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Editor's Note: Continue to check back here for twice-daily updates from Miami as well as features on panel discussions and keynote addresses, opinion pieces and an extensive wrap-up. All coverage will be highlighted on AdBanter.com, in lagniappe and on the Online Ads Discussion List.
Thursday, March 16, 2000 - AM Update
MIAMI - As things go at Online Advertising conferences, the third day is always the least impressive in terms of content and sticking to the schedule. @d: tech Latin America did not attempt to change that precedent. With three Advertising sessions on Thursday (two and a closing keynote address), scheduled speakers were 0-for-3 in showing up for their presentations. Apparently, this was expected as most of the attendees did not even bother to show for the final day, either.
About the only news to come out of the day was the announcement that eMarketWorld, the parent company of @d:tech, said it would be opening a Miami office and will conduct at least four annual conferences focusing on Latin America. The major event will be the annual pan-regional conference in Miami, with events in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico planned for 2001.
The closing keynote address was supposed to be delivered by Luis Fernando Santos CEO of El Tiempo, the daily newspaper of Columbia. However, Mr. Santos was unable to make it to Miami due to an illness he came down with earlier in the week. In his place, Enrique Baustamante, from Mexico's El Universo newspaper, a part of the GDA (Grupo de Diarios America) who spoke for almost an hour but amazingly, did not say much of anything.
The only thing of merit that Mr. Baustamante said was that GDA's Web site receives 150,000 unique visits daily, 50 percent of which come from outside of Mexico. Those numbers put the newspaper group right at the top of visits in Latin America, going head-to-head with the major portals in the region.
On the whole, @d:tech Latin America educated those that were unfamiliar with the Internet efforts in the region and brought together those already working there, many of which had never met face-to-face, even though they consider each other rivals. The conference reaffirmed the commitment that many companies have made to Latin America and could be the springboard that others need to see the ultimate potential in the region.
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