Innovative Digital Solutions at the ICCA Hackathon 2024

Panama – 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 PROMOTUR-Panama, Visit Panama, IEEE-Panama, and IEEE Entrepreneurship, awarded the brightest minds in the MICE sector (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions).

A High-Level Competition

The ICCA Hackathon 2024 received a total of 46 initial submissions, of which 26 advanced with concrete proposals. After a rigorous evaluation, 10 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 for IEEE Entrepreneurship in Reggio 9 (Latam). .

Top-Level Winners

The PanaEvents team, composed of Wilfredo Cano, Jeremiah Kurmaty, and Anilys Rodríguez, won first place 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.

Second place was awarded to 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. 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 third place with a tool for ticket analysis and registration dynamics, providing detailed demographic data about participants and optimizing event management through social media.

Awards and Recognitions

The winning teams were awarded a variety of prizes, including:

  • PanaEvents Team (First Place): 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 (Second Place): Three tickets for 2025 with Copa Airlines (round trip to destinations in Latin America with Copa Airlines flights).
  • Plenty Team (Third Place): One-night stays for two people at Hotel Gamboa Rainforest Reserve, Hotel Westin Playa Bonita, and Hotel Intercontinental Miramar.

All 10 groups that 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.

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