Medellín will host the South American Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference -SAHIC, the most important investment promotion event for the tourism and hotel industry. As a result of the arrival of new hotel chains in Medellín, investment in hotel infrastructure in the last two years exceeds 100 million dollars.

Juliana Villegas Restrepo, ProColombia’s Vice President of Exports; Alba Cristina Suárez, Director of Tourism of the Government of Antioquia; María Fernanda Galeano, Secretary of Economic Development of the Medellín Mayor’s Office and the President and founder of SAHIC, Arturo García Rosa, officially announced Medellín as the host of the Conference which brings together the most important exponents of the hotel, tourism and real estate industries in the region.

“We are very grateful and satisfied with this edition of SAHIC in Medellín. The effort of all the entities which have actively participated during this process shows us that we made the best decision,” said Arturo García Rosa, president of SAHIC.

More than 400 participants, among investors, funds, financial institutions, hoteliers and public officials are expected to attend this new edition of SAHIC South America. The meeting will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel between September 24 and 25 and will feature more than 60 lecturers, 6 thematic tables, 1 express networking session and 4 main speakers.

This event is expected to generate an economic income of more than US $300,000 for Medellín

“This type of events are strategic in the city. We want you to see a destination full of opportunities, with the capacity to grow and a great potential for business and investments. In the last year, Medellín received more than 100 million dollars in new hotel openings. The Mayor’s Office is committed to investing and developing this sector,” said María Fernanda Galeano Rojo, Secretary of Economic Development.

In the last two years, the investment in the hotel industry in Medellín has shown a significant growth which reflects in the arrival of international companies such as Marriott, City Express, Oxo Hotel, Hilton, Viaggio and Atton. New openings are also highlighted, as it is the case of two new suite hotels of the Estelar chain, which already has five hotels in the city and the three new hotel projects of the Accor group.

Medellín continues to consolidate itself as a benchmark for business and recreational tourism at a national and international level. Its social and urban transformation, the originality and versatility of its tourism experiences, the infrastructure of services and the warmth and hospitality of its people, are some characteristics that mark Medellín as an international benchmark in this sector.

Medellín will host @SAHIC , the most important hotel industry meeting in the continent. What does this mean? The president and founder of this event talks about it. https://t.co/lcXWjeAc9r | @AlcaldiadeMed pic.twitter.com/WeNh484C1x

— ACI Medellín (@acimedellin) August 23, 2018

The Medellín Mayor’s Office supported UPB’s Summer School and Sophia’s visit since the event shows an element of development on a world scale. The presence of Sophia in Medellín and Colombia, creates a sense of certainty and curiosity at the same time because it motivates young people to open their minds and encourages companies in the sector and universities to learn, work together in proposing projects which solve human needs through artificial intelligence.

The event organizers chose Medellín for its commitment to innovation, science and technology. In 2014, the city signed the pact for innovation and by 2017 has invested $ 1.2 trillion – about 2.14% of GDP – in activities related to the city, technology and innovation.

Sophia is the first human-like robot with a high-level A.I. brain. She was created in 2016 by David Hanson founder of Hanson Robotics. She can process unstructured language, in other words, instead of programmed answers, Sophia has the ability to learn new answers and increase her knowledge base every time she interacts with humans, which is a basic example of Artificial Intelligence and autonomous learning.

Sophia’s appearance was developed in the image of Audrey Hepburn, Hollywood actress and model. She is humanoid, meaning, she has a face, arms, hands and can gesture, which add a different element when interacting with her.

Sophia, talked to the mayor of Medellín,  @FicoGutierrez. The robot can have a conversation and show 62 human facial expressions. @AlcaldiadeMed pic.twitter.com/J9sbjTbBCe

— ACI Medellín (@acimedellin) July 30, 2018

Why did Sophia visit Medellín?

Medellín is Colombia’s leader in technology and innovation issues. Also, the first Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence was recently opened thanks to the agreement signed between Ruta N and the Institute for Automation of Processes and Artificial Intelligence (IRPA AI). In the upcoming years, the center will train local talent with new capacities to achieve global quality standards and generate innovative and advanced services of automation, artificial intelligence, Machine Learning, RPA, cognitive technologies and deep learning.

Between September 24 and 25, Medellín will host SAHIC South America , the most important investment promotion event for the tourism and hotel industry. Entrepreneurs, executives and investors from more than 20 countries will meet at the InterContinental Hotel to explore new business opportunities and generate links which contribute to the development and growth of the sector.

The event has a high-quality content agenda for the attendees which is focused on specializing and deepening in trend issues for the tourism industry. Discussions, talks, round tables, conferences and work sessions on topics such as sustainability, renewable energy and innovation, are some activities that will be carried out.

Precisely, one of the panels that will take place at SAHIC South America 2018, will feature the participation of renowned hotel industry leaders such as Laurent de Housemaker, executive vice president of development at Marriott International for Latin America and the Caribbean; Patrick Mendes, CEO of Accor hotels South America and Ted Middleton, senior vice president of development for Latin America at Hilton Worldwide. The activity will be moderated by Peter Greenberg, travel editor for CBS News.

Laurent de Kousemaeker

He is executive vice president of development for Marriott International Inc. for Latin America and the Caribbean region. He has 20 years of experience in the hotel industry in the areas such as marketing, finance, valuation, transactions and development. Kousemaeker is responsible for leading the company’s growth in the region, encompassing 12 hotel brands: Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Edition, Autograph Collection Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, AC Hotels, Marriot Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn and Marriott Executive Apartments.

In the past Kousemaeker, has been senior vice president of Marriott International for the same region, with offices in Bethesda, Maryland and vice president of development for Spain and Portugal, based in Madrid. Also, he was general manager of HVS International in Madrid and director of the HVS International office in London.

Patrick Mendes

Mendes has an extensive experience in tourism and hotel business. He began in Bordeaux, at the Ecole Hotelier de Bordeaux-Talence. He holds an MBA in Management and Marketing from IAE Aix-en-Provence

He worked as a consultant for the development of tourism in France and southern Europe and in 1994 he began to provide services at Edenred based in Paris. There, Mendes used managed the sales and marketing team worked on the development of new products. In the same company, he spent two years in charge of operations for the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.

In 2000, Mendes moved to Lisbon to collaborate with the management of Edenred and in 2004 he joined the Global Accor hotels organization as senior vice president of global sales and distribution. In addition, he has led an international team in charge of global accounts, the definition of marketing strategy, sales and distribution.

Mendes has overseen Global Accor hotels operations in several countries of Europe, North America, Nordic markets and the development of Asia, the Middle East and South America.

In 2011 he assumed the management of the more than 80 four and five-star hotels of the organization in Latin America. In 2013, Medes was appointed director of operations for all luxury, exclusive and standard brands in South America, based in Sao Paulo. In July 2015, he assumed the position of CEO of Accor hotels South America, leading 327 hotels in operation and 200 in project; totaling the management of 15,000 employees.

Ted Middleton

He was appointed senior vice president of Hilton Worldwide in 1996. He oversees overseeing the development of Hilton’s group of managed and franchised brands in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Before joining Hilton, he served as senior vice president of acquisitions and finance for Host Marriott Corporation, where he successfully conducted numerous hotel financing, acquisitions and sales operations. He also leaded the construction and completion of three hotels.

Middleton began working for Marriott Corporation in 1986 as director of feasibility studies and market planning. Then, he served as regional vice president of development for Residence Inns, where he oversaw regional offices in charge of the development of Residence Inn in the western United States.

Middleton holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from LeMoyne College and a master’s degree in hotel management from Cornell University.

Peter Greenberg

On multiple occasions, he has been an Emmy Award winner for his work as a producer and investigative reporter. Greenberg is one of the most prominent and respected journalists in the travel and tourism sector. He is known in the industry as   “The travel detective.”  He is a travel editor for CBS News and participates in programs such as CBS This Morning, CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley and Sunday Morning. He has been a presenter on several T.V. shows, including the acclaimed series of travel specials   Royal Tour. He has extensive experience as a journalist in the travel and tourism industry.

Check here the speakers list for SAHIC South America 2018 agenda and their biographies.

In Medellín’s City-Region strategy, avocado has become a key element for productive development and increased competitiveness of the agricultural sector. Likewise, it has been established as an opportunity to get closer to the quality standards demanded by international markets.

Consistent with this, the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellin and the Metropolitan Area, ACI Medellín, has continuously worked in the attraction of foreign investors, articulating them with local and regional partners to benefit from the immense potential the City- Region has. It is about 210,000 hectares suitable for growing and harvesting this fruit.

While other countries have zero-year production periods, Colombia and particularly Antioquia offer fertile soils which allow all year-round avocado production.

To benefit from this opportunity and as part of the growth strategy, ACI Medellín has invited, received and accompanied exploratory agendas from Peru, Mexico and Chile. They visited the city looking to expanding their operations and keeping the cultivation, harvest and export process active, thus satisfying avocado’s current demand.

ACI Medellín’s Executive Director, Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, talked about this topic in the current edition of the Corpohass AvoNoticias Colombia magazine of the Colombian Corporation of Producers and Exporters of Hass Avocado. To read the full article in Spanish, click here.

We are excited to announce that Sana Commerce’s global expansion steadfastly continues. Just two months ago, we shared that Sana would be operating locally in the Australia/New Zealand region, out of our brand-new office in Perth. Today, we officially opened the doors of our first Latin American office in the presence of the Dutch Ambassador, his excellency Sr. J.J. Roodenburg. The new office is located in the Ruta-N building in Medellín, Colombia.
Our Medellín office joins the ranks of our other branches in the Netherlands, the U.S., the U.K., Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Germany, Austria and Australia. For ten years, Sana has been committed to providing high-quality support for our clients’ ERP-driven e-commerce strategies. To do so even more successfully, Sana has begun establishing a local presence in major markets worldwide. The Medellín office represents another leap toward that goal, and an opportunity to impact the Latin American market in a substantial way.
A Strategic Decision

Earlier this year, Sana had the honor of welcoming Juan José Quintana, the Ambassador of Colombia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to our Rotterdam headquarters to celebrate the soft launch of the Medellín office. “Colombia is a fast-growing market… [and] a great place to do business right now,” said Mr. Quintana of Sana’s decision to start its Latin American expansion in Colombia.

“The city of Medellín was chosen as the location for our newest office for its emphasis on IT and engineering education, startup environments and entrepreneurship, as well as for its supportive government and favorable business environment,” says Cas Nieskens (Manager). On a practical level, the location and time-zone allows Sana Commerce to efficiently deliver technical solutions to a rapidly growing number of customers across the Americas. We intend to thrive on the enthusiasm and passion of the Colombian people that will join the team as employees, partners and customers.

“We would like to extend our gratitude to the Colombian government, and in particular to the ACI, Pro Colombia, Dutch Embassy and the Holland House for their support in our research and start-up phase,” says Tim Beyer (COO) on behalf of all of us at Sana.

Looking Ahead

As Sana Commerce grows and develops on an international level, our dedication to our customers will remain at the forefront of our business. We will continue to expand in order to reach, support and maximize the business potential of our customers everywhere — and the launch of our office in Colombia is no exception. We look forward to a bright future in Colombia, and are setting our sights on the next step in our growth. .

SAHIC South America 2018 will take place from September 24 to 25 at the Intercontinental Hotel. This internationally renowned meeting seeks to promote the most important hotel, tourism and real estate business in the region. This will be the perfect stage for executives and investors from more than 20 countries to explore new businesses, build relationships and increase the development of the sector.

“A paradise found” is the motto of the leading event in hotel and tourism infrastructure which will be hosted by Medellín.

“Latin America is in a very good moment and while it consolidates as a tourist destination, it becomes a site of interest for international investors. For those who want to do business here, it is important to understand with whom and how, to approach to the existing opportunities in this growing market,” says Arturo García Rosa, president and founder of SAHIC.

More than 400 executives and presidents of the most renowned hotel chains of the world are expected to attend SAAHIC 2018.

“Tourism is an engine that favors Medellín and Antioquia’s economic growth. It is directly related to the cluster strategy of the city which seeks to make Medellín a successful destination focused on business tourism, meetings, conventions and events, complemented by the beauty of nature and the towns of Antioquia” said Catalina Restrepo, Executive Director of ACI Medellín.

In the last decade, the hotel infrastructure in Medellín has an increased 76% by the hand of local and foreign investment. Also, Antioquia has achieved a 500% growth in corporate events and a 63% in average annual hotel occupancy, seven points above the national average. Likewise, in 2017 the department received more than 700 thousand travelers, including foreigners and Colombians.

Business opportunities, direct contact with investors, funding sources, first-hand information and access to unique and differentiated projects will be the scenarios that will boost this Latin American tourism event.

On Tuesday, May 22, the first Centre for Excellence in Artificial Intelligence of Colombia will be officially opened thanks to the agreement signed between Ruta N and the Institute for Automation of Processes and Artificial Intelligence (IRPA AI), of the United States.

It seeks to involve Medellín into a new global knowledge economy and to promote the development of new human talent capabilities.

In the upcoming years, the centre will develop new skills in local talent to achieve global quality standards and generate innovative and advanced services of process automation, artificial intelligence, Machine Learning, RPA, cognitive technologies and deep learning.

“This initiative will positively impact the future of the city since, the experience and the network of associated companies of IRPA AI and the Institute of Outsourcing will allow Medellín to position itself as an artificial intelligence hub,” said Alejandro Franco, Executive Director of Ruta N.

The Centre for Excellence will be the anchor for the creation of a new Business Development Center (CDN), which seeks to promote artificial intelligence startups, integrate specialized communities of young people and R & D groups that have been carrying out important work in the universities.

“This is great news for Medellín and the country. This Center will bring important advantages in the development of research, technology and job creation; and it will allow us to boost the attraction of foreign investment in the city, ” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director of ACI Medellín..

The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín, supported this agreement by providing industrial context legal and operational advice, and facilitating the local relationship of the North American companies in Medellín.

Monterrey, Mexico City and Puebla are the three cities Colombia’s main Investment Promotion Agencies will visit to promote the country as investment destination. ACI Medellín, Invest Pacific, Invest in Bogota, ProBarranquilla, Invest in Armenia and Invest in Cartagena participated in this tour coordinated by Procolombia.

During the meetings with businessmen and potential investors in Mexico City and Monterrey, a seminar will be held in each city. The business opportunities and the fastest growing sectors of Bogota, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, Armenia and Cartagena will be shown on these seminars.

The seminars will be held in Monterrey, on May 8, in the Live Aqua Urban Resort from 8:30 am to 11:00 am; and in Mexico City, on May 9 in the Hyatt Regency Hotel, from 8:30 am to 11:00 a.m. Additionally, a business conference will be held in Mexico City until 2:00 p.m. after the seminar.

On the other hand, the commission will visit Puebla to hold one-on-one meetings with businessmen interested in exploring investment opportunities in Colombia.

“This visit is a valuable opportunity for Medellín to promote sectors in which it has a vast experience, such as IT services, software development, advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, infrastructure, real estate and tourism,” says Catalina Restrepo, executive director of the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area, ACI Medellín.

Medellín is globally renowned for its vocation and its innovative initiatives with high social impact. For its part, Antioquia is considered one of the departments with greater diversity and agro-industrial growth of the country. Also, in terms of infrastructure, the region has a high hotel, tourism, air and land connectivity development which directly benefits business development.

“As an agency which promotes investment and international cooperation, and is responsible for the internationalization of Medellín, this tour allows us to approach to the needs of Mexican investors and to think of a way our city can become the best option for their business,” said Restrepo.