Corporate And Policy Leaders Gather For The 2015 Latin Trade Symposium & 21st Annual BRAVO Business Awards

MIAMI, July 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Latin Trade Group, the leading provider of information and business services to companies operating in Latin America, presents the 2015 Latin Trade Symposium & 21^st annual BRAVO Business Awards, the premier gathering in the Americas where influential business and government leaders come together to discuss the most pressing issues facing the region.

This year's conference, entitled "Success through Innovation: New Strategies, New Markets, and New Faces,'' will take place on Thursday, October 29, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, in Miami. It is organized in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA).

The conference program will feature more than 40 panelists, including chief executives and policy leaders representing an array of industries including financial services, information technology, agribusiness, energy and aviation. Portions of the 2015 Symposium will be filmed by CNN, to be aired at a later date.

''We have seen the Latin Trade Symposium and BRAVO Business Awards grow tremendously over the last two decades, and this year will draw more than 600 senior executives, policymakers and leaders from non-governmental organizations to Miami. This 2015 Symposium will focus on the crucial issue of innovation as a necessity for economic development and sustained growth, and feature the leaders who will shape the future of the regional, and global economy,'' said Rosemary Winters, CEO of Latin Trade Group.

The 2015 Latin Trade Symposium will include three panels on key issues facing the business and policy communities, as well as three afternoon discussions on philanthropy and foundations, energy and inclusion and gender equality.

"Navigating through Uncertainty: The Next Decade for Latin American Economies"

2015 has been less than optimal for many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. As the region witnesses growth levels among the lowest in the last 15 years, social tensions have also increased, with a now expanded middle class calling for greater access to quality services from their governments. Panelists will include Augusto de la Torre, Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean, World Bank, José Juan Ruiz Gómez, Chief Economist and Manager of the Research Department, IDB, Pablo Sanguinetti, Chief Economist, CAF, Alejandro Werner, Head of the Western Hemisphere Department, IMF, and will be chaired by Cynthia J. Arnson, Director of the Latin American Program, The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

"Regional and Global Strategies for Sustained Growth"

Over the course of the last 20 years Latin American multinational corporations have solidified a regional presence in a number of highly competitive, sought after markets. Globalization, and the presence of Asian companies, among others, not only in local economies but world markets have heightened competition for multilatinas. The panel will include Gustavo Grobocopatel, CEO, Grupo Los Grobo, Blanca Treviño, President and CEO, Softtek, Armando Senra, Managing Director, BlackRock and will be chaired by Jorge Becerra, Senior Partner and Managing Director, The Boston Consulting Group.

"Success through Innovation"

Innovation will play a pivotal role in strengthening markets and economic growth in Latin America's short term. The region has been slow to implement diversified, new ways of doing business, but trends are developing which give optimism to the economic future. How will the region collectively promote innovation and utilize these strategies for sustained growth in a challenging economic landscape? Panelists will include Juan Domingo Beckmann, CEO, Jose Cuervo, José Miguel Benavente, Division Chief, Competitiveness and Innovation, IDB, Germán Efromovich, Chairman and CEO, Synergy Group, Thilo Mannhardt, CEO, Ultrapar, José Antonio Ríos, CEO and Chairman, Celistics and will be chaired by Xavier Serbiá, Anchor, CNN.

Latin Trade announced in June and July the winners of the 2015 BRAVO Business Awards, who will also be honored at the gala awards ceremony on October 29^th, including:

H.E. President Horacio Cartes – Republic of Paraguay, Innovative Leader of the Year
Thilo Mannhardt, CEO of Ultrapar, CEO of the Year
Alberto Baillères González, President of Grupo Bal, Transformational CEO of the Year
Juan Domingo Beckman, CEO of Jose Cuervo, Innovative CEO of the Year 
Jose Alberto Vélez, CEO of Grupo Argos, Investor of the Year 
Eduardo Belmont, CEO of Belcorp, Social Sustainability CEO of the Year 
Rodrigo Galindo, CEO of Kroton Educacional, Dynamic CEO of the Year

Sponsors of the Latin Trade Symposium and 21st BRAVO Business Awards include: Avianca, HSBC, AES, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, The Boston Consulting Group, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America, and Celistics. Partners include: Ashoka, CNN en Espanol, Financial Times, Newlink Group, Onstream Media, and PR Newswire.

For more information, please visit bravo.latintrade.com

Latin Trade Group is a leading provider of information and business services to companies operating in Latin America. It publishes award-winning content in Spanish and English for distribution throughout Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States through print, online media and events. Latin Trade Group publishes Latin Trade magazine, Latintrade.com, and is the organizer of the Latin Trade Symposium and BRAVO Business Awards, the LT CFO Series for financial executives of multinational corporations, and Sino-Americas, the new conference series designed to build bridges between China and Latin America.

Media Contact:
Lourdes Perez
+1 305 532-7950 Ext.271
[email protected]

SOURCE Latin Trade Group