Google Cloud Next
A global exhibition of inspiration, innovation and education
Venue
Tobacco Dock
Location
London, United Kindom
Event Type
Conference + Exhibition
Google Cloud Next is the brand’s annual flagship event. Designed to bring together industry pioneers to help shape the future of the Cloud, the event typically includes an itinerary of keynotes, breakout sessions, codelabs and training – as well as the opportunity to network with Googlers and the wider Google Cloud partner ecosystem.
Taking place for the first time since 2019, Google Cloud Next 2023 was hosted across a number of global hubs, including San Francisco, Tokyo and London - the flagship event for Europe.
( Challenge )
Next, now
From 2019 to 2023 a huge amount had changed for Google Cloud, its partners, prospects and the wider tech world. The breakneck advance of AI represented both an existential threat and a golden opportunity for stakeholders across the diverse Cloud ecosystem.
Google Cloud’s challenge was to create an event for 2,000 attendees over two days that allowed them to confidently demonstrate thought leadership in this area, whilst still facilitating natural conversations amongst its audience of experts. Authentically acknowledging the fact that whilst AI is a constantly moving target, Google Cloud can help create the space for natural human collaboration and tangible business value.
( Strategic Spark )
AI Alive
Whilst for some, the rapid evolution of AI might feel chaotic…for Google Cloud it feels alive. This was the ethos that was brought to bear across Google Cloud Next London 2023 - a feeling of vibrant, positive community - an atmosphere and experience designed to live and breathe inspiration.
An environment that could flex and flow with the cadence of a natural, living ecosystem. A bubbling wellspring of discovery, insight, opportunity and likeminded positivity.
( Solution )
A nexus of experiences
From the outset, we wanted our venue to complement our vision, with location playing a huge role in communicating the idea of ‘alive’, selecting Tobacco Dock as a unique - and uniquely ownable - nexus of commerce and conversation. A venue of unique personality: a space of glass and air, both enclosed and exposed and with a rich and storied history.
The event hit all the beats of a Google Cloud Next experience, with an intimate yet dramatic keynote stage, a variety of breakout sessions geared towards different audience specialisms, and a vibrant and buzzing partner showcase area. Generative AI played a huge role in proceedings, with Google-led sessions to help demystify the topic in a practical and engaging manner. Select media were also able to experience Project Skyline, Google’s unique holographic meeting space.
Data clinics, hackathons, AI-drone racing and the Nextival Happy Hour networking drinks all came together in one place to make this feel like a truly living ecosystem of positive possibilities, clustered around the promise of AI and the Cloud.
With over 2,000 happy visitors, 40 Google Cloud partner exhibitors and a mirrored experience tailored to public sector guests, Google Cloud Next 2023 truly felt alive.
