CHICAGO — The Antojo Industry Trade Expo launched in May 2023 at the Pasadena Convention Center and aimed to bring together Latino restaurants, markets and street vendors to build business relationships inside and outside the United States.
The show was created by independent producer Eric Jurado, who conducted market research and discovered there was a need in the market for a trade event serving the Latino restaurant and retail industry in the United States.
“The project began with a glaring gap in the market: a trade show dedicated to the Latino restaurant and retail industry in the United States,” Jurado said. “With the Hispanic or Latino population now representing 19.1% of the total population, it became clear that a platform was needed.”
Preparations for a launch
With previous experience selling exhibit space and sponsorship for the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show and SEMA, Jurado knew the importance of a well-planned and aggressive marketing and sales effort in building an exhibitor base for a show.
“Based on the information gathered during my three years of market research, I developed “realistic” projections for trade show booth sales, trade attendance by industry category, sponsorship opportunities and the development of important trade media relationships,” Jurado said. “I then developed realistic projections for trade show booth sales, which we achieved for Antojo Industry’s first annual trade show. The attendance projections were also very close to what I had anticipated and were certainly more than enough for exhibitors to see and feel that there was great potential for this project.”
To successfully launch the first edition of the fair, Antojo Industry Trade Expo simultaneously compiled the list of exhibitors and developed a marketing strategy for the participants.
“This involved directly reaching out to sales representatives, food and beverage brokers and industry contacts through email campaigns, cold calling, social media and even in-person networking,” Jurado said. “Given the niche Latino market, a significant portion of my efforts and time was spent educating potential exhibitors and attendees from Latin America and the United States on the benefits of attending a trade show.”
Another key element to the first year’s success was the support from the Latino food and beverage community, which was reflected in the show being the only Latino food trade event endorsed by the Latino Restaurant Association and the Latino Food Industry Association.
“Their support brought credibility, fostered collaboration, generated excitement and enabled the event to meet community expectations,” Jurado said. “This critical support helped recruit attendees, attract exhibitors and ensure the long-term viability of the event by creating a strong foundation built on trust, shared passion and a deep understanding of community needs and preferences.”
This approval also means that Antojo Industry Trade Expo will serve as an annual meeting place for members of the associations and in 2024 it will host the 10th edition of the Antojo Industry Trade Expo.th Annual Latino Food and Beverage Summit, helping to generate attendance at the event.
“Antojo Industry Trade Expo is the essential trade platform to drive growth and profitability in the Latin American food and beverage market, providing businesses with unparalleled opportunities to network, discover new products and expand their market reach,” said Lilly Rocha, CEO of the Latino Restaurant Association.
Looking forward to this year’s event
The 2024 Antojo Industry Trade Expo will be held October 13-14 at the Long Beach Convention Center Arena. The show will feature over 150 exhibitors (50 more companies than last year) and nearly 3,000 industry professionals. With over 20,000 social media followers and growing, the team strives to prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to reach.
“These numbers are the result of old-fashioned fieldwork: shaking hands, building relationships and knocking on doors,” Jurado said. “Our team took a guerrilla marketing approach that gets back to basics and pays off.”
“Our goal is to become the epicenter of the Latin American food and retail sector, driving economic growth, inspiring culinary creativity, and elevating Latin American businesses to new heights and opening a gateway for companies looking to enter the Latin American food and beverage market,” said Jurado. “We have already been able to help emerging startups and established brands expand their distribution channels and have enabled countless companies to network with like-minded people where they previously did not have a trade show to do so.”
Contact Eric Jurado at ericj@antojoindustry.com
