We’d call it by far and away the biggest, best and most exciting web event in Europe, and it’s taking place this week in Paris, on 9th and 10th of December. Founded in 2005 by eminent blogger and serial entrepreneur Loic Le Meur  (he of Sarkozy podcast/video fame) it has ballooned in the last couple of years, featuring the brightest minds from the world of the web (and beyond - Paulo Coelho was a speaker last year!)

What’s it all about? Le Web themselves sum it up in three words: people, entrepreneurs and partnership. Or in other words, introducing, connecting and stimulating people to move above and beyond what’s gone before to create amazing apps and expand connectivity online.

How are Microsoft involved? Along with Google, we’re one of two Gold Partners. Why do we do it? Because we’re strongly committed to helping European startups in the tech sector to start out and prosper, mainly through the Microsoft BizSpark programme – where startups get access to software, support and visibility. So far more than 27,000 start-ups worldwide have availed of the BizSpark offer.

These same principles are shared by Le Web, which gives startups visibility in front of business leaders, investors and technology influencers in the shape of the StartUp Competition. It has grown from humble beginnings to become one of the main attractions of Le Web – its sponsored by TechCrunch, the most prominent European tech blog – and will feature a number of companies that are in the BizSpark programme (which we’re super pleased about.) You can see the full list of contestants at TechCrunch here.

Over the next week or so, we’ll be featuring material from the event, including delegates’ Twitter updates, blog posts by Microsoft folks at the event and others you might find fun and insightful. We will also have some interviews with some of the cool people at the event including some of the BizSpark competition contestants.

In the meantime, we’d recommend the event Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/LeWeb or check out the list of official bloggers at http://www.leweb.net/community/09-official-bloggers.

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