2023 Recap: From Street Fest to Space Science
For one week in November, TENWEST took over downtown Tucson. It opened with a street party that drew more than 5,000 people, and every night the festival spilled into venues across downtown. More than 6,600 people joined us for three days of conference sessions, a free Street Fest, nightly TENWESTx shows, and a closing brunch. It was the largest TENWEST to date.
One newcomer summed it up: "I recently moved to Tucson from Austin, Texas... Attending TENWEST turned out to be one of the best decisions I made for my transition to Tucson."
By the numbers
6,600+ attendees
1,600 conference passholders, a 40% jump from 2022
100+ speakers
60+ sessions
12 keynotes
30 local venues
Standout moments
Street Fest kicks it off. On November 4, more than 5,000 people packed the street for 118+ local vendors, 10+ local bands, the TW Galactic Glam Fashion Show, a Pima Community College interactive pavilion, and a street painting project with Living Streets Alliance.
A keynote lineup that crossed every discipline. Speakers included Alexandra Rosen (GoDaddy), Dante Lauretta (OSIRIS-REx), Joe O'Connell (Creative Machines), Shaylin Jyotishi (Forbes, New America), Erin Boyd (Culdesac), and Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon (The Village Market).
IdeaFunding's largest competition at the time. More than 120 startups applied, 20 finalists pitched across five tracks, and $74K+ in prizes went out in front of 500+ attendees. Berry Cultured took the $25,000 grand prize. "Winning will help me to design more fun products that will leave a legacy of creating representation for all kids around the world!" said Heidi Calderon, Berry Cultured founder.
TENWESTx goes citywide. A new partnership with Arizona Arts Live brought five TENWESTx nights to venues across downtown, featuring 18 local musicians and artists.
Firsts. This was the year of the first Mega Mixer, which drew 200+ people, and the first TENWEST Unwinds yoga and brunch.
Announcements from 2023
Arizona Commerce Authority returned as presenting sponsor, with Pima Community College and Arizona Arts Live
New IdeaFunding prizes from Tucson Foodie, Cox Conserves, and Tech Launch Arizona
TENWEST TALKS, the official TENWEST podcast, launched, hosted by Liz Pocock and Matt Baquet