iHeart brings leading podcast talent including Malcolm Gladwell, Jay Shetty, David Eagleman and others to the Centre Stage and to the event’s newest offering: iHeart Podcast Creator Studio

Web Summit Qatar will feature an on-site iHeartPodcasts Studio for top podcast talent to record episodes live from the floor

iHeartMedia, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally and the Government Communications Office of the State of Qatar (GCO) announced that iHeartPodcasts will be the official podcast partner for the 2025 Web Summit Qatar.

The second edition of Web Summit Qatar is set to gather more than 20,000 technology and business leaders, founders, world-leading investors, media and a record 1,250 startups at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC) from February 23 - 26, 2025.

Top iHeartPodcasts talent, show producers and executives will be in attendance to participate in a range of events including educational sessions, live podcast recordings and Centre Stage content like fireside chats, panel discussions and Q&A sessions.

This year’s Centre Stage sessions will welcome Conal Byrne, CEO of the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group along with other leading iHeartPodcasts talent including Malcolm Gladwell, best-selling author and co-founder of Pushkin Industries and host of “Revisionist History”; Jay Shetty, global best-selling author and award-winning host of the chart-topping global podcast “On Purpose”; David Eagleman, neuroscientist at Stanford University, internationally best-selling author and host of “Inner Cosmos”; and Jonathan Strickland, Executive Producer for iHeartPodcasts and host of “TechStuff.”

Additionally as part of the partnership, Web Summit Qatar will introduce a new conference offering, the iHeart Podcast Creator Studio, featuring an on-site iHeartPodcasts Recording Studio and attendee lounge for live show taping on the showroom floor. These experts, from Malcolm Gladwell to Jay Shetty and David Eagleman and others, including Noel Brown and Ben Bowlin co-hosts of “Ridiculous History,” will present multiple podcast courses for attendees at the Creator Studio on the foundations of podcasting. Programming will include discussions and interactive workshops about effective storytelling, technical setup and equipment needs, audio production basics, content strategy and planning, launch and growth marketing, “If I Knew Then” lessons, and finding an audience and sponsors.

“It is wonderful to welcome iHeartMedia and its globally recognized podcast talent to Web Summit Qatar,” said Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour Al-Thani, Chairman of the Web Summit Qatar Organising Committee and Director of the Government Communications Office of the State of Qatar. “There is significant growth potential for the podcast medium across the Middle East and North Africa. Therefore it is critical that attendees of Web Summit Qatar have direct access to the leading podcast publisher globally. Thanks to this partnership, Web Summit Qatar attendees will be able to learn directly from experts about how to create their own content, incorporate the latest innovations, and grow their platform.”

“At iHeart, we believe in the power of bringing brilliant minds together for interesting and vibrant discussions that lead to innovation and change,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. “Our partnership with the GCO provides a great opportunity to work together to push the boundaries of podcasting today — and what it can become in the future.”

Shetty and Gladwell will join the Web Summit Qatar lineup that includes tech and VC leaders like Alexis Ohanian, founder of Seven Seven Six and Reddit co-founder; Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook and B Capital; Laura Chambers, CEO of Mozilla Corporation; and Brian Robbins, CEO of Paramount Pictures. For the full lineup and schedule including session dates and times, please visit https://qatar.websummit.com/schedule/.

About Web Summit

Web Summit is a technology events company, bringing together a global community of founders, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors to connect and exchange ideas about the technology and trends shaping the world. Web Summit events – including Web Summit in Lisbon, Web Summit Rio in South America, Web Summit Vancouver in North America, Web Summit Qatar in the Middle East, and RISE in Asia – have gathered nearly one million people since Web Summit's beginnings as a 150-person conference in Dublin in 2009. Its newest event, Web Summit Vancouver, will launch in May 2025.

About the Government Communications Office of the State of Qatar

The Government Communications Office was established in 2015 to serve as the strategic communications arm of the State of Qatar. It coordinates communications activities across government and public-sector institutions, showcasing the country’s vision, initiatives and achievements in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.

About iHeartMedia, Inc.

iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, with 90% of Americans listening to iHeart broadcast radio in every month. iHeart’s broadcast radio assets alone have a larger audience in the U.S. than any other media outlet; twice the size of the next largest broadcast radio company; and over four times the ad-enabled audience of the largest digital only audio service. iHeart is the largest podcast publisher according to Podtrac, with more downloads than the next two podcast publishers combined, has the most recognizable live events across all genres of music, has the number one social footprint among audio players, with seven times more followers than the next audio media brand, and is the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution across broadcast, streaming and podcasts. The company continues to leverage its strong audience connection and unparalleled consumer reach to build new platforms, products and services. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.

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