# weXelerate × Future Forward 2026
## Research Brief + Client Questions

_Compiled: 2026-03-16 | For: Lukas × Lisa Wolf campaign brief_

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## What We Know About the Event

### Future Forward 2026
- **Date:** Thursday, November 26, 2026
- **Format:** One-day flagship conference
- **Location:** weXelerate Innovation Hub, Vienna (Praterstrasse 1)
- **Status:** Save-the-date out. Speakers, themes, partners TBA.

### Event DNA (from past editions)
- **Positioning:** "The most impactful innovation event for innovation in Austria"
- **Tagline pattern:** "Navigate to the Unknown" (2024, 2025)
- **Core themes:** AI & automation, business resilience, sustainability, culture shifts, future of funding, corporates × startups
- **Audience:** Corporates, startups, investors, public stakeholders — European + international reach
- **Scale (2024 data):** 40+ startups, 3 deep-dive tracks, startup pitch arena, matchmaking sessions, networking party

### Past Edition Highlights
| Year | Date | Notable |
|------|------|---------|
| 2022 | Nov | First edition |
| 2023 | Nov 22 | Innovation Hub, 900+ attendees |
| 2024 | Nov 28 | 40+ startups, humanoid robots, AI Austria track, Amazon track, UNIQA track |
| 2025 | Nov 27 | Fellows Club, Google partnership, Vienna Business Agency co-host |
| 2026 | Nov 26 | **Our campaign target** |

### Past Sponsors / Partners (reference)
Israel Embassy, Israel Innovation Authority, WKO, FFG, Gigabit Academy, Bundesministerium für Finanzen, aws Austria Wirtschaftsservice, Google Cloud, UNIQA, Amazon, TU Wien, AI Austria, Vienna Business Agency

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## Questions for Lisa Wolf — Campaign Brief

### 1. Strategic Goals
- What does success look like for Future Forward 2026? (attendance #, revenue, media reach, sponsor logos?)
- Is the priority this year: ticket sales, sponsor acquisition, media coverage, or community growth?
- Is there a new theme or angle for 2026 that differentiates it from past editions?

### 2. Audience & Reach
- Who is the primary ticket buyer — corporate innovation leads, startup founders, investors?
- What's the geographic reach target — Vienna/Austria, DACH, all of Europe?
- Are there specific industries or segments you're trying to break into this year?

### 3. Campaign Scope
- What channels are in scope? (social media, email, paid ads, PR, partnerships, OOH?)
- Do you have an existing content calendar or media plan we'd integrate into, or is this greenfield?
- What assets already exist? (brand guidelines, past event footage, speaker decks, photography)

### 4. Competitive + Positioning
- How do you want Future Forward to feel vs. other Austrian innovation events (ViennaUP, pioneers festival)?
- Is there a specific narrative or story you want this year's campaign to tell?

### 5. Timeline & Budget
- What are the key campaign milestones? (speaker announcements, ticket launch, early bird deadline, day-of coverage)
- What's the approximate campaign budget range?
- Any agency or team relationships already in place we'd be working alongside?

### 6. CE Fit — What We Bring
- Are you looking for brand identity work, content creation, social media execution, or a full campaign?
- Would you be open to CE acting as a design partner — meaning we shape the visual language and content strategy for the event, not just execute assets?

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## Notes for Lukas
- 2025 website still live at futureforward.at — good reference for tone, structure, past speakers
- Event has a Media Kit — ask Lisa to share it
- Past tracks were hosted by partners (Amazon, UNIQA, AI Austria) — sponsorship model, not just tickets
- The event has b2match matchmaking built in — there may be a tech/platform angle