Las Vegas, Nevada – The National Association of Hispanic Publications drew publishers, advertisers and other industry professionals from across the United States and Mexico to the 26th Annual NAHP Convention and Business Expo at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 19-22, 2011.
Convention Chair, Eddie Escobedo, Jr. and the Las Vegas Host Committee opened the convention with a celebration at the East Las Vegas Community Senior Center on Wednesday, October 19th, complete with mariachis, art exhibits from the Nevada Hispanic Museum, and a special guest performance by local sensation, Melissa Samaniego. The event was sponsored by Creel Printing and catered by Cardenas Markets, Inc.
The stunning opening event set the stage for the workshops and sessions to begin on Thursday, October 20th, with an emotional dedication to the late Eddie Escobedo, Sr., and a motivational session with noted author Juana Bordas, followed by cutting-edge workshops and lectures for industry leaders and newcomers, touching on best practices, advertising, sales, news and social media for an ever-strengthening Hispanic audience. While traditional media outlets are experiencing audience declines, Hispanic publications are bucking the trend and delivering an audience of young, educated and loyal readers. Hispanic purchasing power now exceeds $850 billion dollars, and the Hispanic population according to recent Census data now numbers over 50 million which includes Puerto Rico.
Throughout the convention, winners of the annual Jose Marti
Awards were announced. Clara Padilla Andrews, Immediate Past President of the National
Association of Hispanic Publications said, “Each year we strive to
bring innovative and educational discussions to our conventions that
help bring our members to new levels of success. This convention has
been bittersweet for me as I pass the torch on to the newly elected
NAHP Board of Directors, headed by Zeke Montes, but I wish them all of
the best.” She adds, “My passion for the Hispanic publishing industry
remains strong and I will continue advocating for our members and our
industry.”
A complete list of winners is posted on
www.nahp.org.
The Path To Newspaper Survival
Workshops began with The Path To Newspaper Survival with Jessica Pantanini, Chair, Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies; Randy Bennett, SVP Business Development, Newspaper Association of America; Cloves Campbell, President, National Newspaper Publishers Association; and Aejandro Sanchez, Publisher, Al Dia in Dallas, TX. Other workshops included, All Things Digital with Isaac Vazquez, Community Manager, ImpreMedia; John Jones, Vice President, Advantage Newspaper Consultants; and Vanessa M. Smith, IMPACTO Latin News; in addition to a discussion on Audits and Circulation with Zeke Montes, NAHP Incoming President; Alan Levy, Verified Audit Circulation; Mark Stoecklin, Certified Audit of Circulations; and Kirk Whisler, Latino Print Network.
Highlights of the day included the arrival of The Honorable Arturo Sarukhan, Ambassador from Mexico to the United States to address participants at the luncheon. They were also joined by The Honorable Mariano Lemus Gas, Consul of Mexico in Las Vegas. Rounding out the activities of the day, participants were treated to a special viewing of the upcoming movie, “Filly Brown” starring Edward James Olmos, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jenni Rivera and Gina Rodriguez. After the viewing, guests were invited to a question and answer session with some of the actors, producers, and members of the creative team behind the movie. KBLR-TV Telemundo hosted the rooftop event overlooking the famous Fremont Street Experience. The event was also sponsored by Sprint, Coca-Cola and Goya Foods.
Friday morning began with the Latina Publishers’ Breakfast, celebrating Latina leadership. Keynote speaker, Dr. Antonia Novello, Former United States Surgeon General spoke to the crowd and recognitions were presented to Alma Morales Riojas, President and CEO, MANA, A National Latina Organization; Ana Valdez, Executive Director, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility; Mary Ann Gomez, Executive Director, Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute; and Margaret Gonzalez, President and Founder, International Association of Hispanic Meeting Professionals. The awards were followed by the presentation of the documentary film: InsiderGame from the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility.
Friday workshops included, How to Use Census Numbers as a Selling Tool with Melanie Deal Concepcion, U.S. Census; and The Power of Hispanic Print with Nile Wendorf, NAHP Treasurer; Oscar Leon Walker, Re:Fuel; and Carlos Santiago, President & Chief Strategist, Santiago Solutions Group; How to Utilize Social Media to Promote Your Online Publications with Claudia Galvan, Microsoft; Manny Ruiz, Hispanicize; and Jose Ulloa, Latino Cyber Guide. The final session was an all-encompassing Advertiser and Publisher Roundtable Discussion on Marketing to Hispanics.
Highlights from the day included an International Luncheon featuring Jose Luis Garza, Director of International Relations, NAHP; Gonzalo Leano Reyes, President, Asociacion Mexicana de Editores de Periodicos (AME); Oscar Rodriguez Hernandez, Vice president, Asociacion Mexicana de Editores de Periodicos (AME); and Jaime Serdan, AP. The evening concluded with the Annual NAHP Awards Gala, which included recognitions for the Ibarria Media Group, recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award; Goya Foods, recipient of the Corporation of the Year Award; Senator Harry Reid, recipient of the first-ever Eddie Escobedo, Sr. Award; Nile Wendorf, recipient of the President’s Award; and the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, recipient of the Community Award.
Saturday featured the Student Voices in Media Day – a journalism/publishing boot-camp for area university and high school students presented by the National Hispanic Press Foundation. Featured speakers included Antonio Gonzalez, President of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project; and Joaquin Nuno-Whelan, Vehicle Line Director and Vehicle Chief Engineer for the 2010 Chevrolet Sonic. During the luncheon, participants were treated to a sneak peek of the upcoming movie, “In Seach of the American Dream” an independent film from Producer/Director Baldemar Rodriguez.
The day and the convention ended with a a ground-breaking discussion known as the Table of Brotherhood. Chevrolet brought thought leaders, community advocates, and ordinary Americans together to discuss the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through the lens of four permeating issues: education, the economy, healthcare, and cultural diversity and tolerance. CNN Contributor Roland Martin moderated a roundtable discussion with Dr. Juan Andrade, President of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute; Antonio Gonzalez, President of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project; Clara Padilla Andrews, Immediate Past President of the National Association of Hispanic Publications; Alma Morales Riojas, President and CEO of MANA, A National Latina Organization; Joaquin Nuno-Whelan, Vehicle Line Director and Vehicle Chief Engineer for the 2010 Chevrolet Sonic; and Juan Gonzalez, a local Las Vegas high school student. Issues such as civil rights, education, immigration and social justice were among the topics covered in this lively discussion.
