This year’s International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) will feature a special session on the strategies for engaging the increasing Hispanic sector of the American marketplace, to be held on Wednesday, September 18 from 10:30 am to noon. The session is sponsored by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) as welll as Lopez Negrete Communications, and co-sponsored by Soundings Trade Only.

“RBFF and Lopez Negrete Communications are developing a strategic plan to build bridges to the Hispanic community. They believe that this group is an untapped market in the recreational boating and fishing industries,” said Anne Dunbar, Show Director of IBEX. “RBFF has organized this session and are generously sharing information so other companies can improve their marketing and communications to the Hispanic audience.”

Organizers of the session pointed out that the Hispanic population in America is quickly growing, and preliminary research indicates Hispanics are underrepresented in boating and fishing. They also noted that a recent report from the Pew Research Center forecasted that Latinos could account for as much as 29% of the general population by 2050.

Two speakers from Lopez Negrete Communications will present at this session. Gerry Loredo, director of business analytics, is a strategic marketing specialist and currently advises RBFF on their Hispanic outreach efforts. Ed Cantú, director of consumer insights and planning, will speak about who, what, where, when, how, and why of the Hispanic market, from the eyes of a Latino consumer. Lopez Negrete has worked with major brands in both the general and Hispanic market, including Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Bank of America, Wal-Mart Stores, Verizon Communications, Kraft Foods, NBC Universal Motion Pictures Group, and SONIC.

Thom Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), expressed excitement about the session noting, “Exploring and understanding the Hispanic community is vital to the continued success of recreational boating and we are looking forward to learning more from Lopez Negrete Communications and their work with RBFF on behalf of the industry.”

To attend this special session, please register for IBEX. If you have already registered for IBEX and would like to add this special session, please contact Joanne Miller at jmiller@nmma.org, or 312–946–6245.