From agro-processing to AI, more than 265 young people explored the building blocks of entrepreneurship over the weekend at Guyana's inaugural Youth Entrepreneurship Conference (YEC), leaving parents hopeful it becomes an annual fixture.

Hosted by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) under the theme "Igniting Guyana's Next Generation of Entrepreneurs," the conference gave young participants a chance to learn beyond the traditional classroom setting.

Parents said the exposure to real-world ideas and skills could prove valuable as their children shape future careers and businesses.

For Sophia Dolphin, whose son has an interest in technology, the conference reinforced his growing passion for the business field.

"Overall, being in business, I think it's a great initiative for the kids. [It] expose them to more than just what the classroom does. So, I hope that it's gonna be a yearly thing and they're gonna have more kids in different regions and stuff," she said.

The conference was built around practical areas of entrepreneurship, innovation and business development, with organisers placing particular emphasis on helping participants understand how ideas could be transformed into viable businesses.

That focus resonated with parent and entrepreneur Mawazo Porte, who said the information shared at the conference proved useful for her son, himself an upcoming entrepreneur.

"I think it was something great and I'm looking forward to more. And if more business people can join and other companies can sponsor to make it a yearly thing. Right. It was a good initiative that the Chamber took," she said.

Beyond the keynote sessions, participants took part in interactive breakout workshops spanning agro-processing; art, fashion, design and animation; tourism and hospitality; marketing and public relations; turning technology into business; and AI-augmented entrepreneurship. The sessions gave young people room to explore how their individual interests and skills could ultimately be developed into businesses of their own.