Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1507211
B M & T ••• September/October 2023 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 46 T housands of tech enthusiasts and innovators recently con- verged in the city of Toronto to explore new trends in the high-tech field. The technology sector in Canada is critical to the country's innovation and progress as it is seen as a growing source of economics for the country by providing more jobs, producing more research and development, and facilitat- ing the shift towards a more connected online world. Collision 2023, considered the fastest-growing technology event in North America, hosted 36,000 attendees from over 118 countries June 27-29 at the Enercare Centre. From June 26-29, HITEC 2023, the world's largest hospital- ity technology show, hosted more than 6,000 attendees and over 320 exhibiting companies at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Noting that it was not an exaggeration to say that "the world truly is in Toronto," Shelley Carroll, chair of the Toronto City Council's Economic and Development Community, spoke at the opening of the Collision Toronto booth on June 27th, and called the Collision Conference, "A shining example of what we can achieve when we bring together top talent from around the world." She pointed out, "We have over 700 speakers, 2,000 start-ups, 950 investors, and the full diversity and dynamism of the city and region of Toronto at our fingertips. I know that we can grow our economies and our communities, hand in hand." Carroll was joined by Scott Beck, President and CEO, of Destination Toronto; Stephen Lund, President and CEO, of Toronto Global; and Jan De Silva, President and CEO, of the Toronto Region Board of Trade. The group dis- cussed the many assets and resources available in the Toronto region to assist technology firms to form, grow and pros- per. These included the city's "incubators, accelerators, universities, and colleges that nurture, connect and invest in the people, ideas, research, and firms we need to succeed," said Carroll. Collision was founded by visionary Paddy Cosgrave in 2014 and moved to Toronto in 2019, after being encouraged by the city of Toronto and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In a recent interview with Forbes, Cosgrave noted that the confer- ence has focused on increasing the par- ticipation of women and underrepresent- ed groups, including indigenous popula- tions. A similar effort to be more inclusive was seen at HITEC (Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference), an annual event organized by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP). The global non-profit association provides education, networking, and pro- fessional development opportunities for hospitality professionals involved in finance and technology. This year, Frank Wolfe, CEO of HFTP and HITEC spokesperson, noted that the organiza- tion hosted a special Women in Hospitality Technology reception, where women leading the way in technology and innovation could come together to net- work. During the conferences, discussions were held about which technologies will have a major impact on the hospitality industry and other industries, and artificial intelligence was named as a top trend. Other trends included mobile tech, sus- tainability, and alternate payments, and at the Creative School at Toronto M e t r o p o l i t a n University, Dr. Kris Alexander held an interac- tive workshop to demonstrate how the power of video games, once seen in a negative light, is helping to pre- pare more peo- ple for employment opportunities. Alexander, known as "the professor of TO R O N TO P L AYS H O S T TO T W O M A J O R T E C H CONFERENCES; THOUSANDS COME TOGETHER TO EXPLORE NEW TRENDS IN THE HIGH TECH FIELD BY EDITH BILLUPS