It was successfully organized by the Excelencias Group under the title How to Boost your Business in Times of Crisis. A major turnout of professionals from the travel industry and the high level of the lectures and tastings by the guest exhibitors marked this event.

With the attendance of authorities from Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit and a huge presence of hoteliers and restaurant owners, the three-day seminar, that counted on the Excelencias Group’s President and CEO Jose Carlos de Santiago, addressed such topics as Human Resources, Foods and Beverages, E-commerce and Digital Marketing. Guillermo Fraga, an expert in multinational corporate businesses like Coca Cola and Nabisco, dictated an interesting lecture on Human Resources, thus opening up of the seminar’s working sessions on Oct. 5. It was followed by Luis Omaña –trained at the Four Seasons Hotel and with a longstanding career under his belt in such other chains as Velas Hotels or the Marival Group– who broached the Food and Beverage topic, the main course of the seminar. Other keynote speakers were Douwe Egberts, who made an outstanding presentation on coffee and latte art with amazing figures made of milk foam over infusions. At the same time, Cuban expert Yamir Pellegrino unveiled a tasting of stogies from Cigar Factory, coffee and 12-year Flor de Caña rum in which he laid bare interesting matching details with great expertise and communication skills. Carlos Elizondo exposed his experiences in applied marketing, promotional and publicity means, the importance of the image and selection of means during a two-hour presentation and Q-and-A session on the second day of the event. On that same day, Edgar Urence delivered a lecture on e-commerce and digital marketing strategies to boost up sales on the Internet, networking and applications. The afternoon session was reserved for Haydhelen Velasquez’s lecture and interesting chat on the abundance and the habits to succeed as a way to creatively stave off the ongoing crisis. This session prompted Jose Carlos de Santiago, president and CEO of the Excelencias Group, to talk about the creation of a communication group and his 25-plus-year experience in the realm of mass media in different parts of the world. The finishing touch came once again by the hand of Yamir Pellegrino with a very creative tasting of Mexican raicilla, a Romeo & Juliet Limited Edition Habano, the traditional Spanish-made Serrano ham, Colombian coffee and Mexican chocolate. The third and last day of the seminar was dedicated to the organization of banquets and functions with lecturer Elias Sapien, an expert in the field who planned the Barack Obama dinner during the U.S. President’s visit to Mexico’s Guadalajara. On weddings and related events talked Rocco Troyani, with a longstanding career both in Mexico and overseas. The afternoon session was devoted to two major tastings. The first one Trio wines by Mexican sommelier Fermin Gomez and Cuba’s Yamir Pellegrino; and the second one staged by Mundo Cuervo tequilas that featured a lecture by Sonia Espinola. The seminar came to a close with the handing out of certificates among all attendees and an invitation for many happy returns of this meeting in years to come.