Creative entrepreneurs gather for Lao startup event
Creative entrepreneurs gather for Lao startup event
Some 100 representatives of business colleges, business operators, office workers and government employees presented their ideas at a business building discussion panel held in Vientiane last Friday and over the weekend.
They were there in the hope of being selected to attend an intensive business training course by the event organisers and were given advice by experienced business consultant companies.
Under the theme of ‘Startup Weekend', the main purpose of the event was to create startups within 54 hours.
Speaking on behalf of the event organising team, Managing Director of TOHLAO Coworking Space & Services Ms Souphaphone Souannavong told Vientiane Times that participants at the event came up with interesting ideas in relation to the establishment of new businesses.
“This year, several groups of young businesspeople put forward possible ideas and will be chosen to train with us for 11 weeks using international curriculums,” she said. They will be equipped with business skills so they can contribute to the growing number of young entrepreneurs in Laos.
Startup Weekend was held in Vientiane for the third time in a bid to promote the building of a startup community in the capital.
Startup Weekend first started in Colorado, the United States of America, when a group of people got together to pitch their business ideas and make it happen within 54 hours.
Within 54 hours, participants need to validate their business ideas, build the startup by doing market research, get out of the building to talk to customers and suppliers, and develop the product or services to be as practical as possible.
At the international level, Startup Weekend has been organised more than 2,000 times every year, with the participation of more than 100,000 people around the world.
Present at Friday's opening ceremony were US Ambassador to Laos Mr Daniel A. Clune, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Mr Daniel Russel, Director General of the SME Promotion Department Mr Somdy Inmixay and other officials.
