Texas Hispanic Upfront draws networks to San Antonio to Woo Ad Community.

On Thursday, June 5th, SAVisión, the Hispanic marketing arm of the American Marketing Association, will host the first Texas Hispanic Upfront. An estimated 400 Hispanic advertising and marketing professionals will attend the gala evening event, featuring a media fair followed with multimedia presentations by a wide range of Spanish-language TV networks.

“Only a handful of media buyers can make the commitment to attend the week-long Upfronts in New York,” states Diane Huth, Chairman of SAVisión. “By bringing the new television programming to us, hundreds of potential customers can preview firsthand the new fall programming, and take advantage of upfront buying opportunities.”

The idea for the event was born at a recent SAVisión luncheon, when Tomás Ruiz, Director of Media Buying Services at Bromley Communications, presented ‘News from the Upfronts,’ sharing his insights on upcoming programming he had seen at the week-long Upfronts in 2007. Attendee discussion confirmed that only a handful of San Antonio media buyers make the expensive and time-consuming journey to New York for the fall season previews. The concept of inviting the networks to make their presentation to the Texas Hispanic ad community was enthusiastically received by attendees.

A group of leading media directors from key Hispanic ad agencies and marketing companies in the region agreed to form the Upfront Ad Council, assuring the SAVisión organizers of the support of the key agencies and advertisers. More than 13 agencies with national Hispanic clients operate in the South Texas region, including Bromley, Latin Works, Garcia 360, Market Vision, Creative Civilization, PMG, Viva Media, and the Cartel Group. The region also is home to many large corporations, including AT&T, Dell Computers, HEB, and Republic National Distributing Company. The Upfront has gained endorsement from other leading business organizations, including AHAA (Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies), San Antonio Advertising Federation and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The Upfront will be held on Thursday, June 5th, from 5:30 – 10:30 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Museum and Library in downtown San Antonio. The Media Fair will run from 5:30 to 7:00, and will feature food stations and live entertainment. The network presentations will follow in the theater, along with additional musical entertainment.

“Our goal is to create an event that is a win-win for all participants – allowing advertisers to learn about programming and ad opportunities, and enabling networks to reach scores of potential new advertisers”, stated Scott Keeler, Upfront Chairman. “By having the event sponsored by the AMA, a non-profit professional association, we can provide a level playing ground for all media participants, while bringing the participation cost down to a very modest amount for both the media presenters and attendees.”

According to Debbie Richmond, Executive Vice President of Media for Viva Media, “This is an idea whose time has come. Many millions of dollars of Spanish-language media are bought here in Texas, and we look forward to viewing the new season programming and negotiating beneficial upfront deals for our clients without having to make the trek to New York.”

Full details of the event are available on the SAVisión website http://www.savision.org> , where attendees can register to attend. For more information, contact: Diane Huth, SAVisión Chair at (210) 601-7852 or dx****@va******.com , or Scott Keeler, Upfront Chair at (210) 859-6914 or sc**********@ci*****.com .