Hispanicize LA 2018 Was Packed with Great Times and Even Better People!
Earlier this year I had the honor of being nominated for a Tecla award for Best Technology or Gaming Content Creator! I was nominated along with other wonderful content creators from Danny
Pena, Bonnie Rodriguez, and Monica Taher! I was so brokenhearted when I didn’t have the finances to travel to the awards ceremony in Miami, for Hispanicize, last year. However, when I found out that they were coming to Los Angeles this year, I knew I had to go!
Thanks to my mother, Kathy Cano-Murillo aka the Crafty Chica, I was able to make it out to Hispanicize LA! When I wasn’t hustling her brand and artwork to attendees, I ran around the InterContinental Los Angeles Century City in Southern California, taking in everything the event had to offer! There was so much to do and see that I needed to share this experience with everyone!
What is Hispanicize?
The information listed on their website conveys the best explanation!
Now in its 9th year, Hispanicize 2018 (#Hispz18) is the largest annual event for Latino trendsetters and newsmakers in digital content creation, journalism, marketing, entertainment and tech entrepreneurship.
Hispanicize Los Angeles (now going on its third year) is the west coast, Hispanic Heritage Month counterpart to the national Hispanicize Miami conference, and is expected to gather more than 700 of the nation’s most influential Latinx professionals for two and a half days in Century City’s Intercontinental Hotel October 11-13th, 2018.
This year’s Hispanicize LA “Hispanic Heritage” edition will celebrate the spirit of being Latino and serve as a forum for launching marketing and social media trends, mentoring Latinx and multicultural entrepreneurs and digital influencers, providing a platform for college-level tech students to gain real-world knowledge, empowering Latina women to take charge of their life and careers, and serve as a gathering place for top-level marketers to share best practices and help steer industry growth and diversity & inclusion.
What did they offer?
Essentially the entire event was focused on bolstering Latinx content creators’ skills, giving plenty of networking opportunities, and providing priceless advice from those who have achieved greatness in various industries.
My personal favorite event was the “Brand Speed Dating” where contacts from major brands set up their table and awaited content creators to pitch their brand in an effort to see if these brands would have an interest working with them. I cannot even begin to explain just how nervous I was to give an actual elevator pitch to brands like Ford, Colgate, Dove, Microsoft, and more.
My initial pitch was so rough as I struggled to clearly convey what The Geek Lyfe was about. However, I was quickly interrupted by a mom blogger who snatched this opportunity by pitching her brand hard and fast. That brand representative’s eyes practically sparkled in response as they stepped aside and exchanged cards and well wishes. I took that L and moved onto the next table to try a different approach.
By the end of that event, I had my promotions down pat and felt proud to know that I caused various brand rep’s eyes to sparkle!
Other events included discussions on politics and how we, as content creators, have such an impact on our followers and should use it to help our community grow with the #GetTheVoteOut movement. Another event focused on pitching film ideas, another on listening to keynote speakers talk about their own struggles and experiences, and there was a plethora of celebrations for new project launches!
Was it worth it?
After the hustle and bustle of the trip I found myself inspired beyond belief. It was a weekend filled with content creators of all different kinds who had brands they loved and adored. Contained within such an intimate setting folks were able to easily talk with everyone about how to collaborate or connect after the event. Listening to panels that featured titans of the Latinx community provided such insight and wisdom that was priceless. Not to mention the fact that they were more than happy to talk with fans and answer further questions!
It was such a fantastic event that focused on helping, and the vibe was smothered in positivity and support! All of my personal doubts and worries were cast aside, and I feel like I grew immensely!
I highly recommend Hispanicize for any and all Latinxs who are serious about their brand!
My favorite moments
Writing reviews about conventions, covering cosplay, and going to see films are all we ll and good but at times the hard work of it can take a serious toll on mental health. Especially when you review the numbers and find that you didn’t quite hit target. But getting to discuss this with more, well established, creators and getting advice on how they handle the stress of it all provided much needed reassurance to keep moving forward.
Being around so many great brands showcased just how big this world is and just how many fantastic folks there are to collaborate with! There was never even a shroud of competition in the air, only cooperation!
I have to give the biggest shout outs to DiMe Media, Sandoner, Curly, Maya, and of course my mother for helping me get to the amazing experience that is Hispanicize LA!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to work on using what I learned, to help my brand grow that much better!
Chicano | Fighting/Writing for Diversity | DM since 08 | Anime Lover | Site: https://www.thegeeklyfe.com | info@thegeeklyfe.com | http://twitch.tv/that_deangelo | https://linktr.ee/deangelomurillo
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