This year’s STEP conference was bigger, smarter and more techy than ever! Modelling what a smart city of the future could look like, STEP 2018 took over Internet City with dome-shaped speaker stages, branded booths, lakeside entertainment and futuristic snack carts.
With four industry-focused conferences – STEP Start, STEP Digital, STEP X and STEP Money , this year was all about new trends, hot tech topics and the future of convenience. 6,000 attendees roamed the conference at Step 2018, with many people finishing both nights at STEP Music in Media One Hotel. In case you missed this year’s event, here’s a summary of what went down:
STEP Money
From panels and workshops to roundtables and exhibitions, this year’s conference tackled the latest developments in financial technology. Blockchain and cryptocurrency were at the centre of discussions this year, along with insights into how these new forms of payment are transforming industries.
Hot topics:
- Blockchain: investments in Blockchain and developing Blockchain apps, and whether Blockchain will replace the bureaucracy system
- Cryptocurrency: the future of online marketplaces and the state of ICOs
- Payments: building a cashless society, betting on Blockchain startups, and how APIs are leading to expanded networks
STEP Digital
Exhibitions, workshops and talks from global big shots in the digital media industry… the ‘STEP Digital’ stage was a big pull for many attendees. With a focus on digital, advertising technology, content and media trends from around the globe, this conference was popular with the people.
Hot topics:
- Future of digital marketing: insights into the impact of artificial intelligence and Blockchain, and the evolution from content to data
- Consumer trends: the state of content creation in the 21st century and the debate on whether content duration really matters
- Publishers, platforms & agencies: insights into the state of new media companies and a look at ‘The New Agency’ model
STEP Start
The ‘STEP Start’ stage at AUD hosted everything from mentorship sessions and pitch competitions to insightful talks about launching a tech startup in the region, ‘STEP Start’ delivered a lot to the city’s aspiring startup founders.
Hot topics:
- Entrepreneurship and growth: how to create new customers and monetising your startup
- Investors and VCs: hoosing the right investor and the industries that appeal most to investors today
- The state of the ecosystem: insights into how to improve infrastructure and the issues that come with lack of data
STEP Future
‘STEP X’ took the conference crowds on a futuristic journey with autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence and smart cities. From smart technology displays to talks on the latest developments in future tech, this is one conference that kept people hooked.
Hot topics:
- Autonomous driving and AI: automotive companies shifting from manufacturers to mobility companies, and the mass adoption of electric vehicles
- Smart cities, IOT, Cloud: future smart homes and efficiency
- AI, robotics, wearables: job threats with the advancement of AI, safer and cheaper ways to build cities, and the future of identification and citizenship
Were you there? Let us know what you though of this year’s STEP Fest!