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SALT LAKE CITY — The largest gathering of Hispanic STEM students and professionals is coming to the Beehive State for the first time.
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers estimates about 10,000 will attend its national conference in Salt Lake City from Nov. 1-5 to take part in hundreds of educational workshops and challenges, interviews and job offers, industry awards and networking.
"For anybody thinking about attending the conference — whatever stage you are, whether you're a student, or whether you are somebody that already retired — the conference has something to offer you," said conference chair and Utah-based investor Oscar Marquina. "Whether it be career opportunities, whether it be the opportunity to mentor or volunteer and support that next generation of STEM talent, or whether you're a company and looking to recruit or really increase your brand."
Marquina said Utah was an attractive spot for the conference because of the state's rapid growth in business and tech sectors as well as the STEM talent coming out of Utah universities.
"Even though Salt Lake City isn't known as a Hispanic Center, there is a large amount of Hispanics in the state," he added.
Although the society has over 14,000 members, only about 125 reside in Utah, meaning the vast majority of the conference's 10,000 will visit from out of state. Marquina hopes this will translate to both short- and long-term benefits for Utahns.
"We definitely hope and anticipate that this event will be an economic boost to the city of Salt Lake and the state of Utah," he said. "A convention like this has the opportunity to put Utah and all the benefits that Utah brings (before) executives in these companies that in the future might choose to expand their operations here, or they might choose to recruit from the local universities."
The immediate impacts are expected to be felt in the city's tourism industry, with the society booking the entire Salt Palace Convention Center as well as attendees booking many downtown hotels.
Visit Salt Lake said conference goers on average spend $950 while attending a conference in Salt Lake City. That would put the total direct economic impact of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers conference at about $9.5 million.
"I'm thrilled to extend a warm welcome to the SHPE familia as they gather in the Beehive State this November," Gov. Spencer Cox said in a video on the society's website. "STEM is in every aspect of Salt Lake City's vibrant fabric, sparking creativity and driving progress. I hope you will enjoy us for this historic event."
Society spokeswoman Jen Linck said non-members who would like to attend the conference can save money by becoming a member and qualifying for a lower registration rate. Early bird registration closes Oct. 6 and is $235 for members and $499 for non-members. Regular registration is $335 for members and $599 for non-members. Membership fees range from $10 for students to $65 for professionals.
More information is available on the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers website. Utahns who can't attend the conference this year can catch it when it returns to Salt Lake City in 2027 and 2030.
