Rarely does a minister inaugurate a congress by saying that she was surprised, that she did not expect to start the morning with a rock’n’roll rhythm, much less Sweet Child of Mine. But that was exactly what Nadia Calviño, Minister of Economy and Employment of the Government of Spain, said at the opening of the latest DigitalES Summit.

How many events does a minister inaugurate? How many do you attend throughout the day? There are probably no studies or contrasted figures on the subject, but it is clear that there are quite a few. Not surprisingly, when we say that someone is busy, we usually say «you have the agenda of a minister».

So surprising them doesn’t have to be so easy. But this is how the first day of the Summit organized by Digitales opened. With the operatic aria O mio babbino caro by Puccini, linking directly with the rock theme of Gun’s & Roses…

A soprano starts a majestic aria with total solemnity. Another singer approaches her and, with the same solemnity, intones the first verses of one of the most famous songs in all of rock and roll: Sweet Child of Mine. Soon he is joined by guitars, drums and lights. Transcending the boundaries of convention. Revolutionizing music as in our days, digitalization is doing with technology.

A start that left no one indifferent. It is well known that the first impression is often what marks a relationship, so for those who attended the DigitalES Summit for the first time – which this year celebrated its second edition – a good taste in their mouths must have been left, with a taste of rock’n’roll and renewal, of music and technology, of savoir faire and interesting content.

Many people tried this format for the first time. More than 900 people came to the Duques de Pastrana Complex during the two days of the congress, which was attended by three ministers, a mayor and two former presidents, among others.

Productivity, business, financing and entrepreneurship, employment and training, regulation, artificial intelligence, industry, connectivity and 5G were discussed, but above all, the foundations were laid to encourage reflection, to think about a world in which, as Felipe González said, the future is already on our backs.

But beyond the 80 speakers, who generated more than 800 press releases and made the congress a trending topic on Twitter throughout the morning, this event will be remembered for its connection to the world of music. In addition to the spectacular opening performed by Music Has No Limits, a show that is a hit in concert halls around the world, there was also an amusing initiative that came to light in the form of a song.

During the two days of the Summit, attendees were able to stop by Carlos Jean’ s booth to give voice to Digitalization. The heads of companies such as Huawei, Everis, Masmovil, Sopra Steria, Quint Group, Altran, Manpower and Experis collaborated in the creation of a song that, remixed by the popular DJ, was presented at the end of the concert under the title Somos Digitales.

The profits raised from this peculiar and very contagious composition will go entirely to the Women4It program of the Plan International Foundation, aimed at boosting the digital skills and employability of young women in the digital economy.

In conclusion, a congress marked by music and also by the touches of wit of two former presidents (between the two of them they governed this country for 22 years) who shortly before the investiture session had time to lead an extraordinarily entertaining debate that delighted all attendees. It was inevitable, of course, to talk about the political situation, but it was no less inevitable to leave some lessons and thoughts on digital transformation that call for reflection and that are already part of the B-side of a Summit that is already counting the hours to surprise everyone again in 2021.

You can see all the videos here.