The “Geeks on a Beach” (GOAB) international tech and startup conference, which has greatly contributed in empowering Philippine startups, will return for the fourth year in the scenic island of Panglao in Bohol this August 25-26, 2016.
This was announced by TechTalks.ph and the new Department of Information and Communications Technology (formerly DOST-ICTO) which co-organizes the event since 2013 as well as the MVP companies — PLDT SME Nation, Ideaspace, SmartDevNet, PLDT Innolab, Smart Communications — which are co-presenting the event this year.
The 4th GOAB, a unique confab featuring the cutting-edge of the tech world in a laid-back atmosphere, is the first startup event to be held right after President Benigno S. Aquino III signed the bill creating the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) last month.
“Even better days are coming. The Philippine startup community is one of the sectors that have lobbied for the creation of the DICT. We hope DICT will continue to work together with various public-private stakeholders to empower startup communities to drive faster economic growth,” said Mon Ibrahim,Deputy Executive Director.
With the theme “Empowering startups, leading change”, GOAB4 will once more highlight communities of startups or innovation-driven enterprises based on software or apps, which have seen remarkable growth in the Philippines in the last few years.
“We are looking at startups taking the lead in strategically leveraging opportunities offered by a bigger regional market of ten countries with some 617 million people and a combined GDP of US $2.1 trillion opened up by the Asean integration,” added Ibrahim.
He said GOAB can be a platform in putting Philippine startups at the forefront of change by opening doors to investors and capital from within the ASEAN region along with North American, European, Japanese and other big investors.
The first three GOAB confabs have yielded positive results, including the formulation of the Philippine startup roadmap which is now being pursued by the government and the community paving the way for local startups to achieve success.
Earlier this year, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) also launched SlingshotPH, a development program that helps startups accelerate their business.
Tina Amper, founder of TechTalks.ph which has been instrumental in conceptualizing GOAB, noted that the conference has grown to attract a bigger and more diverse audience since GOAB’s debut in September 2013 in Boracay.
Amper said those who are into digital technology, web design, and innovation should not miss this opportunity to learn about the latest developments in the industry and meet the key players in the tech startup world.
“The Philippines’ remarkable work-play environment complemented by the famous Filipino hospitality and a unique cultural mix of East and West makes it the natural cultural doorway to the ASEAN for geeks and investors alike,” said Amper.
Organized by TechTalks.ph and the Department of Science and Technology – Information and Communications Technology Office (DOTC-ICTO) and co-presented by PLDT SME Nation, Ideaspace and SmartDevNet, GOAB4 will be held on August 25-26 at the Bellevue Hotel in Panglao, Bohol.
Some of the brightest minds in the industry from the USA and Singapore will be on hand in the 2016 GOAB. Invited to speak in the confab are Techstars co-founder and managing partner David Brown, Startup Weekend co-founder Marc Nager, Chris McCann of Greylock Partners,Crowdsourcing Week founder and CEO Epi Ludvik Nekaj, 500 Startups Managing Partner/Investor Khailee Ng, 500 Startups corporate innovation director Arnaud Bonzom, Zalora Philippines Managing Director Constantine Robertz, PLDT SME Nation head Mitch Locsin, Ideaspace.ph Managing Director Diane Eustaquio, TechTalks chief content officer Robert Cristobal, Citrix principal UX designer Philip McKay, and STAC Silicon Valley president Cristina Laskowski.
GOAB4 is held in partnership with HappyGaraje, Sym.ph, PR Works, Zalora, Mynimo, Teradoor, A Space, USAID-STRIDE, Yoyo Holdings, Eurokloud Corp., and Payoneer.GOAB4 organizational partners are Philippines Software Industry Association (PSIA), National ICT Confederation of the Phils., UP CebuInit.org, CedFIT.org, Game Developers Association of the Phils., Digital Commerce Association of the Phil., Developers Connect, STAC Silicon Valley and GoNegosyo. This year’s GOAB media partners are Auza.Net, Tech in Asia, Geeks in Cambodia, Mytechisland.com, Hubnob.tv, InnoPub Media.
For more information, to sponsor or purchase tickets, visit www.GeeksOnABeach.com; or contact [email protected]. Facebook: Geeks On A Beach and Twitter @GeeksOnABeach. Avail 20% discount and 40% discount for groups of 5 or more (use promo code “groupof5ormore”). Promo lasts until June 30, 2016.
