Record Turnout Expected for 2014 Hispanic Retail Summit

With less than eight weeks to go, hotel rooms are filling up quickly for this year’s Hispanic Retail 360 Summit, being held Aug. 13-15, at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter.

This year’s conference is on pace to attract a record number of retailer attendees from across all channels of retailing, including grocers such as Albertsons, Brookshire Grocery, H-E-B and Kroger, convenience store chains such as Maverik, Kum & Go and ampm, and general merchandise retailers like Walmart.

The special discounted hotel rate of $159 per night at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter expires July 23, so prospective attendees are being urged to make their reservations as soon as possible.

This year’s Hispanic Retail 360 Summit features what is likely the strongest educational agenda in its 10-year history. The theme of the conference is “Total Market: Tapping Into the Power of Bicultural Latinos through an Integrated Approach.” Among this year’s general sessions are:

Beyond the Total Market Strategy: Engaging the Evolving Hispanic Consumer – In the conference’s opening session, Juan Carlos Davila, senior VP and general manager of Hispanic Market for Nielsen, will provide audience members a unique chance to understand how today’s bicultural Latino consumers buy products, shop stores, and watch and listen to various media.

2014 Latino Consumer Diversity: A Crossroads of Opportunities for Grocers – Nielsen’s Hispanic Market Retail Director Rick Parra leads a panel consisting of the two largest general market food retailers (Walmart and Kroger) and one leading Hispanic grocer (Northgate Gonzalez) to examine how they are doing or will be doing in the future to take advantage of the new Latino reality.

Way Beyond Buzz: Marking a Cultural Connection that Results in Sales – Andrew Gamm, brand director for Pizza Patrón, the leading Mexican pizza brand in the U.S., will discuss the strategy behind the foodservice retailer’s drive to grow its brand and own a unique position in the marketplace among both Hispanic and general market consumers.

How Curacao, the Innovative and Trendsetting Retailer, Captures the Hispanic Market – Jerry Azarkman, CMO of America’s leading Hispanic department store, reveals how Curacao has changed to meet the evolving needs of Latinos in the United States.

Connecting with Hispanic Shoppers through the Independent Grocery Channel – Nancy Lopez-Pedroza, regional marketing manager for Unified Grocers, leads a panel of leading independent Hispanic retailers from Chavez Supermarkets, Northgate Markets and Rio Ranch Market to discuss how they attract younger Latinos, drive sales and build shopper loyalty.

Subway’s Innovative Approach to Engaging the Hispanic Market – Featured in one of the highest-rated episodes of “Undercover Boss,” the hit CBS reality Show, Don Fertman, chief development officer, will share examples of Subway’s branded integrations to reach and connect with Hispanic audiences in an authentic and culturally relevant way.

Engage Bicultural Latinos and Watch Them Flourish – Noted author and human resources consultant Mariela Dabbah discusses key strategies for engaging, retaining and promoting Latino employees, who can not only influence the products you sell, but can positively impact the way you reach and relate to your customers.

How Hispanic Retail Advertisers Are Succeeding with Mobile – Mike Reid, executive director, multicultural sales for Pandora, will lead a discussion with top retailers on how they are implementing key mobile strategies to drive awareness and engagement among Hispanics in an increasingly connected world.

Total Market: Tapping Into the Power of Bicultural Latinos Through an Integrated Approach – Darren Seifer, food and beverage analyst for The NPD Group, and Terry Soto, president and CEO of About Marketing Solutions, help you define the critical factors needed to successfully tap today’s Latino consumer. Insights include defining the hybrid Hispanic and explaining how they think about food, food preparation and shopping choices, and the best way to gain relevance with them.

Embracing the Hispanic Community Involves More Than Selling Products – This special session by Goodwill Industries features Evette Rios, the bilingual lifestyle expert, television host of CBS’s “Recipe Rehab,” guest co-host of ABC’s “The Chew,” and Goodwill’s national Latina spokesperson. Participants, led by Goodwill VP Michael Meyer, will demonstrate their successful integration of mission services and retail business operations.

In addition to these general sessions, the 2014 Hispanic Retail 360 Summit features nine concurrent sessions on specific research-based or operationally focused topics, three open discussion intimate working groups, and a pre-conference study tour of San Antonio’s top retailers.

Now in its 10th year, the Hispanic Retail 360 Summit, produced by Stagnito Business Information and its market-leading brands Progressive Grocer and Convenience Store News, owes its success to the enthusiastic support and input from its Retailer Advisory Board.

The 2014 Retailer Board of Advisors includes:

• Jim Hendrickson, Manager, Market Research, 7-Eleven Inc.
• Marco Orozco, Director, Hispanic Initiatives SW, Best Buy
• Adonis Paseiro, Local Business Manager, Hispanic, Bi-Lo Holdings LLC
• Donna Sanker, VP of Marketing, BP/ARCO/ampm
• Cecilia Perez, Director of Multicultural Marketing, Chevron Corp.
• Nicolas Medina, Global Standards & Practices Manager, Convenience Retailing, Exxon Mobil Corp.
• Jamie Franck, Assistant VP, Operations, Hy-Vee Inc.
• Angel Colón, Director, Multicultural Marketing, The Kroger Co. (HR360 co-chair)
• Janalee Clements, Senior Customer Insights & Marketing Manager, Maverik Inc.
• Javier M. Delgado-Granados, Director of Marketing, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (HR360 co-chair)

To register, go to www.hispanicretail360.com.