WebSummit Instants

Inspiration

At Web Summit Vancouver, the official app already helps attendees find sessions, scan badges, view profiles, connect, and give feedback. But large events also have another layer: the small, temporary moments happening between the official schedule. A hot take after a panel, a useful conversation near the coffee line, a question people are afraid to ask, or a hidden moment worth catching before it disappears. WebSummit Instants was inspired by that unofficial pulse of the event.

What it does

WebSummit Instants lets attendees swipe through anonymous, disappearing moments from other people at the event. Each “instant” can include a short thought, question, hot take, location, or something worth seeing. Users can also post their own instant with a category such as Hot Take, Looking For, Worth Seeing, Feeling, or Question. Instead of real profile photos, users appear with randomized illustrated avatars, keeping the experience social but low-pressure.

How we built it

We built WebSummit Instants with React, Vite, CSS, local browser state, and Lucide icons. The interface was designed as a mobile-first experience inspired by temporary story-style sharing. We focused on a lightweight prototype that could show the core interaction quickly: swipe through event moments, see anonymous avatars, and create a new instant.

Challenges we ran into

The biggest challenge was avoiding duplication of the existing Web Summit app. Since the official app already supports schedules, maps, attendee profiles, badge scanning, connections, and feedback, we had to find a layer that felt complementary instead of repetitive. We also had to keep the idea small enough for a micro hackathon while still making it feel useful and fun.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud that WebSummit Instants evolved into something simple, event-native, and easy to understand. It does not try to become another networking app. It focuses on the temporary human moments that make live events feel alive. We are also proud of the visual direction: anonymous illustrated avatars, disappearing moments, and a swipeable interface that feels playful and lightweight.

What we learned

We learned that the most interesting event experiences are not always the official ones. Schedules and profiles are important, but attendees also want to feel what is happening around them in real time. We also learned that anonymity can create a safer, lower-pressure way for people to share quick thoughts without turning every moment into a permanent public post.

What's next for WebSummit Instants

Next, we would add real-time updates, event-based rooms or locations, moderation tools, and automatic expiry for moments. We would also explore lightweight reactions, photo capture, and organizer dashboards showing anonymized mood trends across the venue. Over time, WebSummit Instants could become a temporary social layer for conferences, festivals, hackathons, and community events.