3Since the opening ceremony of Campus Party 2012 on Tuesday night, Berlin’s former Tempelhof airport has been abuzz with inspiration, ideas and excitement about the new digital age. [library asset=3166]

Yossi Vardi, creator of ICQ – the first instant messenger application released on the web – and founder of many high-tech companies, took to the stage and enthused his audience. He talked about the need for a perfect balance of talent, technology and business sense in a successful start-up, and stressed the absolute importance of the customer. He left his key message ringing in the ears of his spectators: Have the courage to speak out, and never fear failure.

We also caught Paulo Coelho’s speech, in which he talked about the effects of today’s digital connectivity on the relationships of today’s society, focusing on the positivity it can bring. Other talks and workshops talked about everything from Raspberry Pi and noise reduction in PC’s, to robot programming, IPv6 and everything in between.

Wayra, Telefónica’s ground-breaking start-up incubator, is in attendance this year, with mentors sharing their experience with young businesses (and we do mean young – there’s a few 16 year-old entrepreneurs here!). They’re also hosting Wayra DE’s Wayra Week at Campus Party, where a group of lucky startups will be chosen from a group of finalists, to receive all the benefits that Wayra DE has to offer.

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It’s not all graft, though – fun is never far away at Campus Party. There are gaming tournaments dotted around everywhere, and we’ve been amazed by robots who can play football and even play the drums – in time!

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To see more Campus Party going’s-on, head to http://campus-party.eu.

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