78 • July | August 2026 • abasto.com AT THE HALLWAYS 5. Panel discussion: “Success Stories and Hard Lessons.” 6. Jason Goldberg, CCO, Publicist Groupe. 7. Dan Calhoun with Summit attendees. 8. Bernardo Santana, CEO of Iberia Foods, speaking at a panel discussion. 9. Grace Hernández and Arturo Molina, Coin City Bonding. 10. Alvaro Luque, CEO of Avocados From Mexico. • Continuation of page 76 From Latin America to the U.S. Market The panel “From LatAm to the U.S.” revea- led concrete opportunities. Sebastián Me- jía of Juan Valdez shared key lessons lear- ned about expanding northward. Dan Calhoun, CEO of the Hispanic food distributor Cuertivo Morado, and Joaquín Vilajuana rounded out this analysis. The Hispanic consumer in the United States offers a strategic gateway for Latin Ameri- can brands with a global vision. Sports as a Commercial Platform A new trend captured the retail sector’s attention. The panel “Game On: From Sta- dium to Store” demonstrated that sports powerfully connect brands with commu- nities. Carlos Quintero of Mastercard and Pa- blo Cavallaro of Adidas Mexico explained how to integrate entertainment, experien- ces, and marketing into a single strategy. Pedro Garza of Club América provided the sports industry’s perspective. Transformation and Leadership Francisco Irarrázaval, CEO of Falabella, hosted an exclusive private breakfast. He shared how the group strengthened its di- gital operations and customer experience amid a volatile environment. Juan Guaidó delivered the closing re- marks on politics. He analyzed the re- gion’s institutional challenges and their direct impact on investor confidence. A Community Growing Together Antonio Monckeberg, CEO of Grupo Ohla, summed up the spirit of the event: “Con- sumers are changing at an enormous pace. This forces companies to constantly rethink how they innovate and create value.” “What we saw at this year’s event was a regional community that is increasingly collaborative, more global, and more awa- re of the opportunities that exist for Latin America and the Hispanic market in the United States,” added Monckeberg. The Latin Consumer Summit is already planning its next edition. For the food re- tail sector, the message is clear: adapt or be left behind. 5 6 9 10 7 8 • TRADE SHOWS