Innovative Digital Solutions at the ICCA Hackathon 2024
Photo: Participants at Innovative Digital Solutions at the ICCA Hackathon 2024 in Panama City, Panama
Panama City, Panama – 24 June 2024 – The vibrant Panamanian capital became the epicenter of technological innovation during the ICCA Hackathon 2024, held as part of FIEXPO Latin America. This prestigious event, organized by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) in collaboration with PROMTUR Panama, Visit Panama, IEEE Panama Section, and IEEE Entrepreneurship, awarded the brightest minds in the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) sector.
A High-Level Competition
Speakers at the ICCA Hackathon 2024
The ICCA Hackathon 2024 received 46 initial submissions, of which 26 advanced with concrete proposals. After a rigorous evaluation, ten finalists were selected to present their innovative solutions to an international jury and an audience of more than 150 industry leaders, including tourism office managers, hotels, convention centers, and travel agencies.
“The ICCA Hackathon 2024 has demonstrated the power of collaboration and technological innovation in the meetings and events industry. Promoting technical knowledge and engineering through entrepreneurship is fundamental to turning ideas into reality and addressing the challenges of our sector,” expressed Eng. Susana Lau, President of IEEE-Panama and Vice Chair of Products & the Latin America Region Team Lead on the 2024 IEEE Entrepreneurship Steering Committee.
Top Teams
The PanaEvents team, composed of Wilfredo Cano, Jeremiah Kurmaty, and Anilys Rodríguez, took home a prize with their centralized event management solution using an Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistant. This tool optimizes resources and improves event performance through features like venue booking, quick check-in with QR codes and facial recognition, and detailed analysis powered by AI and Machine Learning.
The American Event Hub group, composed of Candy Chen, Plashka Meade, and Jonathan Hooker, who presented a comprehensive system for managing event calendars and reservations, was also selected. Their proposal includes advanced features such as sending quote requests, interactive room maps, and managing event resources and personnel.
The Plenty team, composed of Giancarlo Santillana, Daniel Nie, and Carlos Reina, secured a spot amongst the top teams with their tool for ticket analysis and registration dynamics, providing detailed demographic data about participants and optimizing event management through social media.
PanaEvents Team at the ICCA Hackathon 2024
Awards and Recognitions
The top teams were awarded a variety of prizes, including:
- PanaEvents Team: An invitation for the entire team to the ICCA Latin American & Caribbean Summit in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, including tickets, accommodation, transportation, and meals.
- American Event Hub Team: Three tickets for 2025 with Copa Airlines (round trip to destinations in Latin America with Copa Airlines flights.)
- Plenty Team: One-night stays for two people at Hotel Gamboa Rainforest Reserve, Hotel Westin Playa Bonita, and Hotel Intercontinental Miramar.
All ten groups who presented in the final will receive access to the mentoring program of Ciudad del Saber.
Driving Innovation in the MICE Sector
The ICCA Hackathon 2024 focused on developing creative and effective technological solutions for the challenges faced by destination promotion entities, convention centers, and event organizers. The critical areas addressed included destination promotion, automation of operations in event venues, and efficient organization of congresses.
