Two kinds of events you can host
Whichever fits your city and your moment — an intimate founders' dinner or a broader community gathering. We help you run either one end to end.
The IC Dinner
Typically a side event at a major conference — an intimate dinner for startup founders and operators. No investors allowed. The table is built for intimacy between the people actually running startups, so the room stays candid, peer-to-peer, and genuinely useful.
See a sample IC Dinner →
The IC Meet Up
A community gathering in your city — everyone is invited, founders, operators, corporates, angels and investors alike. An afternoon of candid panels and open networking that brings your whole local FoodTech ecosystem into one room.
Lead your local FoodTech community
Hosting isn't just throwing a dinner — it's putting yourself at the center of the conversation, and bringing the people who matter to your table.
Become a recognized leader
Establish yourself as a central figure and the go-to convener in your local FoodTech ecosystem. Hosting puts your name on the room — and keeps you at the heart of the relationships that form there.
Access the people who matter
Bring investors, corporates, and strategic partners who want to be in the room to your table — and build the relationships that move your work, and your community, forward.
You're never hosting alone
We've run these dinners on four continents. When you host, you get the whole machine behind you — so you can focus on the people in the room.
A proven event playbook
The full template — format, run-of-show, house rules, and invitations — the same blueprint behind every FTW event, whether it's a dinner in your city or a side event at a conference you're attending. No starting from scratch.
Recruitment support
We help you fill the room with the right founders, operators, and guests — drawing on our global FoodTech Weekly network so every seat counts.
A global brand behind you
Host under FoodTech Weekly — a name the industry already knows. You get instant credibility, recognition, and reach that opens doors on your behalf.
Logistics handled — including payments
We take on the operational load, including collecting registrations and taking payments — corporate credit cards included — so the money and the admin are never your problem.
Co-host with us — you're never on your own
Hosting with FTW isn't exclusive. Co-host with your partners and other organizations, and plug into a global network of hosts who have your back anywhere in the world.
Co-host, don't compete
Being an FTW host isn't exclusive to other organizations. We're happy to co-host with your partners, accelerators, funds, and communities — bring whoever makes the room better.
A global network of co-hosts
You tap into a worldwide community of FTW co-hosts — so you've got a warm connection and a partner on the ground in almost any city you land in.
See every global guest list
As a co-host you get access to the attendee list of all global FTW events — so when you need to reach someone, you already know they're one warm connection away.
To launch a city program, we look for two co-hosts — a pair who share the network and the load — committed to running at least two events across the year. That's the threshold that turns a one-off into a real local community. If it's just you so far, we'll help you find your co-host.
What hosting actually asks of you
We run the machine — but a great room still needs a local champion. Here's the part that's yours.
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Bring the roomSecure a venue that fits your city and the moment — a private dining room, a rooftop, a tucked-away restaurant. We'll help you choose.
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Fill the seatsDraw on your local network to bring the founders, operators, and partners who make the night worth showing up for — we back you with ours.
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Host on the nightBe the face in the room: welcome guests, make the introductions, and set the tone. This is where you become the convener.
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Commit to at least two a yearPick your dates — quiet weeks in your city, or the sidelines of conferences you're already attending. We ask for at least two events across the year to keep the community alive; beyond that, the pace is yours.
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Bang the drumShare the invite with your community and personally reach out to the people you most want in the room.
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Keep it candidProtect the house rules that make FTW work — the right mix of people, no pitching, no hard sell. That's what people come back for.
Who makes a great host
You don't need to have run events before. You need to be the kind of person your local FoodTech scene already gravitates toward.
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You're well-connected locallyYou know the founders, investors, and operators in your city's food and agtech scene — or you're the person determined to.
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You're a natural convenerPeople enjoy being in rooms you put together. You're comfortable making introductions and working a table.
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You're close to the industryYou work in FoodTech, invest in it, or build for it — enough to know who matters and what's worth talking about.
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You're reliableWhen you commit to a date, it happens. Guests trust the invite because they trust you.
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You want to lead, not just attendYou're looking to be at the center of your community — not on the sidelines of someone else's event.
Build a small team around you
The best hosts recruit a handful of people who love this work. These are the roles that make an event sing — one person can happily wear two hats, and a volunteer or two covers the rest.
The Networker
Knows everyone worth knowing and loves the intro. Owns the guest list and makes sure the right people are in the room.
The Host
The warm face on the night. Greets every guest, works the room, and keeps the energy up from first arrival to last drink.
The Organiser
Keeps the trains running — venue, timing, run-of-show, the small details that make the whole thing feel effortless.
The Promoter
Gets the word out — posts, personal invites, follow-ups — so the room fills and the buzz outlives the night.
From first call to full room
Becoming an FTW host is quick — most first events land on the calendar within a few weeks.
Book a call
Tell us your city, your community, and the kind of event you want to run. A quick 1:1 to see if it's a fit — it almost always is.
Get the playbook
We hand you the full template — format, run-of-show, house rules, and invites — and set you up with everything you need.
Fill the room
You bring your local network; we open ours. Together we lock the venue, the date, and the guest list.
Host the night
You welcome the room and make the connections. We handle registrations, payments, and logistics in the background.
The rooms you'll be building
Real founders, operators, and partners — from Barcelona to the Bay Area.
The best things in FoodTech start around a table
The deals, the hires, the co-founders, the rounds — almost none of them start on a stage. They start in a room small enough that people can actually talk. A dinner. A late drink. A conversation that wouldn't have happened if someone hadn't put the two of you in the same place.
That someone is the host. For six years FTW has been quietly building those rooms across four continents — and every one of them existed because a local champion decided their city deserved one.
When you host, you're not throwing a party. You're deciding that the founders near you should have somewhere to belong, that capital should reach them faster, and that you're the person who makes it happen. We'll bring everything else. You bring the room — and the will to lead it.
Everything you're wondering
Still deciding? Here's what most hosts ask before their first event.
What does it cost me to host?
Nothing out of pocket. We handle registrations and take payments — including corporate cards — so the event funds itself and the admin is never on you.
How much time does it take?
Less than you'd think. You bring the room and the guest list; we bring the playbook and the logistics. Most hosts spend a few hours across a couple of weeks per event.
Do I need to have run events before?
No. If you know your local community and people trust your invite, we'll teach you the rest — the playbook does the heavy lifting.
How many events do I have to run?
We ask for at least two a year — enough to build real momentum and turn a one-off into a genuine local community. Beyond that, the pace is yours.
Do I need a co-host?
To launch a city program we look for two co-hosts who'll share the network and the load. If you don't have a partner yet, we'll help you find the right one — you don't have to have them lined up before you reach out.
What kind of event can I host?
Either an intimate IC Dinner — a side event at a conference, founders and operators only, no investors in the room — or a broader IC Meet Up that's open to everyone, corporates, angels and investors included. We'll help you pick the right one for your city.
Can I co-host with my own organization?
Absolutely. Hosting with FTW isn't exclusive — bring your accelerator, fund, or community as a co-host. You'll also plug into our global network of co-hosts wherever you travel.
Which cities can I host in?
Anywhere. We've run events on four continents and are actively adding cities — if FoodTech happens where you are, you can host there.
What do I get out of it?
You become the recognized convener of your local FoodTech scene, with a global brand behind you, access to every FTW guest list, and the relationships that form in a room you built.
Ready to host?
Tell us your city — or the conference you're heading to — and the community you want to bring together. We'll walk you through the playbook and get your first event on the calendar.