Platform Overview
Understanding how Deep Tech Week is organized and how the platform works.
What is Deep Tech Week?
Deep Tech Week is a decentralized global conference series bringing together founders, investors, researchers, and builders working on breakthrough technologies. Unlike traditional conferences with a single organizer, Deep Tech Week enables the community to host their own events under a shared umbrella.
Deep Tech refers to technologies based on significant scientific or engineering advances: AI/ML, biotech, robotics, quantum computing, advanced materials, space tech, energy, and more.
Conferences vs Events
The platform uses a two-level hierarchy to organize activities.
Conferences
Top-level containers representing a specific edition of Deep Tech Week in a city during a date range.
- Example: "Deep Tech Week SF 2025"
- Spans multiple days (typically 5)
- Has its own speakers and sponsors
- Contains many individual events
Events
Individual sessions, meetups, or activities within a conference.
- Example: "Night of Neurotech"
- Has specific date, time, and venue
- Hosted by organizations or individuals
- Has its own registration
Event Categories
Events are organized into three categories that determine how they appear on the calendar and who can see them.
Mainline
Flagship events, keynotes, and major gatherings. These are the anchor events of each conference day, typically organized by DTW or major partners.
Community
Grassroots events, meetups, workshops, and niche topic discussions. These are organized by community members and cover specific interests within deep tech.
VIP
Invite-only, exclusive events. These require approval to register and are typically limited to verified or trusted users. Often include dinners, closed roundtables, or investor-only sessions.
Event Tiers
Within each category, events can be assigned different tiers that affect their visual prominence on the calendar.
- Headline - Featured prominently at the top of the calendar
- VIP - Displayed in the VIP section, requires verification to view
- Community - Standard community events in the main grid
How Registration Works (Luma)
Deep Tech Week uses Luma as the registration system for all events. When you register for an event:
- You click "Register" on the DTW platform
- You're directed to the Luma event page to complete registration
- Your registration syncs back to DTW automatically via webhooks
- You'll receive confirmation emails from Luma
- Check-in happens through Luma at the event
Why Luma?
- Industry-standard event management for tech events
- Reliable check-in system with QR codes
- Attendee messaging and updates
- Calendar integration (Google, Apple, Outlook)
Event Visibility
Event hosts can control who can see and register for their events.
Public
Visible to everyone, appears on the calendar, open registration (may still require approval).
Unlisted
Not shown on the public calendar, but anyone with the link can view and register.
Private
Only visible to invited users. Registration is by invitation only.
The Calendar Grid
Each conference has a visual calendar showing all events organized by day and category.
- Events appear as tiles with their artwork
- Tiles are organized in columns by day
- Mainline events appear at the top
- Community events fill the grid below
- VIP events are shown in a separate section
- Hover over tiles to see quick event info
- Click to view full details and register