iPR Summit to Bring Together LatAm and U.S. Hispanic Communications Leaders to Explore the Future of PR

Reputation is no longer built solely through media relations. Artificial intelligence is changing how information is produced and discovered; crises can escalate in minutes; organizations face growing expectations for transparency; and communications professionals are seeking more precise ways to demonstrate how their work contributes to trust and business decision-making. This evolving landscape will be at the center of iPR Summit, which on September 24 will bring together professionals from Ecuador, Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market at the Hotel Wyndham Puerto Santa Ana in Guayaquil to examine the transformations reshaping public relations and strategic communications.

The day-long event will connect perspectives from public relations, corporate communications, media, marketing, creativity, research and academia. Confirmed participants include Mayna Nevarez, Founder and CEO of Nevarez Communications; Cristina Páez, CEO of IPSOS Ecuador; Marielkis Salazar, Director of Commercial Communications at NASCAR; Isabel Bucaram, Founder and CEO of PerfectLink Media; Deborah Gray, Founder and CEO of Canela; Esteban de los Ríos, Marketing Manager at Bimbo Ecuador; José Manuel Ospinal, Co-Founder of OS Latam; and Augusto Ayesta, CEO and Founder of TREND PR & Reputación, among other industry professionals.

The event also coincides with a symbolic moment for the industry. Two days later, on September 26, Inter-American Public Relations Day is commemorated, providing an opportunity to reflect on the evolution of a profession that today plays an increasingly important role in corporate reputation, risk management, sustainability, culture, digital transformation and trust-building.

For Claudia Santa Cruz, President of Santa Cruz Communications, who is co-organizing iPR Summit with Agencia Dimitrakis, one of the event’s central goals is to foster an exchange of experiences and perspectives among professionals from Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market.

“After more than three decades working in public relations, I have seen how our profession has transformed and how expectations for those of us leading communications continue to grow. Many of the challenges we face today, from artificial intelligence and the evolution of media to reputation, measurement and the strategic role of PR, transcend borders. Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market have different realities, but they are increasingly connected through culture, media, audiences and conversations that cross borders. With iPR Summit, we want to connect the experience of both markets to share what we are learning, compare perspectives and enrich the way we approach these challenges within our respective markets,” said Santa Cruz.

The agenda will explore issues that extend well beyond the functions traditionally associated with public relations. One panel will specifically address how PR professionals can move from communicating decisions to helping shape them, bringing perspectives on reputation, audiences and trust into the executive decision-making process.

For Omar Dimitrakis, CEO of Agencia Dimitrakis, who is co-organizing iPR Summit with Santa Cruz Communications, creating specialized spaces for the profession also provides an opportunity to broaden the conversation about the value PR brings to organizations.

“We want to put public relations at the center of a conversation that is increasingly necessary. Discussing reputation, artificial intelligence, trust, crises, measurement, creativity or PR’s role at the decision-making table means addressing issues that are directly connected to how organizations engage with their stakeholders. Bringing these conversations together in Ecuador also helps strengthen the profession, share knowledge and continue elevating the strategic role public relations plays in our market,” said Dimitrakis.

Throughout the day, panels and conversations will explore:

• The convergence of creativity, marketing and public relations, featuring Belén Arregui, Senior Creative at Springtime; Diana Orbe, Founder and CCO of XL Grandes Ideas; and Marielkis Salazar, Director of Commercial Communications at NASCAR. Moderated by Melisa Uscocovich Loor, Dean of Communications at Universidad Casa Grande.
• From commitment to trust: sustainability and reputation, featuring Deborah Gray, CEO of Canela; Bianca Dager, CEO of Setenta-Treinta; and Patricio Jarrín Novoa, Communications and Public Relations Manager at Holcim Ecuador. Moderated by Clara María Reyes, Co-Founder of ONCE Comunicación.
• From measurement to impact, featuring Priscilla Tandazo, General Manager of MarketGate; Cristina Páez, CEO of IPSOS Ecuador; and Augusto Ayesta, CEO of TREND PR & Reputación. Moderated by Claudia Loaiza, President of LC Loaiza Comunicaciones.
• Storytelling for culturally diverse audiences, featuring Mario Flores, President and Co-Founder of Sportivo; Esteban de los Ríos, Marketing Manager at Bimbo Ecuador; and Ricardo Medina of Paradais. Moderated by Diana Holguín, Editorial Coordinator at AméricaEconomía.
• PR at the decision-making table, featuring Claudia Santa Cruz, President of Santa Cruz Communications; Isabel Bucaram, CEO of PerfectLink Media; and Omar Dimitrakis, CEO of Agencia Dimitrakis. Moderated by José Manuel Ospinal, CEO and Co-Founder of OS Latam.
• AI in PR practice, featuring Pepe Xicohténcatl, PR Strategist at Santa Cruz Communications, and Juan Carlos Salazar, CEO of ENGAGE.ec. Moderated by Karina Valarezo, Director General of Communications at UTPL.
• From news to conversation, featuring Mercedes Córdova, President of MC Group; and Jessica Solórzano, Managing Director of ATIS Ketchum Ecuador. Moderated by José Tumbaco, Editor of Diario Qué and Diario Súper.
• Reputation and real-time crisis management, featuring Mayna Nevarez, CEO of Nevarez Communications, and José Manuel Ospinal, CEO and Co-Founder of OS Latam. Moderated by Augusto Ayesta, CEO of TREND PR & Reputación.

Under the theme “Driving the Future of Public Relations,” iPR Summit seeks to create a meeting point for professionals, organizations, media and academia to examine the changes already reshaping the practice of communications across the region. The event has the academic endorsement of Universidad Casa Grande.