It was a busy week for the tech event landscape in Europe, with multiple events taking place and overlapping this week. London Tech Week and the AI Summit in London, VivaTech and Nvidia GTC in Paris, and the AWS Summit in Madrid, to name a few.
It's not often that I walk away from a major tech event with both excitement and a list of notes on what could’ve been better. But that’s exactly what happened after attending London Tech Week 2025.
From star-studded keynotes to bustling expo floors, this year’s edition had all the ingredients for a world-class experience. And yet, amid dazzling tech demos and powerful speeches, a few things missed the mark.
From Politics to Silicon Valley
London Tech Week opened with a bang, literally. Keir Starmer, the UK’s Prime Minister, kicked off the event, where he spoke about the UK’s ambition to become a “global tech powerhouse,” underpinned by new investments in AI, education, and cross-border collaboration. His appearance was only confirmed about half an hour before the event started.
What made waves was the fireside chat between Starmer and NVIDIA’s legendary CEO, Jensen Huang. And not because of the Prime Minister, but because Huang was meant to have a 45-minute conversation with Poppy Gustafsson and instead they became a trio on stage.
My personal preference would have been just to have Huang, who was flying off to Vivatech straight after his visit to LTW.
Seeing a world leader and a Silicon Valley titan on stage together felt like watching the future being sketched out in real time
But seeing a world leader and a Silicon Valley titan on stage together, discussing the convergence of policy, ethics, and AI, felt like watching the future being sketched out in real time.
Huang, as always, delivered golden soundbites, calling the UK a "fertile ground for AI innovation." He stressed the importance of partnership between the public and private sectors, with a gentle yet firm nudge towards responsible AI development.
Microsoft's UK CEO, Darren Hardman, delivered a bold keynote. They’ve shifted the conversation from what AI could do to what it’s already doing and, more importantly, what it should never do. Microsoft’s focus on ethical AI was a sign of industry maturity.
Tanuja Randery, VP & Managing Director EMEA, AWS, delivered one of the most compelling keynotes of the week. She painted a vivid picture of AI democratisation and how cloud infrastructure is enabling startups and enterprises alike to innovate at speed. She championed inclusion, diversity, and people as core pillars of AWS’s strategy, and frankly, it was one of the most human-centred tech talks I’ve heard this year so far.
The Booths That Stole the Show
Expo floors are known for buzzing with innovation, three names stood out when it came to Generative AI: AWS, IBM, and Dell Technologies.
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
AWS arrived at London Tech Week like a juggernaut. Their booth was more of an interactive arena, showcasing multiple AI applications, live cloud demos, and an activation experience in partnership with Formula 1, where you could drive a simulator car. I had fun trying to stay on track!
We’re not just a cloud provider anymore. We’re the infrastructure behind tomorrow’s breakthroughs - AWS spokesperson
They had a mini-theatre with different sessions showcasing how AWS customers are integrating generative models across healthcare, finance, and media.
One AWS spokesperson told me, “We’re not just a cloud provider anymore. We’re the infrastructure behind tomorrow’s breakthroughs.”
They highlighted services, which now include powerful tools like Amazon Bedrock, Amazon Q, and SageMaker HyperPod.
IBM
IBM's central message is that trust and transparency are non-negotiable in the age of AI. Their booth showcased Watsonx in action through real-world case studies.
They hosted live demos of AI governance tools, reinforcing IBM’s commitment to making AI explainable and accountable. Their team emphasised that while speed is important, trust is foundational.
Dell Technologies
Dell, in collaboration with NVIDIA, was a journey through the AI lifecycle, from data ingestion to inference, all powered by high-performance Dell infrastructure and NVIDIA GPUs. The demo stations allow visitors to experience how Dell’s end-to-end AI stacks are enabling industries such as automotive, retail, and life sciences to scale their AI initiatives.
They delivered a session on navigating AI governance in regulated industries to learn best practices for operating Gen AI at scale and accelerating the AI journey.
P.S. Nvidia may not have had their booth on site, but their logo was embedded as a partner in multiple booths, including Dell. It's a great way to be still present.
Room for Growth. Let’s Talk Hybrid
As inspiring as the in-person experience was, I left with one major disappointment: the lack of accessibility.
In 2025, I expect a global tech event to be hybrid by default. And yet, days later, I still can’t find a comprehensive replay of the main stage keynotes. No full livestreams. No official on-demand content.
When they said "live streamed", all they meant was within the event itself. If you could not access the main stage, you could see it on a screen like you would at a concert from a different area of the event.
London Tech Week missed a massive opportunity to amplify its voice worldwide
You know me; I love to do my research. After many years of attending live events, one thing I look forward to is going back home and watching the keynotes I missed or rewatching them just in case I missed a key message.
I understand the value of being in the room and the magic of human interaction. This is a reality check; we do live in a connected world where audiences span multiple time zones, continents, and various commitments.
If tech events want to remain globally relevant, hybrid must be essential. For all its brilliance on stage, London Tech Week missed a massive opportunity to amplify its voice worldwide.
Inclusion Still Has Work to Do
No event is without controversy. I was wondering whether to bring this matter to light, but I feel compelled to do so.
This year, LTW faced backlash after reportedly denying entry to a mother with her baby. The response on social media is divided. LTW released a statement a couple of days ago, but the damage is already done.
In an era where we champion DEI and inclusive workspaces, this moment felt out of step with the community LTW claims to represent.
We cannot celebrate innovation without welcoming those who live and work differently
We cannot celebrate innovation without welcoming those who live and work differently.
As we know, tech is not confined to office desks anymore; it’s lived in homes, coffee shops, and, yes, even strollers. Inclusion means designing spaces where working mothers don’t feel like an afterthought.
I don't see this specific occurrence as a negative. I view it as an opportunity to learn how to address these challenges moving forward.
What’s Next for London Tech Week?
London Tech Week 2025 had star power, bold ideas, and powerful technology. It brought the world to London but didn’t fully share London with the world.
The ideas were there. The innovation was real. But in a world craving transparency, accessibility, and inclusivity, LTW has some catching up to do.
Still, as always, I’m hopeful. Because events like this remind us of what’s possible when policy, technology, and people align. The conversations started in London will ripple across boardrooms and Slack channels worldwide.
My question for all of us: If we’re building the future, who are we building it for? And are they in the room or locked outside the door?
