Itaú: “Web Summit has a diversity of stakeholders and a size today that is incomparable in Brazil”

Itaú, a centennial Brazilian brand, considers Web Summit Rio an essential environment for fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. Over a four-year partnership, the bank’s presence has matured into a consistent strategy.

Rodrigo Montesano, Head of Brand Experience at Itaú, talked about how the bank’s goals at Web Summit Rio 2026 combined high-level networking and content generation.

“Itaú recently celebrated 100 years, and I like to say that a company doesn’t reach 100 years if it doesn’t have the capacity to look to the future, reinvent itself, and innovate. Modern brands can’t just talk; they have to listen.”

Rodrigo Montesano, Head of Brand Experience at Itaú, speaks on the Marketing Summit stage.

Connecting clients and generating business

With a booth optimized for interactions and dialogue, and talks across the main stages, they found the perfect space to engage their audience and facilitate meaningful conversations about the future of entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence.

“There are brand objectives, there are business objectives, which, of course, continue after the conversations that start here, but there is this space for us to share what Itaú is doing, listen to people, generate business, and, most importantly, connect our clients.”

Connections, content, and plenty of coffee: attendees networking at the bustling Itaú stand.

Itaú’s multidisciplinary team takes the spotlight at the event. By fully immersing themselves, they effectively amplify the bank’s key themes across media and stakeholders while building direct connections with a wide array of companies and startups.

Milton Maluhy Filho, CEO, Itaú Unibanco, on the Corporate Innovation Summit stage.

The Brazil advantage

Key to Itaú’s strategy is how effortlessly the event bridges global reach with local relevance. While Web Summit Rio delivers a world-class international experience, it has been brilliantly “tropicalized” to resonate with the Brazilian tech ecosystem, creating an incomparable platform for connection and growth.

Itaú stand served as a central hub for networking at Web Summit Rio.

For Itaú, the partnership with Web Summit is more than just a sponsorship; it works like a headlining stage at an innovation festival, providing a massive scale for content generation and acting as a critical relationship tool in a globalized world.

“To understand the value, you have to walk the floor, see the booths, and immerse yourself in the content. Brazil’s key drivers of innovation are all here. Without a doubt, it’s the place to be.”

Itaú brings technology, startups, and the innovation community together.

Maximizing reach with the “Away from Stage” schedule

Web Summit allows top-tier partners to integrate their independent programming into the official event app under the “Away from Stage” category.

Over the course of the event, Itaú showcased 25 of these specialized sessions. These covered a wide array of strategic and future-focused topics, including The Professional of the Future and How AI scales financial advisory hosted directly by Itaú Unibanco S.A. To further amplify their ecosystem, the schedule also highlighted key discussions such as Smart Cities: Redefining global connections, Billions available for energy innovation, and Circular economy in tourism (hosted by Embratur & Itaipu Parquetec).

Itaú took full advantage of this top-tier feature. By seamlessly placing their programming directly onto the main attendee schedule, they drove targeted, highly interested footfall straight to their booth, perfectly aligning with their goals of connecting with their audience and generating business leads.

Ready to position your brand alongside industry giants and global tech leaders? Explore Web Summit Rio partnership and exhibition opportunities today.