The Growing Latino Online Voice at Industry Conferences

Over the past months I’m seeing the general market digital and social media conference/event circuit dedicating a growing Latino voice to its overall event themes, programs and activities.

It’s rewarding to see the strength that the growing “Latino Voice” is enjoying across the digital marketing landscape, and in particular at industry events and conferences. We have numerous organizations working to help guide the growth as well as give it a voice or organize it in some way.

I have been able to witness that ‘voice’ grow over the last 15 years. My career took a turn early on toward the Hispanic market when I was the only Spanish-speaking account executive at a PR agency. They had just landed an account with outreach in Latin America. I started traveling on their behalf and helping grow agency business both in terms of new clients seeking this type of outreach, but also focusing on the media relations component. I helped broaden the reach of our clients’ programs as we began creating Latino media lists and working with Hispanic reporters at major mainstream media. I’m sure many of us have had similar “Latino-to-the-rescue” or “right-place-at-the-right-time” moments in our careers. It’s one sign of our market’s maturity.

Another sign is the media relations and marketing conferences that I was attending at the time that barely hinted at this growing community. Throughout the years conferences in this space have only featured a panel or so about the Hispanic community, or multicultural communities if anything at all. Then the growth toward dedicated conferences came with trailblazers like AHAA (Association of Hispanic Ad Agencies) and the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) leading the way in many arenas.

Fast forward a few years and over the past months I’m seeing the general market digital and social media conference/event circuit dedicating a growing Latino voice to its overall event themes, programs and activities. Latinas and Latinos alike have taken on social media with a feverish drive because culturally, social media resonates with us. Increased attendance at blogging and social media conferences by Latinos is evident and dedicated events continue a growth pattern as well.

Of course the consistently increasing mobile and smartphone access numbers support these trends – as a Nielsen Feb. 2011 study cites. With the Hispanic community boasting a 45% smartphone usage ratio among U.S. ethnic groups, social media adoption is guaranteed to continue exploding. Miami’s recent participation in the global Social Media Week conference united a terrific array of Latino and multicultural influencers and social media strategists. We were up front and center on the agenda.

Later this month social media ‘guru’ Maria T. Bailey presents the SheStreams Conference and again- Latinas will play a solid role with a panel our group is presenting: “Ella Vlogs, y Tu? Latina Bloggers Share How to Build Strong ‘Heart String’ Ties with your Audience Via Video.” Our panelists include @cuponeando, @growingupblackxican, @mamaorquesta and @ahorrosparamama.

I will be attending SheStreams and blogging back on insights and trends. Please share the latest digital or social media events and conferences you’re attending that include a multicultural or Latino component.

We should have plenty of ideas to share.

Saludos digitales!

By Cristy Clavijo-Kish – CEO & Partner, Hispanicize digital

For more information at http://www.hispanicize.com