Privacy Symposium

What Privacy Symposium does

Privacy Symposium is an annual international conference organization that hosts a flagship data governance event in Venice, Italy, founded in 2022 and operated with a lean team of approximately five employees based in Geneva, Switzerland. The conference brings together over 300 data protection authorities, regulators, academics, and industry experts to discuss data governance, regulatory compliance, and innovative technologies, with programme tracks covering AI & Compliance, Data Regulations in Practice, Health & Medical Data, Economy & Compliance Value, DPO & Bar Associations, and Freedom of Expression & Content Moderation. The event is held under the patronage of the European Parliament, European Data Protection Supervisor, Italian Supervisory Authority (GPDP), French CNIL, and Luxembourgish CNPD, with the secretariat provided by Mandat International and academic support from Ca' Foscari University of Venice.

The business model is event-driven, generating revenue through conference registration fees and multi-tier corporate sponsorship (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Other), with platinum-tier sponsors including Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and TikTok. The organization offers certificates of attendance that facilitate Data Protection Officer compliance with Article 38 GDPR training obligations, and has expanded distribution through online sessions enabling remote participation. The leadership comprises Sébastien Ziegler as Chair (also founder and Director General of Mandat International) and Luca Bolognini as co-chair (also President of the Italian Institute for Privacy), with institutional support from EU Horizon Europe and Swiss SERI research funding.

Privacy Symposium does not operate a technology platform or proprietary software product; its core "product" is the annual conference experience and associated programme content. Editions are confirmed through April 2027, and the organization distributes content through its official website, YouTube channel, LinkedIn page, and email newsletter, while leveraging an extensive partner network for promotion.

Name

Privacy Symposium

Legal name

Privacy Symposium

Website

https://privacysymposium.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Privacy Symposium is an annual international conference organization founded in 2022 that hosts a flagship data governance and regulatory compliance event in Venice, Italy, serving over 300 data protection authorities, privacy professionals, and academics through a multi-track programme and corporate sponsorship from major technology firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Privacy and Data Governance Conferences

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Government & Public Sector Conferences (MPAGAGAH), Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management (THAHACAM), Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD)

Keywords

• Data governance conference
• Privacy compliance events
• Data protection summit
• GDPR training forums
• Regulatory conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

Venice

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration and Sponsorship: Privacy Symposium generates revenue through conference registration fees and corporate sponsorship. The event features multiple sponsorship tiers (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Other) with major technology companies including Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and TikTok as sponsors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Privacy Symposium organizes an annual five-day international conference in Venice, Italy bringing together more than 300 data protection authorities, regulators, experts and industry participants to discuss data governance, regulatory compliance and emerging technologies such as AI. The core deliverable is the conference programme — keynote sessions, deep-dive tracks, online sessions, and an exhibition area — complemented by certificates of attendance that help Data Protection Officers document training under Article 38 GDPR.

Product overview

Privacy Symposium is an annual conference organization that hosts a major international event in Venice, Italy focused on data governance, regulatory compliance, and innovative technologies. The core product is the Privacy Symposium Conference, which runs editions annually (with upcoming editions in April 2026 and April 2027). The conference offers multiple programme tracks including AI & Compliance, Data Regulations in Practice, Health & Medical Data, DPO & Bar Associations, Deep Dive In Sessions, and Freedom of Expression & Content Moderation. Additional offerings include Online Sessions for remote participation, Certificates of Attendance for GDPR compliance purposes, and an Exhibition Area for sponsors. The event brings together over 300 data protection authorities, experts, and professionals for knowledge sharing and dialogue on international data governance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Privacy Symposium Conference (Venice) Annual five-day international conference held in Venice, Italy, bringing together 300+ data protection authorities, regulators, experts and industry participants for keynotes, programme tracks and networking on data governance, regulatory compliance and emerging technologies such as AI. Editions are scheduled for 20-24 April 2026 and 26-30 April 2027.
• Online Sessions Virtual/remote participation option for the Privacy Symposium Conference, allowing attendees who cannot travel to Venice to join selected sessions online.
• Exhibition Area and Sponsorship Packages Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities (Platinum, Gold, Silver and Other tiers) sold to organisations that wish to showcase privacy and data protection solutions to the regulator-attendee audience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Certificates of attendance facilitate DPO compliance with Article 38 GDPR training obligations

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, key, flagship and supporting.

• Mandat InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides conference secretariat services for the Privacy Symposium. Sébastien Ziegler serves as Chair of Privacy Symposium and is also founder and Director General of Mandat International.
• Italian Institute for Privacy (IIP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in conference organization and administration. Luca Bolognini serves as President of Italian Institute for Privacy and co-chair of Privacy Symposium.
• Ca' Foscari University of VenicekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner and member of the Organising Committee. Contributes to the scholarly programme and research collaboration.
• European ParliamentflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides patronage to the Privacy Symposium conference, lending institutional credibility and political legitimacy.
• European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides patronage and active participation. Wojciech Wiewiórowski serves as European Data Protection Supervisor and featured speaker.
• Italian Data Protection Authority (GPDP)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnder the auspices of the Italian Supervisory Authority. Pasquale Stanzione serves as GPDP President and featured speaker.
• French CNILkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnder the auspices of the French Supervisory Authority. Marie-Laure Denis serves as CNIL President and featured speaker.
• Europol EDENkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropol's Data Protection Experts Network. Daniel Drewer serves as Europol's Data Protection Officer and featured speaker.
• CEDPOkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerConfederation of European Data Protection Organisations. Paul Jordan serves as Chief Policy Officer and featured speaker.
• ECSO (European Cyber Security Organisation)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in cybersecurity collaboration. Joanna Świątkowska serves as Secretary-General.
• EFDPOkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Federation of Data Protection Officers. Pierre-Yves Lastic serves as Secretary General.
• IoT ForumkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in research and innovation. Sébastien Ziegler serves as President of IoT Forum.
• Archimede SolutionssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides administration support services for the conference.
• IoT LabsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in Internet of Things and data governance topics.
• DunavnetsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in conference administration and technical collaboration.
• EU Horizon EuropekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU research funding programme supporting Privacy Symposium projects and initiatives.
• Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss government partner funding research and innovation projects under the Privacy Symposium umbrella.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP): IAPP is the largest global association for privacy professionals, running the annual Global Privacy Summit and serving the same DPO, privacy lawyer, and compliance officer audience as Privacy Symposium, with comparable certification and training offerings.
• Privacy Laws & Business (PL&B): PL&B organises long-running UK- and EU-based conferences and workshops for DPOs and privacy lawyers, with comparable agenda depth on GDPR and global privacy regimes and a directly overlapping professional audience.
• DataGuidance: DataGuidance (part of OneTrust) produces regulatory intelligence and runs privacy/compliance events and webinars covering GDPR and global data protection laws, competing for the same DPO training and conference budget.
• Computers, Privacy & Data Protection (CPDP): CPDP is an annual multidisciplinary conference held in Brussels on the intersection of technology, privacy, and data protection law, attracting the same European regulator and academic community that Privacy Symposium convenes in Venice.
• European Association of Data Protection Professionals (EADPP): EADPP is a Europe-wide membership association for DPOs that organises networking events, training, and an annual conference, directly competing for the same DPO audience in the same European market.

Emerging players

• Academy of European Law (ERA): ERA runs practitioner training and conferences for European lawyers and regulators, including dedicated tracks on data protection and the GDPR, addressing the same DPO continuing-education demand that Privacy Symposium's certificates serve.
• Centre for Information Policy Leadership (CIPL): CIPL convenes senior privacy leaders, regulators, and industry through roundtables and workshops focused on responsible data use; it overlaps with Privacy Symposium's regulator-and-industry convening model though it is a think-tank rather than a pure conference organizer.
• OneTrust: OneTrust operates a major privacy technology platform and runs privacy-focused community events (e.g., TrustWeek); it competes for sponsor dollars and DPO mind-share in the same European privacy events ecosystem.
• Future of Privacy Forum (FPF): FPF is a Washington-based think tank that convenes regulators, industry, and academics on emerging privacy issues and AI governance; it runs its own forums and symposia that partially overlap with Privacy Symposium's regulator-and-innovation theme.

Others

• European Data Protection Board (EDPB): The EDPB organises stakeholder events, plenary meetings, and workshops on GDPR consistency and AI Act implementation; it is not a commercial peer but addresses the same regulator-audience dialogue that Privacy Symposium curates in Venice.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PrivacySymposium
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/privacysymposium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Privacy Symposium