This month, Montreal will be host to a global festival that eats, sleeps and breathes startup.

The International Startup Festival (ISF), to be held in the city from July 13-15, is an event for entrepreneurs from around the world to come together and discuss everything to do with startups.

The event will bring together entrepreneurial veterans, novice entrepreneurs, tech giants, and thought leaders for a series of events that will include:

• startup launches;
• keynote speaker presentations;
• panel sessions about the latest issues in the entrepreneurial world; and
• discussions on hot sectors like mobility, gaming and social networking.

The festival will cover issues surrounding the entire life-cycle of a startup, from early stage innovation to scaling the business to achieving a successful exit. The main sections for the festival are

• Stage1 : Lean, Hungry and Innovating
• Stage2 : Fat, Funded and Growing
• Stage3 : Crushing it, sustainable and Exiting
• Open Mic lounge for Startup pitches
• Tabletop Demo Showcase for Startups

Patron tickets and speakers

Being all too familiar with how cash-strapped startups can be, the ISF has begun offering "Startup Patron" tickets. With every one of these tickets purchased, two passes will be given, one for the Patron and one for the Startup they are supporting. Startup Patron tickets are available here.

The Festival also has a very impressive repetoire of over 25 speakers lined up, as well as a variety of panels. The keynote speeches will be given by:

• Dave McClure Investor, 500startups.com;
• Chris Shipley Co-founder and CEO, GuideWire Group;
• Stephan Ouaknine President and CEO, Inerjys Ventures;
• Paul Palmieri CEO, Millenial Media;
• Jeff Clavier Founder and Managing Partner, SoftTech VC;
• Andy Nulman President, Festivals and TV, Just For Laughs; and
• Jeremie Miller Founder, Singly

Not your typical conference

The International Startup Festival will have a very unique appeal. It has been organized so that it will not be a typical dry conference, but rather energetic, fast-paced and stimulating - hence the word "festival" in the name.

ISF's website says "...[it will be a] dynamic event of networking, learning, new ideas, and after-hours fun with a global vibe. This year, Startup Festival is running in parallel with multiple Festivals in and around Montreal: the Just For Laughs Festival, Cirque du Soliel's Complement Cirque, The International Fireworks Festival, and the Fantasia Film Festival. There will be galas, entrepreneurial improv, and a splash of the unexpected. Who says startups are 'all work and no play'?"

For more information on the International Startup Festival, tickets, speakers and more visit the website at www.startupfestival.com

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