend lectures.IMG_8793

  24. Every year students are invited to visit the conference. For example, in 2017 IT Arena was attended by more than 500 students studying on innovative tech programs at Lviv universities.

  25. Keynote speaker of IT Arena 2017 – Alexander Nix is currently in the spotlight of the resonance scandal with Facebook. His company Cambridge Analytica is accused of misusing the data of 50 million Facebook users.

  26. Three times the dates of IT Arena coincided with football matches or boxing fights at the stadium. Attendees perceived it as a fun bonus to the general conference program.

  27. On the occasion of the 27th Independence Day of Ukraine, IT Arena offers a 27% discount for all ticket types. Get the best deal today: https://itarena.ua/