Gotta Share!

John Reynolds

One of the things that have impacted the event industry is definitively technology, focusing this time to the Internet transformation in social media. In his creative presentation called Gotta share!, John Reynolds uses common people to explain how social media has occupied an important aspect in its users becoming part of their daily lives. It is a short-musical presentation but rich in explanation. Why social media is so popular in these days? Social media has broken time and space barriers thanks to its immediacy and availability. Its impact has been such that its users feel the need of being online most of the day -if not all the time- to share status, shopping histories, information, photos and videos, and keep connected with their friends and family.

How can we connect these facts with the event industry? Social media development help events to be distributed in their communication channels, causing an effective marketing process. Not only the event can be announced in traditional media like television, radio and newspapers, but now Internet and social pages serve as announcers too.

Social media has also contributed to marketing development, especially with the Internet marketing innovation. Social pages give the industry more ways of creating awareness among the public about events. In other words, it increases the distribution and advertising of events. Internet marketing in these pages is accurate for its speed and immediacy. Websites like Facebook and Twitter are already essential tools to follow and study the people’s behavior towards the event, giving the planner a perspective of predicting the event’s acceptance and assistance.

Entry Manager App

Events may be also managed technologically and monitored virtually in real time thanks to the social pages innovation. Social media administration is also responsible for creating mobile applications facilitating their uses and access. That’s why instruments like smart phones and tablets accelerate this communication process with peers involved in the planning, and social pages users. An example of this is the Evenbrite website with its mobile application Entry Manager App. This innovation enables the public to have access to events, monitor the status of events planned by themselves and its attendees, and check in other events

The International Special Events Society

During the years the event industry has gone through many transformations. Starting to be a simple strategy for organizing business and board meetings, it has turned out to be a professional and demanding career responsible for gigantic and international events. Backing up this fact there is also the creation and development of university level studies in the field. This helps to perpetuate its practice ant professionalism too. 

Another factor that has affected positively the industry is globalization, Internationalizing and unifying it. And this is how the International Special Events Society (ISES) was founded. The ISES focus is making special events a successful career through education, creativity and professionalism. Its central offices are located in United States, Australia, Canada and United Kingdom. These locations provide the association that global unification that the industry enjoys.

 

The society looks to: bring the profession and its benefits to the general public; develop and promote the industry with professional high standards; relate the field with other industries; and educate special events planners. One of the programs –and basically the best– that the association offers is a membership. ISES member businesses are: the planners or producers; rental, technical, decorating and travel services; event marketing and advertising, entertainment, photography and video
services; and catering services.

Throughout worldwide chapters the membership programs guarantees to its affiliates special events resources like: job and business opportunities; education, to be updated in the newest trends of the industry; leadership development; and networking links among the members.

 Other important program offered by the society is the Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP). The CSEP is a program that gives recognition to those event professionals who exceed the standards of being a leader in the industry. These professionals have accomplished excellent potential and skills delivering special events. The program was founded in 1993 and it seeks: to improve events professionals’ abilities; promote the industry; keep a high level of education with correspondent certification; and to acknowledge and reward those members that outstandingly have carried out the profession elevating the industry practices.  

Important to the industry is that this society and its programs give special events two things: union between different regions of the planet and a complete competitive image at the same time. Also, they were not created only to connect special event planners, but to link products and services business that are related to the industry too. Thanks to this the society reunites all those requirements that help making the special events industry a professional career to its maximum splendor.

The “Coliseo” of Puerto Rico: Entertainment Like You've Never Seen

Don Cholito

In September 2004 the Puerto Rican entertainment industry suffered a positive transformation when the biggest arena was completed and inaugurated: The Coliseum of Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot. It is located in the capital of the island; and it was named after one of the greatest Puerto Rican comedians (Jose Miguel Agrelot) in honor to his contribution to the island’s entertainment. One of his characters was the cherished "Don Cholito". Mixing this name and the term "Coliseo" –Spanish for coliseum– the arena was nicknamed 'Choliseo". Since it’s opening it has hosted concerts and a wide range of different national and international events.

The Coliseum belongs to the Puerto Rico Convention District Authority and is managed by the private company SMG. Thanks to the many people who visits it for May 2011 Pollstar Magazine, an American magazine specialized in the entertainment industry internationally, classified the Coliseum in 8th place within the best 50 Arenas worldwide and in 2nd place in the Western Hemisphere.

SMG has hired about 50 full-time employees, plus other hundreds part-time. The Coliseum is considered as one of the best places –if not the best– to hold events thanks to its areas of opportunity; it’s a flexible arena for different events. It offers the space, materials, and several resources necessary to celebrate special activities such as concerts; ice rink events; different types of conventions; graduations; cocktails; extreme, sport, and wrestling events; and fundraising events. This diversity enriches the clients’ tastes by offering diverse entertainment options.

"Coliseo" of Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot

For 1998 the island’s government had the intention of bringing the 2004 Olympic Games to be celebrated in Puerto Rico. This was the original plan for the “Choliseo”: create a multiuse arena to host the event. Not being the games carried out in Puerto Rico, the construction continued lasting 6 years. The venue can accommodate from 3,500 up to 18,500 spectators; it all depends on the type of event and the desired assistance by its producer.

The “Choliseo” has hosted more than 550 events and has received the visit of millions of people. Millions are also the revenue received from ticket selling. Near subway public transportation also helps providing scope between costumers and events. The venue also operates with the following departments: Events, Guest Services, Marketing, Human Resources, Finance, Box Office, Set Up, Engineering, Food and Beverage, Security, Maintenance, and Ushers.

Two Weekends Full of Emotions

The 30-years-old Spanish artist Natalia Jimenez moved the island on a thundering concert held on Saturday March 10, 2012. The event celebrated in the Coliseum of Puerto Rico, allowed the audience to witness her first concert as a solo artist after being separated from her former band “La Quinta Estación”. The repertoire of songs included 22 performances, where between laughter, flirting, and exotic clothing, she delighted the audience. The Puerto Rican singer Victor Manuelle was Natalia’s especial guest, who sang several numbers with her. Ticket prices ranged from to $45.00 to $ 75.00, and the event lasted almost two hours with an assistance of thousands of visitors. With a romantic and modern style, she accomplished the sexy and fun concert she promised days before the concert.

A next event in the island is the presentation of the 44-years-old Spanish rock songwriter and singer Enrique Bunbury. The concert will be this Thursday, March 29 at 8:30 p.m. The concert will be performed in the Coliseum of Puerto Rico too, where ticket prices range from to $40.00 to $ 75.00. Doors will be open to the public at 7:30 p.m. This event promoted by Jose Dueño Entertainment, a Puerto Rican event managing company.

In the other hand one of the most expected events in the island is another concert that will reunite the famous Dominican singer Juan Luis Guerra, the New York singer raised in Puerto Rico Robi “Draco” Rosa, and the Panamanian singer Ruben Blades. The concert is scheduled for this Friday, March 30 and Saturday, March 31 at the Coliseum of Puerto Rico. The event promoted by Publivent, is scheduled to start also at 8:30 p.m. Doors will also open at 7:30 p.m. and the ticket prices range from to $55.00 to $ 150.00. Individually, these Latin starts have done concerts where they have full various arenas worldwide. The audience looks forward to this tremendous spectacle that promises to be an historic event.

Puerto Rico's Top Event Promoters

 Puerto Rico enjoys having the competitiveness of great event promoters, who during their years of execution in the Industry have shown their talent and vision. The top Puerto Rican event promoters in the Island are:

Jose Dueño

Born in October 19, 1961, the producer José Dueño has more than 26 years of experience in the event industry. Starting his career in 1984, he has been responsible for the production of more than 1,000 events in the Island, including concerts, comedy and family events like magic shows, exhibitions, culinary events and Broadway shows. He promoted concerts with international artists like Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, The Police, Usher, Andrea Bocelli, Metallica, AC/DC, and Celine Dion. He has also worked with Latin-Americans artists like Steel Pulse, Ricardo Arjona, Franco de Vita, Aventura, Gloria Estefan, Juan Luis Guerra, Gustavo Cerati, and Ricardo Montaner. His comedy events include the magic show with The Illusionist David Copperfield. For the family, he works events like Sesame Street, Cirque Du Soleil: Dralion and The Imperial World of China. Thanks to him, Puerto Ricans have also enjoyed Broadway shows like Cats and Stomp. 

Angelo Medina

Angelo Medina was born on April 21, 1959. Besides being an event promoter and producer, he has also stood up as an international music manager for Latin artists like Ricky Martin, Mana, and Ednita Nazario. He gained and international credit of being the first Puerto Rican promoter to produce a large-scale event outside the Island named Storm, performed in the Bandalay Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Besides working with the Event Industry, he has work sports events, like Major League Baseball games in Puerto Rico. Also, he is the owner of San Juan’s professional basketball team and an entertainment company, called Angelo Medina Group. 

Ricardo Arjona in Puerto Rico

The Guatemalan singer and songwriter Ricardo Arjona, drove crazy his Puerto Rican fans in two successful concerts, filled to capacity. They were presented on Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3 at the Coliseo of Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot, being part of his Metamorfosis World Tour. This one is aimed to promote his new discography called “Independente”. 

With an attendance of over 14,000 people per function, the artist managed to captivate the public, from performing his classics, to interpreting new songs. The repertoire of songs surpassed the 25, extending the concert to two hours and a half. The tour started in January of this year, where he has performed in countries like Uruguay, United States, Argentina and lately Puerto Rico (promoted by SBS). The tour will continue to be presented in other locations like Peru, Chile and Mexico.

About SBS Entertainment

The Spanish Broadcasting System, best known as SBS, is the largest entertainment and media company in the United States. Its target market is the Hispanic community, aimed to places like Miami, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Puerto Rico. It owns the MEGA TV station, more than 15 radio stations, webpages, and is also responsible of the production of special events.