THU Main Event is a wild ride punctuated by emotional highs and twists of self-discovery. So, it’s no wonder that by the end of each year, people often feel what we’ve learned to call the THU Blues.
We felt the need to create more space and time for deeper conversations, for the closure to happen, and for the planning to start. Instead of you going home and starting planning on your own, we want the next steps of your career to actually start at THU Main Event.
Why are we changing?
While looking at the general impact of each event, we certainly felt there was space for improvement. There’s a clear necessity for attendees to increase their connections with companies, as we feel that after the learning period, we need to process all the information and immediately engage with a hands-on approach towards the future.
We felt the need to expand those deep and meaningful conversations, which can effectively change people’s lives. We want to truly empower our tribe beyond the borders of the Main Event, and that starting point is crucial for a successful journey.
Why a 3 act event?
These will be 3 very distinct moments, each with a specific mindset, to maximize the learning flow's efficiency. We want to go beyond the inspirational quality attributed to THU and bring about a very concrete improvement plan regarding careers, learning, implementations, opportunities, and talks.
We want to ensure the offer justifies the investment, not just for industry juniors but also for seniors.
At the same time, we want to offer companies a different answer to a problem that seems to affect them equally: they need talent, but they can’t find it, and the methods to attract it have been done to death. We have a duty to change the answers we provide to the community, and companies must join that effort by changing their attitude toward the market.
We can’t stress enough how good it feels to have companies on our side, sharing this shift in mentality.
Let’s dive into each act.
1st Act: Career & Industry - Making The Connection
A more technical approach, something like a behind-the-scenes tour. Companies should be more transparent regarding their good practices, and we, in turn, should offer them the opportunity to inspire people. That’s why we will bring in entire teams, so that they can break down projects and bring in real case studies. To better understand their workflows and how departments cooperate with each other. To allow for deeper learning dives on product and team management, sales, and human behavior. THU is honing its facilitator role and creating new opportunities for companies to connect with the community in an entirely different way.
Also, we want to bring the recruitment experience to another level. We’ll still have fast-paced recruitment sessions, but we will also have 2-hour mentorships with the companies, to dissect the culture and the individuality of each company and, of course, to answer questions that the attendees might have at a different level.
2nd Act: Inspiration - Embracing The World
Daily inspiration by those who hone their craft. We want to make way for new paths and understand how very distinct areas are now complementary to each other. We must create the conditions to open the minds of any artist and unblock potential standstills.
Based on that strategy, we’ve gathered a multidisciplined group of people and are hosting the most diverse areas of work and thought yet, allowing us to connect the dots and showcase most of the industry’s pipeline. It’s not like we are saying we have 100% industry representation, but we’re on that trail in search of even more diversity in profiles, more technical profiles, and even hybrids. At the end of the day, we need to step up and address the complexity of today’s industry, as well as the ever-changing community needs.
Each talk will have a 75-minute duration.
3rd Act: Discussion - Building The First Step
We want to organize the community into smaller groups and stimulate deeper conversations with longer activities following our mentorships.
Workshops and Masterclasses happen to create some sort of closure in the learning journey, taking everything learned and channeling it for the next steps in a career. THU’s workshops and masterclasses are the real deal, and everyone wants to be there, both knights and atendees. There is no clock, so if things take longer, that’s because the knights are in the zone. That is the true essence of THU.
What to expect from the gallery?
The Gallery needs to be ever-present, and it will be a main fixture of all 3 acts. Our line of thought is to take it back to its origins, to go back to where it all started, and reflect upon the way we learn and think about art.
How can we draw inspiration from someone with a more technical profile, as well as from a “pure” artist? Through their common ground, which is art. Inspiration through art is what binds us all at THU, it’s our heart, and it should be all around us.
This year, we will introduce a new concept to the gallery. We will host a series of creative happenings, and we will have the opportunity to watch true masters of their craft opening up to their process, such as Katsuya Terada, Kim Jung Gi, Donato Giancola, Jesper Ejsing, or Vicki Saulls.
You'll be able to witness a series of live demos and masterclasses where everyone can walk freely and explore technical processes. This will be a new work area dedicated to the Tribe, functioning simultaneously as an auditorium and a classroom. This highly dynamic new venue will be under the wing of José Alves da Silva.
This Gallery aims to answer the need for more work and viewing sessions, being designed for Tribe interaction, and also serving as a place for the Tribe itself to run masterclasses.
Who will host the event?
For the first time we will introduce 3 hosts to our Main Event. André Luis, THU’s CEO, will welcome you and make his presence felt in all venues, but our Gallery and Oasis will have a very distinct look and feel, with a host to match it. As we previously stated, José Alves da Silva will guide you in all things Gallery-related, and at the Oasis you will be welcomed by Shuzo Shiota, a very familiar face for a very familiar spot.
These changes fall in accordance with our purpose - to solve problems wherever we find them. There’s no use in repeating the same worn-out formulas if they don’t generate an effect, if they don’t translate beyond the days of our Main Event. We learn, adapt, and take care of our Tribe.
