- Best CA Latino Blogger
- Best CA Latina Blogger
- Best CA Latino Tweep
- Best CA Latina Tweep
- Best Latino(a) Social Network Leader in CA
- Best CA Company Using Social Media to Reach Latinos
- Best CA Not-for-Profit Using Social Media to Engage Latinos
- Best CA Interactive Agency Using Social Media to Reach Latinos
- Best CA PR Agency Using Social Media to Reach Latinos
- Best CA Advertising Agency Using Social Media to Reach Latinos

The awards ceremony will take place on September 18, at Latino2’s first event, which will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center. (If you hadn’t already heard this event is free to the first 300 people who register. If you haven’t already done so, click here.)

And the good news keeps coming! Our Los Angeles event will now offer free admission to the first 300 people to register. (You can register here.)

We are also bringing back one of LATISM’s conference traditions – The LATISM Awards! The awards will give official recognition to the best from the California area, honoring those who have demonstrated excellence in applying social media strategies to reach the Latino market in a variety of categories, from bloggers to non-profit organizations. We invite you to nominate your favorites now through next Thursday, September 2nd. To submit your nominations please click here.

The event will close out with a post-event mixer, and we’ll be announcing a location for that soon, so stay tuned.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – August 26 – 2010 – Latinos in Social Media (LATISM), the largest organization of social media professionals of Hispanic origin has launched an annual awards program for excellence in Latino communications in California. The first awards ceremony — September 18 at the Los Angeles Convention Center — will be the centerpiece of the kickoff of “Latino2: The California Tour,” a year-long event series focusing on the emergence of Latin-Americans in the digital/social world. To nominate an individual or agency for an award, click here.

“The Latino2 tour is a year-long conversation with stops in the major geographical areas where Latinos have had a strong presence,” said Ana Roca Castro, -co-founder and chair of LATISM. “The awards ceremony is a perfect way of launching the tour, by bringing together some of the best minds in communications in one of the largest, most vibrant markets in the U.S.”

The Latino2 event series kickoff – titled “The Marketing Tribe” – will also feature a keynote by social-media guru Brian Solis, a panel of Latina mommy bloggers, and an in-depth interview with one of the leading cross-border marketing agencies in LA.

“This is the kickoff of a year-long tour, and we want to give the first attendees a taste of what’s to come,” said Castro. “Future events will be more topical – entertainment, technology, politics, non-profits – but excellence in communications stitches the series together.”

ABOUT LATISM
Founded in 2009, Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing the social, civic and economic status of the Latino community by providing capacity-building training, information, resources and networking opportunities. LATISM also researches and analyzes Latino use of online social networks to inform decision-making by businesses, nonprofits, policymakers and others seeking to reach or mobilize Latinos.

LOS ANGELES, June 24, 2010 – At the end of this summer, Latino leaders in social media will come together in Los Angeles at Latino2 –the largest gathering of people interested in reaching Latinos using the new rules and tools of digital and social engagement. The conference – taking place September 18 at the Los Angeles Convention Center – will be a unique opportunity for businesses that are interested in learning how to apply best practices in digital/social media marketing. Latino2 is brought to Los Angeles by LatISM (Latinos in Social Media), the largest organization of social media professionals of Hispanic origin.

The explosive growth of the U.S. Hispanic market has resulted in businesses and organizations becoming interested in understanding  – and reaching – this increasingly important audience. A 2009 study by the Captura Group which examined data from the Florida State University Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication with the support of DMS Research  found that 36 percent of English-preferring Hispanics (acculturated) and 27 percent of Spanish-preferring Hispanics visit social networking sites at least 2 or 3 times a month – as opposed to only 18 percent of non-Hispanic whites. Increasingly the Hispanic community has turned to technology – and social media – to share, communicate and network.

With that in mind, the Latino2 Conference theme is: “The Latinosphere Comes of Age.” In a year where Latinos have come together online around national issues such as the U.S. Census and immigration, many professionals in business, government and non-profits are beginning to understand the “Latinosphere” as a significant force. Latino2 will not only gather some of the most prominent and successful digital leaders in different market sectors, but also people eager to learn how to navigate the Latino world online.

Conference speakers will be as diverse in thought and industry as the U.S. Hispanic community. They will include leaders and experts from around the world but with a special focus on the markets most vibrant in the Southern California economy — media, entertainment, and digital technologies. With keynotes and special tracks in entertainment, media, business-to-business, business-to-consumer, mommy blogging, technology, and government/NGO marketing, Latino 2 has already signed up a broad range of speakers, including Arturo Duran, digital editor of Impre, the nation’s largest Spanish-language print media organization; Al Ramirez, former candidate for the U.S. Senate, California; Laura Gomez, manager of internationalization at Twitter; Brian Solis, leading influencer and consultant in social media marketing; and J.D. Lasica, journalist and social media innovator.

The conference will include a Friday pre-conference party in downtown L.A., a full-day conference with keynotes and breakouts on Saturday, and a leadership breakfast on Sunday. More than 300 professionals in marketing and Latin-influentials are expected to attend.

Conference sponsors include Sprint, Pitney Bowes and Reimagine Group. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available; information can be found at http://latino2.com/sponsors/. Those interested in attending can click here to visit the registration page.

About LatISM
We are the largest organization of Social Media professionals of Hispanic origin.  Our members are bloggers, tweeters, social network group leaders, e-commerce owners, marketers and more.  Join the first LatISM Heritage Tour and directly connect with the Social Media influencers of the Hispanic community.  Whether you are a Latino in Social Media or a company that targets the Hispanic Market, this organization will bring you to the next level of connection.  For more information, go to www.latism.org. For more information about the LATINO2 Conference, visit www.latino2.com.

Contact: Jennifer Vides

Mobile: 818-612-5217
E-mail:  JenniferAVides@gmail.com

First of all, if you’d visited our website previously, you’ll notice that the event date has changed. The Latino2 Conference will now be held on September 18th, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This is allowing us to put together an even more incredible list of speakers for you, and it has allowed us to be able to hold the event at this amazing venue.

Speaking of speakers – jump on over to our Speakers page and check out the initial lineup. We have confirmed some of the best in the digital world. From Brian Solis, who is globally recognized as one of the most prominent thought leaders and published authors in new media, to Al Ramirez, the 2010 candidate for the U.S. Senate, and of course, our fearless leader, Ana Roca Castro, founder of Latinos in Social Media (LatISM). We are currently looking for additional speakers, so if you are interested, please get in contact with us using this form.

We’re also happy to introduce you to a few of our sponsors. A big thank you to Sprint, Pitney Bowes and Reimagine Group for their support. There are still sponsorship opportunities available. For those that are interested, you can find more information here.

Lastly, registration is now open! You are now able to purchase tickets to the event. Latino2 is going to be an incredible chance to learn, network and share news, experiences and information on anything and everything having to do with Latinos in the digital age. We look forward to meeting you all there.

Stay tuned, as we’ll continue to announce new speakers and event information. ¡Hasta pronto!

Brian Solis is globally recognized as one of the most prominent thought leaders and published authors in new media. A digital analyst, sociologist, and futurist, Solis has influenced the effects of emerging media on the convergence of marketing, communications, and publishing. He is principal of FutureWorks, an award-winning New Media agency in Silicon Valley, and has led interactive and social programs for Fortune 500 companies, notable celebrities, and Web 2.0 startups. BrianSolis.com is among the world’s leading business and marketing online resources.

To learn more about Spring, visit sprint.com