Have you ever seen a good shoemaker in his own best pair of boots? That’s how we made some noise in Lisbon during WebSummit, and still haven’t told you yet on social media how we organized the Zubr Capital side event with amazing speakers and such a warm atmosphere that we gathered 200 people (twice the expected number of guests). What’s the recipe for success?

Step 1. Find the most atmospheric location. People create an atmosphere better than decorations, but decorations are also important. For this event, our lead account manager, Elena, went to Lisbon in advance, several months ago, and visited some old palaces. The choice fell on Palacio de Tancos: an ancient building with a terrace that offers a breathtaking view of the capital of Portugal.

Step 2. Choose brilliant speakers. The evening’s moderator was the well-known entrepreneur and founder of Zubr Capital, Oleg Khusaenov. In the storytellers’ chairs were three equally famous founders of companies at different stages of going public:

• Someone who has already gone public and become a billionaire (Igor Borovikov, Noventiq/ex-Softline).
• Someone who is preparing to go public soon and is looking for opportunities (Yuri Gursky, Palta, Flo).
• Someone who still has to go this path (Mikhail Bychenok, Mediacube).

Step 3. Invite guests who create celebrations wherever they go. It may seem that becoming a billionaire and growing a unicorn company is unreal. But we see that an IPO turns an idea into a plan, accessible to determined companies. This was not only discussed by the speakers but also by hundreds of guests: smart, ambitious, and beautiful people who not only develop their IT ideas but also generously share emotions and support with each other.

Via the link — those very people who created the atmosphere of celebration and mutual support. You are driving the IT industry towards breakthroughs. Find yourselves, post the best photos online, don’t forget to tag Zubr Capital, which presented us all this evening.