Need to organize a tech event and don’t know where to start? No problem. The first step is choosing the venue, especially for this kind of event, which typically involves many guests and often requires large spaces for innovative product launches or to offer participants a unique tech experience.
Here’s how to choose the right venue for your next tech event in Milan..
Tech event venue: Why choose Milan
Milan has always been recognized as the epicenter of fashion, luxury, and innovation. Choosing this city as the hub for your tech event means securing a highly prestigious position in Italy’s tech scene. A great example is the Digital Design Days which brought topics like Artificial Intelligence, the Metaverse, and Spatial Computing to Superstudio Più in the heart of the Tortona district. Another is One Plus which chose the same venue for its Global Summer Launch Event, unveiling its latest products to the world. Organizing an event in Milan also allows you to leverage a highly connected transport and mobility network (airports, metro, tram, buses, trains) and on the value of environmental sustainability, embraced for many years now.
Not only that: Milan has a strong international appeal, hosting many high-profile events that draw global audiences, such as Milan Fashion Week, Milan Design Week with Salone del Mobile.Milano and the various Fuorisalone initiatives, and the more recent Milano Digital Week which confirms the city’s focus on this sector. Planning a tech event in Milan means benefiting from this international resonance and a large, qualified audience.
Renting Tech Event Spaces in Milan: How to Choose the Right Venue
Milan offers a variety of impressive and functional locations to host tech events of any size. If you’re organizing a tech-sector event for your company, choosing the venue is a fundamental step.
Here 8 key factors to consider at this stage:
1 | Type of Event
The choice of venue largely depends on the type of event you’re organizing, as each format requires specific spaces and equipment for an optimal experience.
- Conferences and summits: venues with large, flexible spaces and high capacity, equipped with podiums, stages, and state-of-the-art audio-visual technology. Consider breakout rooms for workshops and parallel sessions to encourage interaction and in-depth learning.
- Meetups and hackathons: informal and flexible environments that encourage creativity and collaboration. Lounge areas, catering services, and customizable setups enhance the experience.
- Product launches: modern and elegant spaces that support impactful set designs and adjustable lighting. Include demo areas and networking zones to foster direct interaction with the audience.
2 | Target Audience
Your venue choice also depends on your target audience. Understanding your audience is key to ensuring the environment matches their expectations and needs.
- Professionals or enthusiasts: prestigious central venues with excellent hospitality services.
- Startups and young talent: industrial-style venues with informal, stimulating atmospheres and affordable pricing.
- International audience: easily accessible venues with translation services, interpreters, and multilingual signage.
3 | Available Budget
The budget is a crucial factor in event planning. Effective cost management lets you balance quality and resources without compromising the experience.
- Carefully evaluate space rental, equipment hire, setup, catering, and technical support costs to get a full picture of the main expenses.
- Don’t forget additional costs, such as permits, insurance, and security services.
4 | Desired Atmosphere
Venue, decor, and catering should reflect the event’s style and objectives, helping to create the desired atmosphere.
- Elegant and professional: refined furnishings and gourmet catering.
- Modern and innovative: bright, minimalist spaces with vegetarian and vegan catering options.
- Creative and informal: original, personalized environments with street food-inspired catering.
5 | Technological Equipment
Technology is essential to the success of any event, especially in the tech industry.
- Ensure high-speed, stable Wi-Fi and proper wiring for PC and laptop stations. Look for HD screens and advanced projection systems for flawless presentations.
- Make sure that the venue offers a sufficient number of electric sockets, strategically placed and easily accessible.
6 | Accessibility
Accessibility is crucial to encouraging participation and ensuring the event’s success.
- Choose a venue that’s easy to reach by both public which private transport, with ample parking or nearby garage agreements.
- Ensure there are no architectural barriers, and that the venue is fully accessible for people with disabilities.
7 | Additional Services
For a seamless and well-curated experience, consider extra services that can enhance organization and event flow.
- In addition to catering, think about hiring hosts/hostesses and security, and consider themed decorations to create a welcoming, immersive setting.
- Ensure the availability of technical support, including IT assistance and staff specialized in managing audio-video equipment.
8 | Flexibility and Customization
A venue’s flexibility is key to the success of a tech event. Being able to adapt spaces to needs and last-minute changes allows for a tailored experience aligned with your goals and audience.
- The venue should be easily customizable and adaptable to your event’s format.
- The space should be modular, so that it could allow the division of large spaces into smaller, private areas or vice versa—merging rooms for larger solutions.
The space management should be dynamic, so that the same room in multiple ways throughout the day or reconfiguring it even last-minute to handle unexpected needs
Google Cloud, for instance, chose Superstudio Più as the venue for its tech event, the Google Cloud Summit, due to its extreme versatility. Using all the ground floor rooms—totaling 5.700 sqm—Google Cloud benefited from highly customizable modular spaces. In constant dialogue with the client, the Superstudio Events team adapted areas not typically used for events and paid attention to every detail, such as creating chairs in Google’s iconic colors, to deliver a unique and memorable experience.
How to organize a tech event in 7 step
Once you've chosen the most suitable location, the first step is to brainstorming not only internally within the company, but also with those managing the venue. They’ll share materials (photos, case histories, floorplans, renderings) from past events to help you visualize the final effect.
The second step is the feasibility study carried out by the venue provider: with the help of floorplans, the event is laid out to bring the concept to life.
Next, define how to divide the space and what systems to use for setups. Common methods include wooden walls, curtains, or drapes, though often alternative, quick-assembly, and reusable materials are preferred. Also consider unique experiences you want to offer—like large, ultra-HD LED walls to create animations that interact with speakers.
Step four is selecting reliable suppliers , not only for catering but more importantly for lighting, video, animations, and interactive experiences.
Don’t forget about paperwork, prepare all required documentation depending on the event type, number of attendees, and the presence of any special setups like suspended structures.
Then comes attendee management. First impressions matter, and guest reception is crucial. Among the Superstudio Events digital services there is SMART PASS, a digital registration and access control service that simplifies check-in and ensures a smooth, secure experience—including queue management at the cloakroom.
Last but not least theengagement between visitors and exhibitors, especially in high-tech events. At Superstudio Events, this is simplified with CONNECT, a mobile platform that facilitates interaction and provides essential event information. A virtual space where connect
How Much Does It Cost to Organize a Tech Event in Milan?
To estimate the budget for a tech event in Milan, consider:
- Fee for the venue.
- The kind of event. High-tech experiences are costlier than simple conventions
- Number of attendees.
- Number of staff and suppliers involved (suppliers, hostess and all the people that make the event possible).
- The period of the year: peak periods like the holidays may be more expensive due to higher venue demand
Milan Digital Week: A Mega Digital and Tech Event
The Milano Digital Week is an annual event promoting digital culture andtechnological innovation. Organized by the City of Milan with numerous partners, it takes place from October 10–14, 2024, across various city locations.
It features events, workshops, conferences, labs, and interactive activities exploring the digital world and new technologies. Participants range from citizens to professionals, schools to universities, startups to large corporations. Topics includes: sustainability, smart cities, AI and cybersecurity, e-commerce and social innovation.
It’s a crucial moment for Milan, offering a platform for sharing and growth with potential economic and social impact. An opportunity to seize for tech-sector companies or any organization wanting to showcase its digital side.
