Geeks on a Beach 2015 gets backing from AirAsiaPH

GEEKS on a Beach (Goab), is an international tech confab which returns this August 2015 to Boracay Island, In the event launching at the Azia Suites in Cebu City, Goab organizers announced that AirAsia Philippines CEO Joy Caneba will be giving the keynote address during Goab.

“AirAsia Philippines is excited to take part in an event renowned to be the international summit for tech, start-ups and design in the country. We are more than glad to share our own experience of building tech innovations that enhance the lives of ordinary people,” said Caneba.

Goab has been providing an international platform for start-ups or innovation-driven enterprises, technopreneurs, and designers with a laid back yet productive interaction and discussion on technology, entrepreneurship, and actual business opportunities.

Caneba said that AirAsia Philippines’ backing of Goab is a reaffirmation of the seriousness of its efforts to take roots in the Philippines by supporting its budding tech and start-up communities.

The airline has earned a reputation for making air travel experience more convenient through tech innovations such as the mobile, web, and kiosk check-ins.

Goab’s lead organizer TechTalks.ph, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering Filipino tech entrepreneurs and promoting the Philippine tech sector to the world, emphasized that this year’s event will be about less the hype and more action.

“Our success these past 2 years has pushed Goab to return to Boracay Island this August 20-21 with a triple splash — triple number of innovative minds, triple funding opportunities, and triple doses of fun,” said Tina Amper, TechTalks.ph founder.

Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), the country’s leading wireless service provider, and IdeaSpace, the largest privately-backed early stage start-up incubator in the country, have also consistently supported Goab for the past three years since the event’s first staging in Boracay.

“This year marks a transition of the Philippine start-up ecosystem – from potentials to success stories. The 3rd Geeks on a Beach will be as exciting as ever as we go back to Boracay – a convergence of the best minds in the country with the best beach in the world.” said Earl Martin S. Valencia, president at IdeaSpace and VP for corporate innovation and strategy at Smart.

Also expressing support in behalf of the Smart Developer Network is Paul Amerigo Pajo, senior manager and developer evangelist at Smart. “Developers want to meet start-ups and in turn Start-ups want to meet developers. Geeks on a Beach are one of the few events that cater to both.”

“Smart and IdeaSpace have been with us from the very beginning. And now we also have AirAsia with us. We are very happy to have more and more businesses, seasoned entrepreneurs, and even people from government backing Goab,” said Amper.

She said that twenty tech champs in the world have so far confirmed their attendance to speak before an expected 600 participants from across the globe.

Some of the speakers include IdeaSpace President, Earl Valencia; Monk’s Hill Ventures Managing Director, Kuo-Yi Lim; Kickstart Ventures President, Minette Navarrete; Rappler CEO, Maria Ressa; Smart Communications Developer Evangelist, Paul Pajo; Department of Science and Technology-Information and Communication Technology Office (Dost-ICTO) Deputy Executive Director, Mon Ibrahim; and 500 Start-ups Managing Partner, Khailee Ng.

TechTalks.ph and the Dost-ICTO have partnered once again with Sym.ph, Happy Garaje, and PRWorks for the third Goab, and major partnerships with Smart through the Smart Developer Network, IdeaSpace, Microsoft, and Monk’s Hill Ventures.