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Esta página no está disponible en español. BUSINESS WIRE Puerto Rico and Its New Convention Center Named Official Host for U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 2007 Convention July 22, 2003 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico--With construction of its new Convention Center charging full speed ahead, Puerto Rico has been selected as the official host for the 28th Annual National Convention and Business Expo for the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) in September 2007. The event is expected to attract more than 6,000 attendees, 200 exhibitors and a two-day Business Expo during a four-day conference at the new Convention Center in San Juan. The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau successfully defeated its formidable competitors in Orlando, Fla.; Memphis and Nashville, Tenn. in winning the USHCC convention business, which has an estimated economic impact to Puerto Rico of approximately $5 million. The Caribe Hilton was chosen as the headquarter hotel with a preliminary count of 2,200 room nights to be booked for the convention. "We are beaming with great pride over this enormous honor to have the opportunity to welcome the USHCC convention delegates to the meetings hub of the Americas and to the new Puerto Rico Convention Center opening in 2005," said Jorge Pesquera, executive director of the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, official sales and marketing agent for the new Convention Center. "Being awarded this business is the culmination of a seven-year sales and marketing drive to showcase Puerto Rico to the USHCC as the most authentically Hispanic destination under the U.S. flag and as a premier meetings destination." According to Pesquera, the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau team took a very focused approach with the USHCC, participating actively in their annual conventions and conferences and communicating to the organization's member base that in Puerto Rico they could conduct business in their native language in familiar surroundings and have access to financiers, attorneys, engineers, marketing experts and communications specialists, each of whom are American citizens thoroughly acquainted with U.S. business practices. A very attractive set of attributes also were presented, including Puerto Rico's excellent access from any major U.S. city, state-of-the-art technology, overwhelming community support and strong international appeal. USHCC President and CEO George Herrera was very clear about the reasons for choosing Puerto Rico as the convention site. "The destination, the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau and the new Convention Center all demonstrate an enormous level of credibility, infrastructure, internationalism, passion and, of course, a core for Hispanic roots," he said. The 580,000-square-foot Puerto Rico Convention Center will open its doors in 2005 in San Juan's Isla Grande area. The state-of-the-art facility will feature a 152,700-square-foot exhibition hall, the largest ballroom in the Caribbean (at 39,500 square feet) and 36,200 square feet of meeting rooms. By the time the USHCC delegates arrive in 2007, the 113-acre Puerto Rico Convention District will be emerging as a bustling community of shops, restaurants, movie theatres, offices and residences that are part of the district's master plan. UHCC Annual Convention attendees will include members of more than 200 affiliated chambers of commerce across the country, leading business experts, Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, influential Hispanic leaders and top Hispanic business executives. The USHCC represents the interests of more than 1.2 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States and Puerto Rico, which collectively earn $186 billion annually. The organization also actively promotes the economic growth and development of Hispanic entrepreneurs.
Editor's Note: The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau is the official sales and marketing agent for the Puerto Rico Convention Center at the Puerto Rico Convention Center District. The non-profit organization is responsible for promoting and developing group and convention business to Puerto Rico through an integrated marketing strategy, for more than 40 years. Based in San Juan, with offices in Chicago, Madrid, Miami, New York, and Washington DC, the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau provides sales consultation services to meeting planners in the corporate, incentive and association markets. High-resolution images of the Puerto Rico Convention Center architectural renderings and models are available upon request. For images or more information: CONTACT: YPB&R Public Relations, Orlando, Fla. Kathy Hernandez, 407-838-1797 Kathy - Hernandez@ypbr.com or Sharlet Brennan, 407-838-1707 Sharlet - Brennan@ypbr.com or Puerto Rico Convention Bureau Ana Maria Viscasillas, 757-725-2110 amviscasillas@prcb.org.
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