Ayala’s appearance will be an early bookmark to a four-day, 85-session program April 10-13 in Miami that features inspiring Latinovator Award recipients Emilio Estefan (19-time GRAMMY-winning Music Producer), Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer), Maria Elena Salinas (Univision anchor) and Nely Galan (Entrepreneur, The Swan) as well as the top trends and trendsetters in Latino social media, advertising, media, blogging, public relations and filmmaking.
“A keynote speech by one of Disney’s elite Imagineers who also happens to be Latino gives us great pride and sets the tone for the creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship that runs through the veins of the Hispanicize 2012’s epic program,” said Manny Ruiz, creative director and organizer of the event.
Ayala, responsible for leading Research & Development project teams, has helped design and create innovative effects for popular Disney Parks attractions such as the Haunted Mansion, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and Soarin’, among many projects. Most recently he was part of a team working on the next generation of Audio-Animatronics figures called Autonomatronics. Many of Ayala’s past and present cutting edge projects are categorized as classified or Top Secrets. In 2007 he was the recipient of the Walt Disney lmagineering Spirit of lnnovention Award.
In addition to Ayala and the one-on-one, event-wide interviews with the 2012 Latinovators, “Hispanicize 2012” will bring focus to Latino entrepreneurship and technology through other programs and sessions, including:
- “Entrepreneurs Roundtable with Latino Tech and Media Entrepreneurs” (April 10): Silicon Valley may believe Latinos are not in tech but this roundtable will feature several Latino tech and social entrepreneurs. It’s going to be spicy as all of this year’s Latino tech, social media and media company start-ups of “Hispanicize 2012” get acknowledged.
- “Kill the Crabs: Why Latinos Struggle with the ‘Crabs in the Bucket’ Syndrome and How to Overcome It” (April 11): In this powerful session a panel of senior professionals from the fields of business, sociology, marketing and entertainment will take an unflinching look at the “Crabs in the Bucket” syndrome and examine what Latino leaders can do to help overcome it.
- “Blood, Sweat & Tears: Digital Success Stories From Four Latino Media Entrepreneurs” (April 13): In this general assembly lunch session delegates will hear the behind-the-scenes stories of four Latino entrepreneurs who launched successful media ventures like TodoBebe, LatCom Communications (creators of iCaramba), Crafty Chica, Hispanic PR Wire and Hispanic Digital Network. Learn about their humble beginnings, how they developed their business concepts, built momentum, attracted talented partners and overcame daunting hurdles on their path to success.
“Hispanicize 2012” sponsors include Disney Parks, Target, BlackBerry, Unilever’s ViveMejor, Sprint, Dove Clear Tone, Walmart, McDonald’s, Cricket Wireless, Starz, Pampers, Univision Communications, JeffreyGroup, Pepsico, Southwest Airlines, Diageo, Telemundo, RadioShack, UnitedHealthcare, Clorox, JetBlue Airways, Fox Hispanic Media, Herbalife, NBC Latino, Terra, Visit Orlando, USamp, HATUEY Cuban-Style Ale, Bacardi USA, The Axis Agency, Transitions, Fleishman-Hillard, Newlink America, PR Newswire, Business Wire, Sensis, Critical Mention, Voxxi, Plus Three, Fox News Latino, OfferWise, Reyes Entertainment and others.
“Hispanicize 2012” media partners include Getty Images Latin America/Hispanic, Latin Heat Media, Billboard Latin Music, AdWeek, Hispanic Market Weekly, LatinVision and the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP).
The event’s 2012 charity focus is for ArtesMiami, a 501C3 non-profit organization dedicated to developing South Florida as a cultural center with a special focus on Hispanic culture.
Sponsorship information is still available by emailing sponsorship@hispanicizeevent.com or contacting tel: 203.364.4779 . The conference hashtag is #HISPZ11. To sign up for conference-related Twitter headlines visit www.Twitter.com/Hispanicize.
“Hispanicize 2012” is a partnership of Hispanicize, the Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).