THE COMPANY AND THE TEAM

G.S.A.R. Marketing, a 23 year-old company involved in the marketing of international travel and tourism, has been actively involved in the promotion and operation of international meetings and incentives travel trade shows for over ten years. These events include: MITM Euromed, MITM Latin America, MITM North America, and now MITMarket. CULTOUR, an International Cultural Travel fair, is the latest event organized by G.S.A.R. Marketing.

, since 1997, was held in Seville twice, in Vigo/Santiago de Compostela, and Marbella (Spain); on board a cruise ship between Barcelona (Spain) and Genoa, (Italy); in Salerno (Italy); Lisbon (Portugal); Marrakech (Morocco); Prague (Czech Republic), and in 2006 in Nice (France) and in 2007 in Tunisia (Tunisia).

has been held in Guadalajara twice, Merida and Leon-Guanajuato (Mexico); in Guatemala City (Guatemala), and Varadero (Cuba). In 2006 will be held in Quito (Ecuador) and in 2007 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

took place in Miami Beach and Orlando (Florida) and in Las Vegas (Nevada), where it will continue indefinitely.

, the first ever international travel show directed towards promoting cultural travel, will take place for the first time in Santiago de Compostela (Spain) on January 25th & 26th, 2007 and in Las Vegas (Nevada) on January 10th & 11th, 2008. This is an annual event; odd-numbered years to be held in Santiago de Compostela, and even-numbered years in Las Vegas.

To date, total of 2,240 buyers of incentives and meetings from 22 countries have been hosted by G.S.A.R. Marketing to attend MITM events, and 71,680 pre-arranged individual business meetings have been performed at MITM shows between these buyers and travel & tourism suppliers from Europe, the Mediterranean, and Latin & North America.

G.S.A.R. Marketing goal is to produce quality oriented travel trade shows. G.S.A.R. Marketing believes that professional travel trade shows are a valuable marketing tool for both buyers and suppliers, as long as there is a balance between supply –number of exhibitors- and demand –number of buyers-. In addition, attending buyers are qualified professionals, and our trade shows are directed to a specific market, as it is the case with MITM shows (addressed to the business travel market) and now, CULTOUR (directed to cultural travel).


THE TEAM

Ramón Álvarez
President and Managing Director

President and Managing Director of Convenco-Incentive Solutions and G.S.A.R. Marketing, he started his carrier in American Express, Madrid, from where he was transferred to Los Angeles office. Later, he was District Sales Manager of National Airlines (later Pan Am) and Regional Director of Peruvian Airlines. At this time he founded and presided the first Regional Chapter of SATO (South America Travel Organization). Based in San Francisco, he was appointed the first Sales Director of Club Med for the USA, assisting to introduce the company into the US market. Ramon Alvarez returned to American Express as staff member of the company’s Travel Division President and put in charge of Special Markets for North and South America, based in the American Express Headquarters in Wall Street.

Hired by Iberia Airlines to open and direct its Incentive and Convention Sales Department for the USA, he was principal in the creation of SITE (Society of Incentive Travel Executives), being its first Steering Committee President. From New York he returned to Spain founding Convenco in 1974, a pioneering company in the field of incentive travel and meeting planning.
In 1982 he founded GSAR Marketing

Ramón Alvarez is Past-President of SITE Spain Chapter (Society of Incentives and Travel Executives). He is also a member of IMA (Incentive Marketing Association), MPI (Meeting Professionals International), ASAE and ACTE, and “Past President” of the PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Spain Chapter.

Charo Trabado
Vice President, Sales

She has a master’s degree in Tourism. Ms. Trabado has been with the Group since 1987. She was in charge of American Airlines (represented by G.S.A.R. Marketing) sales for Spain and Portugal, and has accumulated 18 years of travel and transportation experience with G.S.A.R. Marketing. She is Commercial Director of G.S.A.R. Marketing and directs the sales of all G.S.A.R. Marketing quality oriented shows.
E-mail: charo.trabado@gsamark.com

Ben Hessler
Director of Marketing

Ben has a college degree in Marketing, as well as a Masters in Business Administration (M.B.A.) from Florida State University. After spending 4 years with Convenco Group, he worked 5 years in the aerospace industry as a Purchasing and Supply Chain Manager in the United States. He is the newest addition to our team, and now serves as the Director of Marketing for all three MITM events as well as Cultour.

Marisa Aguado
Hosted Buyers and Press

With a degree in Tourism, Mrs. Aguado has been with the group since 1992. She is in charge of hosted buyers and press of all G.S.A.R. Marketing quality oriented shows.
E-mail: marisa.aguado@gsamark.com

Patricia Ciruelos
Exhibitors

Has a degree in Tourism and has been with the group since 1997. She is in charge of exhibitor registration and logistics of all G.S.A.R. Marketing quality oriented shows.
E-mail: pat.ciruelos@gsamark.com

Olivia Macias
Latin America Field representative, México

Tel: (52 33) 3671-3000
E-mail: confiance@prodigy.net.mx