Conference News: SW2con is Back, TNW is not; Making CONNECTIONS at CES

End of TNW Era: As reported by European startup community and media group Sifted, TNW – which stands for The Next Web – plans to wind down its events and media business by the end of September. TNW was established in 2006 by co-founders Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten and Patrick de Laive in Amsterdam to “inform, inspire, and connect people who love, understand, and are excited by the potential of technology” and in 2019 the Financial Times/FT purchased a majority stake in the company. Their final event this past June drew 5,800 attendees, nine out of ten hailing from across Europe and more than half representing startups. Sifted reports via the FT that the decision was communicated to affected staff in June. (Note: Sifted is also backed by the FT.)

New for You, its SW2(Con): Eric Norlan has been hosting conferences for 2 decades, starting with Defrag and then Gluecon. He just announced that he will be hosting a single-track event in 2026 billed as the Beginning of a New Conversation in Technology. In a recent post, Eric notes that the tech changes we are seeing is “more than just “AI” altering how we develop, deploy, encase or imagine software. This is the beginning of a new era for technology – a wave rising up from the depths of a seismic bits and bytes rumble.” SW2con will gather “the tech industry’s most provocative and insightful minds to debate, decipher and chew through the problems and solutions of this elemental change.” Held at the Omni Interlocken Denver, the conference will run from 31 March – 1 April 2026.

Submission Opportunity: Parks Associates events have been a consistent part of the CES experience for years. And on 6 January 2026, they will host the 20th annual CONNECTIONS Summit during the show. The conference team is currently accepting speaker suggestions. If you can speak to the “business of the smart home,” particularly topics related to the impact of AI, smart energy, modern security, or router innovation, submit your idea here before the 1 October deadline.

Lunchtime Learning: DLD Future Hub was held at Amerikahaus in Munich last week, bringing together global visionaries, industry pioneers, and creative innovators to discuss the challenges that unite us – from the circular economy to the future of AI – and how innovation can be a catalyst for solutions.  The first day was CIRCULAR Day and highlighted the drivers for the circular economy. Days two and three were BAIOSPHERE Days which considered AI’s broader societal and economic impact and  “connecting technological advancement with practical applications for sustainable transformation.” Watch the sessions and hear from speakers such as Hubert Aiwanger Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs & Deputy Prime Minister of Bavaria; Birgit Berthold-Kremser  Co-Author of the Book “Superpower Sustainable Marketing” and serves as an Anchorwoman for the prestigious Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership; Christian Adler Co-Founder and CEO of LoopID; Dirk Didascalou Head of Foundational Technologies for Siemens AG and Sarah Buerkle Head of AI Advocacy at SAP.

Coming Up Next Week: Manhattan is the place to be during Climate Week NYC and as the UN General Assembly/UNGA 80 continues, drawing business and policy leaders and other dignitaries to the Big Apple. The biggest challenge next week? It’s scheduling, as nearly every major media group and many conference producers hold their own co-located events, dinners, and roundtables. Economist Impact, for example, is offering seven programs to choose from, covering such topics as resilient food systems and the evolving role of the CSO.  Forbes hosts its Sustainability Leaders Summit on 22 September centered on the theme “A Shared Agenda: Driving Sustainable Growth and Meaningful Change.” Other media outlets offering invite only programs include Axios, Reuters, and Semafor’s The Next 3 Billion and Nights of Net Zero. Other organizations co-locating with Climate Week include WORTH’s Techonomy Impact (which will focus on the theme “Power in Progress”), BizClik’s Sustainability LIVE, and Landmark Ventures’ Social Innovation Summit breakfasts, matchmaking, dinners, and salons.