Ideal Climate

The Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce will hold its inaugural Hispanic Business and Technology Expo in San Diego in September next year.

The Chamber, headed up by President Tayde Aburto, is a new but determined coalition of small and midsized businesses that was launched in La Jolla in April 2008. One clear advantage for selecting its hometown is the city's proximity to Mexico, offering foreign businesses the benefits of increased exposure to a globally strategic location.

Other factors that went into selecting America's Finest City are the region's high concentration of Hispanic-owned businesses and its vibrant technology sector.

"It provides the ideal climate," Aburto Said.

The two-day expo will future a Business Showcase where exhibitors can elevate their company's awareness within the Hispanic community.

"The Business Showcase will provide outstanding opportunities for branding, sampling, product testing and market research," Aburto said.

However, he emphasized the importance of promoting the use of the Internet as a sales and marketing tool.

"What we found out after conducting a lot research is that too many Latino businesses aren't taking full advantage of the Internet, so that's really the main focus -building an online business community," he said. "But to do that we realized we had to take the next step and formalize this effort around an event."

The Chamber also wants to reach out to businesses throughout the region and foster more relationships among them and San Diego companies.

"We are lining up educational and practical seminars geared at building business growth and development opportunities," Aburto said. "We want people to walk away with strategies, tips and tactics to help their businesses grow, profit and succeed."

Information about how to become a sponsor or an exhibitor at the 2010 Hispanic Business and Technology Expo can be found at http://www.hbshowcase.com. Membership in the chamber is free.

Article written by Richard Gincel and published on November 9, 2009 in the Technology section of the San Diego Business Journal.