Walmart, Kroger Execs to Co-Chair Multicultural Retail 360 Summit for 2nd Year

For the second consecutive year, executives from two of the world’s largest retail chains will return as conference co-chairs for the Multicultural Retail 360 Summit (formerly Hispanic Retail 360 Summit). The cross-channel event focuses on marketing to multicultural consumers in the U.S.

Javier Delgado-Granados, senior marketing manager for Walmart Stores Inc., and Angel Colón, director of multicultural development for Kroger, will co-chair the conference, which will take place Aug. 12-14 at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, Calif. As co-chairs, Delgado-Granados and Colón will provide essential input and feedback on the programming of this year’s venue, and will actively assist in recruiting speakers to make sure the event appropriately address the educational needs of today’s sophisticated retail community.

Drawing on decades of experience in multicultural retailing, their input will be particularly valuable as the conference expands beyond its traditional Hispanic focus. Under the theme, “How Multicultural Consumers are Reshaping the Fabric of U.S. Retailing,” Multicultural Retail 360 2015’s educational platforms will address the needs of African-Americans, Asians, gays/lesbians and other minority groups. As it has done for the past 11 years, the event will continue to address the wide-ranging needs of the growing Latino community.

“We are thrilled that Javier and Angel will continue to serve as co-chairs of the Multicultural Retail 360 Summit in 2015,” said Don Longo, editorial director  “Their feedback and advice have been instrumental both in the content development of the event as well as in the rebranding to ‘multicultural’ from the former Hispanic Retail 360 brand. I am really looking forward to working with both of these forward-thinking retailers again this year.”

Angel Colón, Kroger

Colón joined Kroger in 2008 and has spent 26 years in the grocery industry. He began his career with Goya Foods in Puerto Rico and Chicago. In 1991, he joined The Kellogg Co., spending 17 years in Chicago, northwest Indiana, northern Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan. He served in a variety of positions at both companies, including warehouse clerk, product management, direct sales distribution, merchandising, sales, broker management, space management, account specific marketing, regional marketing, promotions and ethnic marketing.

He holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Business Administration and is a graduate of Dale Carnegie. Outside of the retail world, Colón enjoys acting as a translator for his Hispanic church and teaches English as a second language.

Javier Delgado-Granados, Walmart

Delgado-Granados has 17 years of marketing and advertising experience, having held various positions at advertising agencies, consumer goods companies and retail. He has an established track record of developing marketing, advertising and promotional strategies.

Prior to joining Walmart, Delgado-Granados served as multicultural marketing manager at Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, where he was instrumental in developing unique consumer programming and focusing on Hispanic consumers. He is also a veteran of the Hispanic advertising and communications industry, having held several positions at agencies, including DRAFTFCB, The Vidal Partnership, and Dieste, Harmel & Partners.

Following his graduation from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia in 1996, Delgado-Granados arrived in the U.S. with a Bachelor’s degree in communications and advertising. He later attended the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Both Delgado-Granados and Colón are long-time members of the Multicultural Retail 360 Retailer Advisory Board. This group of leading marketing executives hails from many retail channels, including grocery, convenience store, specialty store and general merchandise. Every year, these men and women provide invaluable input on the conference agenda. Their highly active roles have been pivotal in keeping the event on focus and remaining true to retailers’ informational needs.

In addition to Walmart and Kroger, the Advisory Board includes multicultural experts from 7-Eleven, Best Buy, Bi-Lo, am/pm, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Hy-Vee and Maverik.

With the enthusiastic support of our Retailer Advisory Board and its co-chairs, Multicultural Retail 360 will continue embracing an ever-diversifying multicultural America, providing retailers with more insights and opportunities to engage with experts in the Hispanic, African-American, Asian-American and other communities.

Multicultural Retail 360 is produced by Stagnito Business Information, which also publishes Convenience Store News and Progressive Grocer. For more information about the 2015 Multicultural Retail 360 Summit, visit http://www.multiculturalretail360.com/welcome.html?from_mob=1.