THU was born out of a need and a problem I faced: How can we have a voice in an industry where only those who shout are heard? I didn't want to scream, and to this day, I still don't. I want to give people a space where everyone can have a voice and build a genuine network, finding knowledge to understand the next step in their careers—be it through inspiration, changing jobs, changing fields, or new projects.
Since we created the Main Event, we have focused on introducing something missing in the industry—that was the beginning of everything.
The old mentality: doing the same thing and expecting different results
Events are usually highly corporate and focused on selling or promoting something using conventional marketing methods. But is this approach effective for artists, thinkers, and people with high critical thinking skills in general?
The cycle continues: if you have an event that doesn't follow this method, the doors remain closed. It's a more significant struggle than it should be.
Ten years have passed, and the problem has worsened because companies feel the need to adopt a more aggressive approach now. Unfortunately, this threatens many spaces that were created for discussion and learning for creators.
We are fortunate to have brands that share our vision and understand that by supporting THU, they're supporting the community. We're also lucky to have recruiters and people from all fields who believe in us—people like you.
However, we need to be able to do more and give more.
Over the past decade, our evolution has been marked by maintaining a space where everyone is free from the pressures of buying or selling anything. This is a space where we think differently, let our guard down, and touch our wounds and the industry's wounds, addressing the challenges and facing them together. We always tried to be the community's voice and never wanted to be corporate.
For us, business is built on relationships and connections, and over the past ten years, we have created a networking structure that has been the place where multiple businesses and ideas were born and careers were taken to new heights—the cradle of innovation.
Now, there's a need for more depth. THU 2024 is an event edition where we want to return to the essence of our first three years and recreate the space where we had conversations focused on the future with senior professionals without any sales pressure. How can we steer the industry in a new direction, and how can we, as creatives, contribute to the development of society?
What's new this year? A main event for the books!
In 2014, the Main Event was defined as "Burning Man meets TED." Ten years later, we've decided to embrace that path. In this 10th edition, we will have 25-minute talks focused on innovation and creativity, encouraging real involvement and conversation from all participants to try to find answers and solutions. Instead of the usual 10 minutes of Q&A, we will have 30 minutes of discussion to spark honest conversation beyond the surface.
THU 2024 will heavily feature Masterclasses and "Talks + Discussions," along with a new section called "Companies University," where we challenge some companies to bring case studies of problems and explain how they solved them. The overall focus of the event is based on discussion and noise-free conversations, which was constant in the first three years but adjusted in recent years as we explored other formulas.
The best part? Everything takes place in an immersive 6-day environment. THU's secret ingredient has always been immersion, and "time" is a factor that sets us apart from the rest of the events. We have incredible speakers, fantastic food, and great venues, but time makes all the difference. Lately, I have been reflecting on the world's continued misunderstanding of this. You can only build relationships with time to get to know people. True networking at THU happens because attendees understand that time is the missing element everywhere, and THU provides it. Space is also crucial, and Tróia will be where connections happen - a powerful blend of space and time that allows openness to learn, receive, and truly give back. This is the only way to change behaviors and create actual change.
THU 2024 is also a celebration, and the 10th edition will be special. For the first time, we decided to repeat special activities - the best of the best moments that marked past editions. The Midnight World Championship of Bubble Football and the Sand Sculptures are returning. The gallery also takes on a new importance, with analog tools (paper, pen, brush, and sculpture) reminding us where everything begins and returning us to the roots.
We are all in the same boat, developing the creative industry; everyone is important. No one can change the world alone, and THU's setup ensures no one is ever alone.
I hope THU 2024 is what the industry needs: a space where everyone is focused on creating a better industry, finding solutions, and paths to make the magic of creating a better world.
André Luis.
Save your spot for the tenth edition of our Main Event right now!
