Asia’s largest tech conference is all about networking. That’s not so much about struggling to log into the Wi-Fi, and more about forging connections to change the world.

The fifth edition of the RISE conference  lands in Hong Kong this July, an event that attracts leaders from corporate giants and bleeding-edge startups alike, connecting them with hungry investors and equally hungry journalists in search of the next huge thing.

RISE, which runs from 8-11 July 2019 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre , is set to welcome some 16,000 attendees and more than 350 speakers, with the line-up including tech innovators like Uber ’s chief technology officer Thuan Pham, Tinder  CEO Elie Seidman and Cecilia Qvist, global head of markets at Spotify .

The conference is a natural fit for Cathay Pacific, the official airline partner of RISE. After all, the airline connects Hong Kong’s ever-expanding tech scene with that of China’s Greater Bay Area and the world as a whole, linking the human forces behind technological innovation.

That’s most evident in Cathay Pacific’s Ignition Project, now in its second year. The project selects and sponsors eight Hong Kong startups to exhibit at RISE, showcasing homegrown talent in front of a global audience. Each winner will also receive two return tickets to Lisbon to attend November’s Web Summit , the biggest tech conference in the world.

RISE’s attendees would do well to explore the airline’s free Business Plus programme, which allows companies to earn and unlock rewards as they fly with Cathay Pacific. It’s the ideal fit for entrepreneurs who flit across the globe, taking their projects from disruptive ideas to world-changing reality.

Hero image credit: David Fitzgerald / RISE via Sportsfile