Talent Land 2019 wraps up, attracts 60,000 guests

Contxto – Over 60,000 tech enthusiasts saw more than 1,700 hours of content at Expo Guadalajara’s second annual Talent Land from April 22 to April 26.

In Summary

The world’s largest talent convention intended to stimulate Mexican youth’s interests in technology-related careers. Guests got the creative sparks flowing with an impressive itinerary of maker workshops, lectures, and exhibits.

Much of the event’s emphasis revolved around job readiness and skill development to prepare participants for a “digital” global economy. Figures say that above 9,800 work connections were made over the course of five days.

“We want to sow the seed of engineering, technology, and technological applications to solve problems that kids already identify with,” said Juan Carlos Flores Miramontes, Secretary of Education Jalisco.

Every year the Talend Network adds different thematic areas known as “lands” to the program to achieve its mission. For the 2019 edition, people from 18 countries accessed eight landscapes. These included Business Land, Blockchain Land, Creative Land, Developing Land, Gaming Land, Iron Land, as well as two additions, Agro Land and Recrea Land.

In-Depth

Throughout the week, around 5,365 guests competed in hackathons with an accumulative prize pool exceeding MXN$2 million. 24 was the average age of participants with 62 percent male and 38 percent female.

Talent Land also attempted to break two Guinness World Records. Among so much activity, organizers succeeded to hold the largest Artificial Intelligence class with approximately 775 individuals learning IBM programming software.

However, the group’s attempt to pull off the biggest math class with YouTuber Julio Profe fell short. According to reports, the Guinness committee disqualified 887 of the 5,098 participants for not meeting certain criteria.

Specifically, hundreds were disqualified for either using their cellphones, dozing off in class, not paying attention, talking, getting out of their seats or leaving the class early. All of these were rules laid out by the Guinness organization.

Based on a press release from the Jalisco government, the Talent Network has already announced dates for the next 2020 edition from April 13 to April 17. Be on the lookout for Virgin Group’s Richard Branson as the keynote speaker.

Tourism Land will also premiere next year thanks to cooperation between the Talent Network and Jalisco. Together, they agree that tourism yields the potential to attract technological innovation and fresh expertise to the state industry.

“It will be a possibility to strengthen our tourism vision, our Jalisco brand,” said Germán Ralis Cumplido, the Secretary of Tourism in Jalisco. “Also, a new vision of intelligent tourism.”

“Above all, it will be a chance to restructure destinations with technology so we can spearhead at the national level smart destinations that provide greater economic and social benefits to our communities.”

Conclusion

In light of the collaboration between the Jalisco government and the Talent Network, this was a pretty impressive feat. Let’s not forget the Guadalajara and Zapopan municipalities, not to mention the various universities and 200 private companies that contributed.

Truly, this was a massive coordination effort. The sheer magnitude of techies tells me that thousands were leaving the event every day feeling inspired. After all, inspiration is the first step of innovation.

-JA