re:publica attracts enthusiasts from across the world, who come together to exchange ideas and to network. We want to promote this even more this year and have come up with a new idea: check out our brand new networking area at #rpTEN and attend meetups and lightning talks!

Each year, re:publica welcomes new people to our community and we to make it as easy as possible for newcomers to find their way into the large and diverse event programme. The conference is a place to network with visitors from all whole host of backgrounds – we want to support and contribute to this.

Meetups are designed as interaction and communication spaces for like-minded people at re:publica. We provide the space for small groups, focusing on specific topics or projects, to come together and get to know each other. In order to cater to all the numerous communities at re:publica, the meetups will take place in 30 minute slots. There will be two meetup areas at the conference. The slots will be scheduled during the full conference days and listed in the event programme, so that you won't miss your favourite event.

The second part of our networking initiative are our lightning talks. This format sees participants taking their place in front of a large monitor and giving a short, 30 minute talk on an important project. The actual talk should be no longer than 5 minutes, with the rest of the time allocated to networking, feedback and audience questions. re:publica will feature two lightning talk areas and the slots will, of course, be featured in the event programme.

These two networking formats will be hosted in a dedicated networking area, which will be located in the far-end section of STATION Berlin and thus slightly more shielded from the fray of the main hall exhibition area. It's designed to be the perfect location for re:connecting and to discuss big issues in a smaller round. This area will be the home for lighting talks and meetups and will also feature catering options, so that you can grab a few drinks while talking about important issues. We hope to create the right conditions for you to come together in a relaxed atmosphere.

Photo credit: thanks a lot to mompl — re:publica 2015 (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)