10 impressive things you should not have missed at STEP2018

With four focused conferences, more than 250 startups on display, activities, live music, entertainment, meet-ups, special invite-only events, and a takeover at Dubai Internet City during the two days of the gathering, STEP Conference 2018 saw the birth of a new format.

Tackling the latest in each of their industries, STEP Start, Money, X, and Digital paired the buzzing and trending topics with the right people you needed to talk to.

And there was more. This year's edition was served with a large dose of interaction, and if you made it across the entire venue, you definitely came across some - if not all - of our top 10 impressive things you should not have missed at STEP2018.

Let's take a look below:

By now, you probably heard about the Pepsi Smart Cart. Roaming around STEP2018 was the first-of-its-kind autonomous smart cart interacting with attendees and delivering refreshments and snacks around the hour. 

The brain guiding the cart was Pepsi’s very own intelligence center which collected data from all over DIC and AUD.

Precisely at noon, the best place to be at was the Dubai Internet City lakes. Hundreds of the iconic yellow rubber ducks were released and all you had to do to score a noon discount was to grab yourself a duckie.

How many did you catch?

The new VW Arteon hosted some of the most interesting mentorship sessions at STEP2018. A fleet of eye-catching sedans zoomed around with some of this year's top mentors and mentees driving or riding shotgun for a 1on1 session with #MeetTheMentors.

Like every year, STEP held its flagship Pitch Competition for some of the most interesting startups showcasing at STEP2018. 

This year’s shine was stolen by many, but Kuwait-based digital platform Nabta Health came up top to win this year's prize!

STEP2018's most buzzing hotspot was - without a doubt - STEP Start. 

Hosting over 200 showcasing startups, this year's stage that was curated in collaboration with Wamda saw dynamism and energy that sent entrepreneurship waves across the region!

The main stage at the conference saw some of the most interesting fireside chats take place. Names like Facebook's Mark D’Arcy, Fadi Yaish, and Manal Rostom sparked eye-opening conversations that set the pace for STEP2018.

Blockchain in advertising brought the hottest topic in tech into the digital mix, making the STEP Digital stage a buzzword of its own. 

This stage also hosted OMD's curated segment as well as talks with Unilever's Asad Ur Rehman on the best practices in today's digital world.

A concentrated, comprehensive, and packed drill-down of all things in current and future tech made it across the STEP X stage. 

Leading regional and global experts debated and answered topics ranging from Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Smart Cities, to Hyperloop and mobility.

FinTech fanatics found a home at STEP2018. The year's most talked-about advancements, blockchain, and cryptocurrency were the main attraction at STEP Money. 

Ripple's Sagar Sarbhai shared the story of the company, and along with other experts, they discussed what the future of money holds.

To cool off from the day's heat, ON42 hosted this year's STEP Music on both days of the event. 

STEP2018 attendees had access to the region's up and coming talents as they performed some of the most refreshing alternative tunes.

Sign up for a 2-for-1 discount code for STEP 2019 here!