US Hispanic Advertising Week Conference 2013 – – A Challenge to all in our Industry.

  The AHAA Conference began this week in Miami and I assume you have heard that they have expanded their Board of Directors and added an Advisory Board that include clients, media and research executives, besides just ad agency executives.

They also do not want to call the organization the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies, they want to be called AHAA – The Voice of Hispanic Marketing. A new COMPASS! I have high HOPES. This new change will impact the scope and breath of AHAA as we lead into 2013. I want to float an idea with the Industry at large. As all of you know very well, you attended one of our Industry conferences and expect ROI. The worst is when your boss or someone asks you “Did you sell anything and/or was it worth attending or where they preaching to the choir?”  And, you lie through your teeth to ensure that the person does not believe that you wasted your time or you do not tarnish your credibility or you keep the conference in your budget next year.  Travel is good, travel with ROI even better. No ROI. NADA! It happens in our Industry’s B2B Conference circuit all of the time. To change this, their needs to be a lot of qualified people in attendance that have the ability to purchase/manage or influence the exchange between a client and a vendor. That simple – – – Sales! This occurs once you have unique and great content, networking capabilities, and invite the ‘Best of the Best’ to speak or attend with the correct scope. Great ‘must be there’ content. Great attendance ‘power brokers’. Great ROI. The above characteristics are lacking in some US Hispanic Market conferences.  I have come to the conclusion that the US Hispanic conference circuit is plagued by the same speakers that are over exposed and offer the same pitches, media kits and agendas. I know that you all agree with me, I just voice the apparent. It has nothing to do with growing the Industry, the ad pie or our skill-sets. Our scope, needs and interest should be about growing Sales. Too many conferences, not enough B2B ROI. This is not to say that we do not have great conferences, but I might have too many fingers on one hand that fit that bill that demonstrate QUALIFIED TARGETS in attendance, unique content and an environment that delivers ROI. At the end of the day, the B2B Conference and trade journal business should be about SELLING.  Punto! We at HispanicAd.com gauge a successful conference by counting the number of top sales & marketing managers flooding a conference. Great Content = Qualifies Targets = Sales Executives = Sponsorships = Growth. Simple enough. I submit to the Industry at large a change in our B2B approach to selling and promoting the US Hispanic Market, the Agencies, the Media and all Other Companies that depend on the growth of our Industry.

US HISPANIC ADVERTISING WEEK in 2013.

I call on Roberto Orci of the AHAA, Delia L. Lopez of the Hispanic Public Relations Association, Leila Cobo of Billboard Latin Conference, Michael Hatherill of Hispanic Retail 360, Eric Rhodes from Radio Ink, David Chitel from NGLC Conference, Louis Hillelson of Broadcasting & Cable and Adriana Waterston of Horowitz Multicultural, along with the management of ad agencies and the sales management of the media companies to accept the CHALLENGE. Imagine 4 days, all-inclusive content, a multitude of clients that need to attend a ‘Must Attend” conference schedule and your sales /agency/marketing team. CONTENT, CONTENT, CONTENT. TARGETS, TARGETS, TARGETS. SALES, SALES, SALES. IMAGINA …… I can! A US Hispanic Adverting Week, that includes all of the above conferences in a four (4) day package that offers economies-of-scale not only for the conference entities (for profit/non-profit) but for the attendees as well. Obviously in Miami, the city offers incredible opportunities since it is a catalyst for all of the US Hispanic media companies. I challenge all of you. Roberto, Delia, Leila, Michael, Eric, David, Louis and Adriana, call me, HispanicAd.com will host the first meeting to discuss. Gene Bryan CEO HispanicAd.com