According to DANE, there are 11 million young people in Colombia. As of September 2022, those aged between 15 and 28 represent 18.3% of the country’s workforce. Despite the unemployment rate, the shift in mindset due to the pandemic highlighted that young people have great potential for organizations. While experience is important, adaptability to change is crucial to anticipate potential threats and opportunities in the environment.

The meetings industry is constantly evolving, and young people are playing an increasingly significant role in it. The entry of Millennials and Centennials into the labor market has marked an era where innovation, sustainability, and technologies go hand in hand with organizational development.

As companies seek innovative ways to connect with their audiences, young people are being hired to create and execute strategies to conquer new markets. This generation, aged between 18 and 28, is at the forefront of emerging trends and technologies, bringing innovation to the sector.

At our venue, our team of 38 collaborators includes 32% young people who have positively impacted our operation since 2022. For Isis Ojeda, our Human Talent Coordinator, acquiring young talent has been decisive in shaping the team.

At the Centro Eventos Valle del Pacífico, we are committed to supporting young talent. We are constantly looking for talent to develop, focusing not only on experience but also on skills, knowledge, and personal growth.

Having young talent has led us towards innovation through opportunities for improvement such as adapting and using new technologies to streamline processes and procedures, evolving communication methods, enhancing customer experiences, and internally, rethinking well-being activities tailored to the interests and expectations of this generation.

These skills enable the CEVP team to engage in intergenerational dialogue that enhances the best of each generation. Gissell González, our Manager, comments:

“We believe that team empathy is essential for intergenerational relationships. Those with more experience share knowledge, while Millennials and Centennials adapt to new technologies and lead us towards innovation, allowing us to be a flexible organization that evolves with trends.”

We are keen to focus one of our talent attraction strategies on young people, aiming to contribute to reducing unemployment rates in our region, offering them their first job opportunity and enabling them to grow within the organization. We aim to build confidence to develop leadership skills, teamwork, critical thinking, excellence, and achievement orientation.

Despite Colombia’s youth unemployment rate of 21.3% in 2022, at the Centro de Eventos Valle del Pacífico, we conducted over 100 selection processes, with the majority of applicants and hires aged between 18 and 28. We have chosen to trust these talents, confident in advancing and integrating different generations in a balanced approach that has seen business evolution.

A significant challenge is retaining young people in the company without limiting their potential. It is crucial to inspire them daily with work and provide spaces for expression.

As a testament to this, some of our young talents who hold significant responsibilities and lead important processes at the venue have shared their experiences with us:

Angélica Ibarra, 28 years old, leads the planning of each event we host at the venue and notes:

“I have been entrusted with significant responsibility and have received the necessary support to face challenges. I have successfully executed large projects showcasing my skills. I appreciate the concern for my personal well-being and believe that having young colleagues has allowed me to build strong interpersonal relationships.”

Brayan Ortega, 24 years old, our Parking Coordinator, shares:

“I am grateful for the trust placed in me and take pride in seeing the fruits of dedication and time invested in my academic development. I have been given the opportunity to demonstrate my capabilities to tackle challenges, and I have successfully worked synergistically with colleagues of different ages, demonstrating the importance of maintaining generational balance. I am happy to see the positive results of my work in event operations.”

Carolina Peña, 26 years old, our Corporate Accounts Coordinator, affirms:

“I am proud of my achievements. I have been able to connect with industry professionals and confront my professional and personal challenges. I have learned to be highly committed, and today I feel empowered in my work. Looking back over a year, I am proud to have contributed my knowledge, time, and strength to what Centro de Eventos Valle del Pacífico achieved in 2022.”

Daniel Bustamante, our 27-year-old Purchasing Coordinator, shares:

“I am happy to demonstrate my knowledge and capabilities in the challenges I face at work. I hope to continue growing, learning, and contributing more with solutions in my area and to my colleagues. I feel fortunate for the trust placed in me and for being part of a humane company that listens to young people and allows them to innovate.”

In 2023, we look forward to continuing to support young talent, staying connected to their professional and personal interests. As an organization, we are proud of our young team and are confident in their contribution to developing innovative methodologies to enhance our clients’ and attendees’ experience. We will continue to train to create a venue that benefits from the professional insights of all generations, enabling us to address clients in different markets, thereby contributing to the evolution of our industry as a fundamental driver for the development of Valle del Cauca as a prosperous region.