Miami, U.S.A. — In an effort to catapult the careers of emerging music artists and Latin DJs, organizers of Hispanicize 2013 has unveiled a one-of-a-kind Hispanicize Music Festival that will showcase a full scope of Latin music artists ranging from indie alternative rockers to salsa groups and even legendary music artists.

“Our Festival will give the Latin music industry a powerful, 360-degree platform that will connect them directly with hundreds of Hispanic journalists, bloggers, brands and agencies – the most strategic audiences Latin music artists want and need to perform in front of,” said Manny Ruiz, founder and creative director of Hispanicize 2013.

Hispanicize 2013 (#Hispz13) will take place April 9-13, 2013 at the Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Beach. At the fourth annual Latino trends event, bloggers, filmmakers, journalists, marketers and music artists will convene throughout the course of five days for more than 80 sessions to hear 200 speakers present about every facet of media, social media, entertainment and marketing.

Hispanicize 2013 Music Festival Overview

The Hispanicize 2013 Music Festival consists of a multi-faceted platform tailored to the Latin music industry. The festival includes:

Concerts and special Latin music events: Every night of Hispanicize 2013 will showcase the music talents of up and coming Latin artists and/or Latin DJs with a special focus on emerging artists. Music festival events will range from performances at the Eden Roc hotel to offsite concert venues throughoutMiami Beach and even a closing night event celebrating the cult classic film “La Bamba” that will feature celebrity Latin DJs.

Celebrity music artist performances: Even though the focus of the festival is on the next big artists, the music festival will also showcase celebrity music artists as they will help anchor some of the most important concerts featuring indie groups and performers.

An agenda and slate of music acts chosen by industry influencers:  The Hispanicize 2013 Music Festival is being put together by a committee comprised of Linda Lopez, Latin Programming/Marketing - Live Nation; Fernando Rojo, Senior Creative Director/New Business Development - Universal Music Publishing ; Monica Taher, Head of Entertainment/Partner - Getty Images Hispanic / Latin America ; Bel Hernandez, CEO - Latin Heat Media ; Vanessa James, President - Vanessa James Media; Rikki Rincon, President, Creative Juice Online and Roberto Somoza, President, World Clique.

Professional Development Sessions specifically focused on case studies and the business and marketing of the Latin music industry.  Among the 15 sessions to be featured in 2013 are sessions about how to measure the success of marketing through Latin music, case studies about how social media can be leveraged to sell music and much more.

Latinovator Award:  At least one of the recipients of the prestigious 2013 Latinovator award will be a major Latino influencer from the Latin music industry. In 2012 music legend Emilio Estefan was the first recipient ever of the Latinovator award, the highest honor the Hispanicize event bestows to Hispanic Americans who have accomplished something notable or inspiring in their field.

15-Minutes of Genius – Music Edition: Hispanicize 2013 will host a special “15-Minutes of Genius” session specifically about the Latin music industry.  The “15-Minutes of Genius” session consists of five back-to-back, 15-minute presentations packed with genius insights from leading Latin music industry experts.

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New York, U.S.A. – The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, the fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, will host its 27 Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on Monday, September 24, 2012.

NBC Sports Icon Bob Costas will once again return as Master of Ceremonies, hosting the dinner which pays tribute to philanthropic heroes and sports legends that inspire and motivate those affected by spinal cord injuries. The much anticipated event will assemble celebrities and corporate leaders to support the efforts of the Buoniconti Family, along with their numerous longtime supporters.

The star-studded event promises to be an unforgettable evening, as the 2012 Great Sports Legends are honored. Legends honorees include:

• Shaquille O’Neal, Four-time NBA Championship winner and one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players; leading the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive championships and a fourth championship with the Miami Heat, O’Neal is one of the NBA’s most accomplished players;
• Joe Torre, Celebrated manager of the Yankees, who led the team to four World Series titles; two-time American League Manager of the year and Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations for Major League Baseball;
• Marshall Faulk , National Football League Hall of Fame inductee, Three-time Offensive Player of the Year and led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl Championship and was  named NFL MVP in 2000 and 10th leading rusher in NFL history;
• Tony Perez ,  Major League Baseball Hall of Fame member, whose number 24 was retired by the Cincinnati Reds in 2000 and two-time World Series Winner;
• Mark Martin , NASCAR stock car driver in the Sprint Cup Series; named to the franchise  list of “50 Greatest Drivers of All Time,” with 40 wins and 443 top tens;
• Lorena Ochoa , Named LPGA’s #1 female golfer from 2007 to 2010 and since 1989, Ochoa has won 129 local, national and international titles, including 27 LPGA events. Lorena is  considered Mexico’s best golfer of all time;
• Jake LaMotta , International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee recognized as one of the 10 greatest middleweights of all time. Nicknamed “The Raging Bull,” the World Middleweight Champion was portrayed by Robert De Niro in the 1980 film Raging Bull.
• Lisa Leslie , Three-time WNBA MVP, leading the Los Angeles Sparks to a WNBA Championship; first team sport athlete to win four consecutive Olympic Gold Medals;

Famed NBA Player and NBA Championship Winner, Alonzo Mourning, will be presented with The Buoniconti Fund Award and Grammy Award Winning Musician and Producer, Emilio Estefan, will be honored with The Outstanding Business Leader Award.

Held in the illustrious Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf= Astoria, the much anticipated event is not only expected to sell out, but also raise millions of dollars for the spinal cord injury research programs at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.

The evening will begin with cocktails, Tiffany & Co.’s Mystery Blue Box Wall and a Buy It Now Store where attendees can purchase one-of-a-kind sports memorabilia, amazing jewelry, spectacular getaways, a unique Kidz Korner and other exclusive items. The dinner program will feature a celebrity concert performance by legendary musicians, Earth, Wind & Fire.

There will be a live auction boasting travel and entertainment packages, sports and music memorabilia, and experiences including the opportunity to golf with the greatest golfer of all time, Jack Nicklaus, all prior to the presentation of the evening’s awards.

Since its inception in 1985, the Great Sports Legends Dinner has honored more than 283 sports legends and honorees and has raised more than $75 million for The Miami Project’s spinal cord injury research programs.

“We are extremely honored to have so many legendary athletes, celebrities, corporate leaders and other influential figures on our side when it comes to raising awareness and funds to support finding a cure for paralysis,” says Nick Buoniconti, Founder of The Buoniconti Fund.

“Not only within the realm of sports do we see spinal cord injuries. Millions of people worldwide have suffered spinal cord injuries, leading to paralysis. Our biggest hope through The Buoniconti Fund and The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis is that soon we will make medical history by finding a cure for paralysis.”

Past Great Sports Legends and Honorees include: Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, Muhammad Ali, Magic Johnson, Dan Marino, Joe DiMaggio, Mario Andretti, Wayne Gretzky, Jack Nicklaus, Nancy Kerrigan, John Elway, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Mickey Mantle, Tony Hawk, Dorothy Hamill, Evander Holyfield, Jerry Rice, Lennox Lewis, Andre Agassi, Cal Ripken, Gloria Estefan, Walter Cronkite, Bill Parcells and many more.

Tickets start at $850 per person and can be purchased by phone at http://www.thebuonicontifund.com/GSLD. Sponsorships and opportunities to sit with legends are available. For more information about The Buoniconti Fund, please visit www.thebuonicontifund.com, Facebook, or Twitter.

Image Courtesy of  Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com

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The 23^rd Annual Billboard Latin Music Conference Presented by State Farm will gather hundreds of industry leaders and influencers, featuring panel discussions with today’s top artists and executives.

Held April 23 to 26, at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami, Florida, the conference kicks off with a showcase honoring “El Caballo Mayor” Johnny Ventura on his 55 years of musical career. Information about registration can be found at www.BillboardLatinConference.com.

“When it comes to supporting the best in Latino artists, few things make us more proud than to again be the title sponsor of the Billboard Latin Music Conference and Awards,” said Pam El, State Farm Marketing Vice President.

“Not only does Billboard do a great job in recognizing and promoting the talented pool of Latino artists that are climbing the charts, they also bring together a veritable who’s-who of the music industry and marketing world to discuss the powerful role music plays in the lives of today’s Hispanic audiences. We feel privileged to be able to support such an important occasion that highlights the central role music plays in our customer’s lives.”

Internationally renowned Pitbull will be showcased at the Superstar Q&A discussing his rise to the top and entrepreneurial ventures. Other celebrity panels include: Q&A with Don Omar : Unveiling the Strategy Behind the Hits. The Being Social panel features urban music pioneer, entrepreneur and social media leader, Daddy Yankee.

Q&A with Jenni Rivera : The Diva We Want To Know where Jenni will discuss her career as an artist and entrepreneur. How I Wrote That Song – Presented By BMI featuring Chino & Nacho; Horacio Palencia and Gocho. Gerardo Ortiz , 3BallMTY and the teams behind their success will participate in the Regional Mexican panel.

The Marketing Exchange hosted by Telemundo and Mun2 features panels such as Targeting Music about winning strategies from music mogul Emilio Estefan and Target VP of Entertainment John Butcher; and Reaching The New Latino: How brands and agencies are targeting the “New” US Born Latino via music and music branded events.

The Exchange features guest speakers from PepsiCo, Republica, Globalhue, Verizon Wireless and UMLE; and culminates with the presentation of the Marketing Awards honoring the year’s best advertising, branding and sponsorship campaigns that use Latin artists and their songs.

The conference will also feature sessions with Pandora CEO Joe Kennedy, the SBS Entertainment team, a presentation by LiveNation, and a Q&A with Univision Radio President Jose Valle.

The week culminates with the Billboard Latin Music Awards Presented by State Farm – the most prestigious awards show in the Latin music industry. The awards show, produced and broadcast live by Telemundo on Thursday, April 26 at 7PM (6PM Central), honors the biggest stars based on the Latin Billboard charts, and features performances by top artists across all genres of Latin music.

For more information about the 2012 Billboard Latin Music Conference, visit: http://www.BillboardLatinConference.com. Follow Billboard Latin Music Conference at www.facebook.com/BillboardConferences and Twitter @BillboardEvents.

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