Australia’s Longest-Running Tech Festival Is Back This December

Calling all business owners, founders, innovators, and change-makers. West Tech Fest is back this December and you won’t want to miss it.

By: Jason Balchand

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WA has a very respectable reputation for punching well above its weight when it comes to innovation. We’re the home ground of some of the world’s biggest and best companies — like Canva, which started its journey here in Perth and is now used by more than 130 million people. That’s almost five times the entire population of Australia!

We’re a state where side hustles are more common than having avocado on toast for brunch.

It’s likely a reason why Australia’s biggest and longest-running tech and innovation festival is held right here in Perth. West Tech Fest was created to connect local startup founders and tech entrepreneurs with global thought leaders, helping them build the next multi-million (or billion) dollar company. The week-long event attracts some of the brightest business minds from around the world, like Peter Vesterbacka, the Founder of one of the most popular mobile games of all time, Angry Birds.

West Tech Fest takes over Perth in the first week of December every year, with headline event West Tech Main expanding to the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, as well as the opportunity to take advantage of our stunning coastal views and beaches with a day at Coast in Port Beach, and breakfast in one of Perth’s newest and most beautiful spaces Maali at Perth Zoo.

As Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy, Stephen Dawson puts it, “Set against the stunning backdrop of WA, West Tech Fest has become a cornerstone of Australia’s innovation landscape and is a fantastic opportunity for local innovators to gain exposure, connect with investors and hear about the latest trends.”

If you’re running a startup, small business, side hustle, or have always dreamt of starting something, this will be the week of the year that you don’t want to miss. Below is an overview of what to expect.

Key Events

West Tech Main

West Tech Main is the headline event and the reason so many people travel from across Australia and the world for the week. This year will see a more expansive lineup of speakers and sessions than in previous years and while the full speaker list hasn’t yet been released, we’ve heard rumblings of some of the big names that will be there and it certainly won’t disappoint.

There’ll also be live podcast booth recording sessions all day with some of the best and most popular podcasts in the startup space booked in to record sessions.

When: Thursday, December 5th
Time: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre

West Tech Coast

Coast premiered at last year’s West Tech Fest and was a huge hit. Dubbed as an improved evolution of Rotto Tech Fest, it didn’t disappoint, combining a day full of great sessions, networking, and spectacular coastal views over Port Beach.

We’re told this year’s Coast event will be even bigger and better, so we’re looking forward to finding out what they have planned.

When: Tuesday, December 3rd
Time: 8:45 am (all-day event)
Where: Coast, Port Beach

West Tech Women

This is the breakfast event that kicks off the week on a high note with the goal of accelerating female participation in the startup and investment ecosystem. Don’t be fooled by the name; this event is for all to attend and we’d highly encourage you to do so. Last year, this was the event of the week with a strong panel of speakers sharing practical insights and knowledge.

When: Monday, December 2nd
Time: 7:00 am to 9:30 am
Where: The Maali, Perth Zoo

Freo Startup Fest

Of all the West Tech Fest events, this is the one that aligns most with early-stage founders and side hustlers. It’s a raw gathering of founders, ecosystem, and supporters and is a great way to network in a casual setting — one of Perth’s most loved venues, Freo.Social. There’s also a series of speakers, panels, and sessions that’ll have you walking away quite inspired and ready to take on the world. If you’re new to the ecosystem, this is where you’ll want to be.

When: Wednesday, December 4th
Time: 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Where: Freo.Social, Fremantle

Key speakers

Every year, West Tech Fest attracts some of the biggest names around to come to Perth and tell their story, share their tips and learnings, and sometimes tell a joke or two. This year will be no different with three big names already announced, including headline speaker, Monique Woodward, from Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Cake Ventures, who’s built a reputation for championing inclusive innovation. She’ll be joined by Linzi Boyd, Founder of One Earth, Steve Killelea, founder and philanthropist, and more than 50 other speakers who are yet to be announced.