DALLAS, TX—Representatives of the Dallas business community and Region III
Chambers, led by Dallas businesswoman and USHCC Region III Chair Nina Vaca, have
formed a host committee for the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 31st
Annual National Convention & Business Expo in 2010. Tuesday, the host committee will
announce plans to prepare for next year’s convention, the most important gathering of
Hispanic business leaders and entrepreneurs in the nation.
The news conference will be held at 2 p.m., at Fountain Place, 1445 Ross Ave., Suite 3700.
Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert; Philip Jones, CEO of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau;
and David C. Lizárraga, Chairman of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
(USHCC); will join Dallas business and community leaders, USHCC board members, and
leaders from the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and several other North
Texas Hispanic chambers to talk about the importance of the convention to the city.
“The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is excited about coming to Dallas next
year,” said David C. Lizárraga, USHCC Chairman of the Board. “The reasons for everyone
to participate are quite clear. The 2010 Dallas convention will provide an excellent
opportunity for companies from every section of America, but especially those from Texas,
to further engage the fastest growing segment of the American population–Hispanics.”
Dallas was chosen as the site for the 2010 convention because of its significant number of
Hispanic-owned businesses, as well as the innovative partnership between the Dallas
Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
According to the state census, one-third of Dallas’ population is Hispanic, and there are
55,000 Hispanic-owned businesses in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.
“Being chosen as the site for this important event is a testament to the growth and success
Hispanic businesses have experienced in this area in the past several years,” said Rick Ortiz,
chairman of the Board of the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “It is a great
opportunity to highlight the great contributions that the area chambers and their members
have made to the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area and the plans that we have to move
forward in our growth.”
(MORE)
The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Annual National Convention and Business
Expo should contribute an anticipated $10 million to the local economy. The last time Dallas
hosted the USHCC convention was in 1992.
“I am confident that our work with local business and government leaders will help the
United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce host what will be one of the most successful
national conventions on record,” said Nina Vaca, host committee chair and USHCC Region
III board chair.
The Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau teamed with the Greater Dallas Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce in 2004 to bid for the USHCC’s national convention. Since then, the
Dallas Hispanic Chamber and the Dallas CVB brought together a group of influential Latino
community leaders and support to secure the selection.
"Over the last several years, the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau, the city, and the
Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has formed a strong partnership to
aggressively sell Dallas to the Latino market nationally and internationally," said Philip Jones.
“The effort and success of bringing the USHCC to Dallas are seen as a model for attracting
similarly important conventions to Dallas in the future.”
The process included a substantial Dallas presence at past USHCC conventions and a site
visit by the site selection committee, which was sponsored by American Airlines, the State
Fair of Texas, Hyatt Reunion Dallas, Dallas Convention Center and Hilton Anatole Hotel.
“The Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce—which has been named the
Chamber of the Year by the USHCC several times—will play an important role in ensuring
the convention in 2010 is a resounding success,” Ortiz said.

About the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Founded in 1979, the USHCC actively promotes the economic growth and development of
Hispanic entrepreneurs and represents the interests of almost 3 million Hispanic-owned
businesses in the United States that generate nearly $400 billion annually. It also serves as the
umbrella organization for 200 local Hispanic chambers in the United States, Puerto Rico,
Canada, Mexico, Bolivia and Uruguay.