Hot News

San Juan, Puerto Rico—SMG is expanding its foothold in the Latin American Market. The company recently opened up new office—a Latin America Regional Headquarters—in Puerto Rico to contract with new meeting and event venues as well as to increase the business of existing SMG venues in the region.  “The purpose of this move is two-fold,” declared Wes Westley, President/CEO of SMG. “First to reinforce our commitment to our client, the Puerto Rican Convention District Authority and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and second, to intensify our focus of future business development to the entire region of Latin America.”

Initially, SMG will focus on the Puerto Rico and other Caribbean markets, Central America and México, but the ultimate goal is to contract with venues throughout South America. The new Latin American operation incorporates the Puerto Rican market, which includes the Coliseo of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Convention Center, as well as the World Trade Center in Mexico City and Mundo Imperial Expo Center in Acapulco.

The Latin America effort will be spearheaded out of the new San Juan office and will build upon the success SMG has already experienced in Puerto Rico. “Our selection eight years ago as the operator of the Coliseo was the first chance to compete with international firms for the opportunity to work in the region,” said Westley.  “Through a similar competitive process, we were later selected to assist with the preparation and operation of the Convention Center.”

Thom Connors, Senior Regional Vice-President, will head the new Latin American initiatives. “At this time we believe we can provide significant resources to regional and local government agencies to assist in the design, development and operation of new facilities as well as the modernization of existing venues,” said Connors. “We are all very proud of the success of the Puerto Rico facilities and believe this will provide a great calling card for our services throughout the region.”  A twenty-five year industry veteran, Connors joined SMG in 1982 as General Manager in Miami. He later served as Director of Development for Europe in SMG’s London office from 1987 to 1991 and returned to the U.S. as Southeast Regional Vice President and General Manager of the Miami Beach Convention Center before joining the corporate staff to head up SMG’s Convention Center Division in 1994. 

  “The establishment of a Regional Office of SMG in Puerto Rico is an honor that reflects the success of the two venues that SMG operates in Puerto Rico and that serve as an international showcase not only for SMG but for Puerto Rico,” said Manuel Sánchez Biscombe, Executive Director of the Convention Center District Authority. “The success of these venues reflects SMG’s professionalism and their commitment to Puerto Rico.”

During its first year of operations, the Puerto Rico Convention Center surpassed the projected budget income by more than a million dollars.  Total budgeted income had been $2, 060,149 while the total actual income reached $3,083,936. In September, the Puerto Rico Convention Center inaugurated the Convention District Park. “The Puerto Rico Convention Center was one of the most successful ever for a comparable facility,” said Westley.