Reviving an event is never easy, especially one as beloved as Lambda World. For us at Yay-Yay Events, stepping in to organize the 2024 edition came after reaching an agreement with the team at Xebia (formerly 47 Degrees). They entrusted us with the event’s organization while continuing as its main sponsor. This collaboration brought fresh energy but also a great sense of responsibility.
Lambda World has always been the gold standard for us—the model we aspire to when organizing our other events like J On The Beach and Wey Wey Web. It’s the paradigm of a well-run tech event: where attendees feel like family, small details matter, and a sense of belonging permeates the experience. Taking on this legacy was both inspiring and humbling.
We also want to acknowledge that this blog post is coming a couple of months after the event. Organizing Lambda World in Cádiz followed closely by Wey Wey Web, which we wrapped up just last week, proved to be a massive challenge for our small team. Managing multiple large-scale events in such a short period isn’t something we’re used to, and it took us some time to catch our breath and reflect properly on the Lambda World experience.
Adjusting Expectations
Initially, we hoped for around 400 attendees, considering the 800 participants of the last Lambda World in 2019. However, we ended up with just 200—a quarter of the previous edition. It was humbling, but we’re proud of what we achieved.
Thankfully, the team at the Palacio de Congresos worked with us to adjust our reserved spaces to smaller, more appropriate venues without exceeding our budget. We had also planned a closing concert at the Castillo de San Sebastián, but we decided to cancel it to avoid extra costs.
The Three-Day Format: Complexity and Lessons Learned
This year, we retained the three-day format from the 2019 edition, which made the event even more complex to manage. Organizing an event for three consecutive days, particularly one of this scale, means managing more logistics, dealing with attendee fatigue, and coordinating speakers and workshops. The added complexity was especially challenging for us since it was our first time organizing an event outside of Málaga. Even though Cádiz may seem close, the geographical distance and logistical challenges of managing such an event in a new city made everything more difficult.
Starting with workshops, including free and paid options, added an extra layer of logistical challenges. While the “Canela” workshops, included with the general admission ticket, sold out quickly, paid workshops also saw solid interest. However, not all attendees read the details about accessing workshops, leading to some confusion and frustration. This is something we’ll revisit for future editions to ensure smoother communication.
Diversity Matters
Diversity has always been a priority for Lambda World, and this year we tried to improve inclusivity by offering three free tickets to underrepresented groups in the tech sector. Despite this, the diversity of attendees left room for improvement.
- Gender breakdown:
- 11.85% women
- 3% non-binary or preferred not to disclose
- 85.15% men
From a nationality perspective, we had a strong international presence:
- 30% of attendees came from Spain, while others travelled from the United Kingdom (13.5%), Portugal (6.87%), Germany (4.76%), and the Netherlands (4.76%).
While the speaker lineup was quite diverse, these numbers remind us there’s still work to be done in making the event more inclusive and representative of the tech community.
Financial Overview
Organizing Lambda World this year came with a price tag of €52,000, distributed as follows:
Revenue:
- Ticket sales: €34,000
- Sponsors: €14,000
- Total: €48,000
Expenses:
- Venue and Wi-Fi: €8,000
- Food and catering: €11,000
- Speakers’ travel and accommodation: €12,000
- Decorations and welcome bags: €8,000
- Video and photography: €6,000
- Other expenses (promotion, management, web development, etc.): €7,000
This left us with a €4,000 deficit, a far better result than initially expected, thanks to careful cost management and last-minute adjustments.
However, when we factor in labour costs—which amounted to approximately €20,000—the financial outcome was far more challenging, resulting in a significant €25,000 loss. These numbers are quite terrifying, and we’re hopeful that next year we can at least break even to compensate for such a large investment. We trust that the community and businesses will continue to support us in making this event sustainable. SUPPORT YOUR LAMBDA VIBE!
Gratitude to Our Community
What truly kept us going was the unwavering support from the Lambda World community. We couldn’t have done this without the incredible commitment of the organizing committee—Juan Manuel Serrano, Alejandro Serrano, David Gómez, Zainab Ali, and Raúl Raja. A special shoutout also goes to Carlos Sierra, who stepped in as a volunteer at the last moment, and to Jorge Galindo and Benjy Montoya, whose presence at the inauguration moved us deeply.
Looking Ahead
Despite the challenges, the feedback we received from attendees was phenomenal. Many speakers expressed their desire to return for future editions, and even some sponsors were happy despite the lower-than-expected turnout. The smiles, camaraderie, and encouragement have inspired us to continue.
We’re excited to announce that Lambda World will return in 2025! If this year was about rebuilding, next year will be about growing stronger and smarter.
Get your ticket now for Lambda World 2025!
Thank you to everyone who made this year possible. Let’s build an even brighter future together.
Luis Sánchez de Ybargüen
Event Director at Yay-Yay Events