America Retail & Malls - With over 600 attendees and two days of strategic conversations at Florida International University (FIU), the 4th Latin Consumer Summit closed its 2026 edition, consolidating itself as the most important marketing, retail, and consumer event in Latin America.

Organized by Grupo Ohla together with FIU, the meeting gathered prominent leaders, international experts, and executives from global brands to analyze how the Latin consumer is changing and what the key drivers of growth will be for companies in the coming years.

The Latin consumer took center stage on the agenda. Panels like "Meet the New Latin Consumer," featuring Alvaro Cardenas, President Latin America & Caribbean of Diageo; Gretel Lanner, Regional Senior Vice President LatinAmerica of Edgewell, and Felipe Gonzalez, CEO Nestle Colombia, analyzed how consumer habits, expectations, and purchasing decisions are evolving, while conversations on retail transformation, AI-driven sales, the path to purchase, and the strategic evolution of the point of sale focused on the need to build more relevant, hyper-personalized, agile, and culturally connected brands.

One of the highlights of the Summit was the participation of Athina Kanioura, CEO Latin America and Global Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer of PepsiCo, who addressed the challenges of growth and transformation in an increasingly dynamic and connected region, while Andy Murray, CEO of BigQuest Advisory and founder of Saatchi X, delved into the importance of consumer centricity and how companies must build truly people-centric strategies to remain relevant. Meanwhile, Jason Goldberg, Chief Commerce Strategy Officer of Publicis Groupe, analyzed how AI, digital platforms, and hyper-connectivity are redefining business decisions and the relationship between brands and consumers.

Another highlighted topic was the growth of Latin American brands in the United States. The panel "From LatAm to the U.S.," which brought together Sebastian Mejia, General Manager of Juan Valdez; Dan Calhoun, CEO of Purple Crow, and Joaquin Vilajuana, Country Manager North America of Agrosuper, shared experiences, learnings, and opportunities for companies seeking to expand into the North American market, in a context where the Hispanic consumer continues to establish itself as one of the main drivers of economic and cultural growth in the United States.

Among the novelties of this edition, the panel "Game On: From Stadium to Store" stood out, with executives such as Carlos Quintero, Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing and Communications for Latin America of Mastercard; Pablo Cavallaro, Senior Director Brand of Adidas Mexico, and Pedro Garza, Director of International Development of Club America, who explored how sports have become a powerful platform for connecting brands and consumers, integrating marketing, entertainment, experiences, and communities.

One of the Summit's most exclusive spaces was a private breakfast with Francisco Irarrazaval, CEO of Falabella, who shared an up-close look at the company's transformation and recovery process in recent years. The conversation addressed how the group managed to adapt to a scenario of rapid changes in consumption, strengthening its operation, customer experience, and digital capabilities to face an increasingly demanding and competitive industry.

The Summit also opened space for conversations on economics, geopolitics, and regional leadership. The closing was marked by a conversation with Juan Guaido, who reflected on the political, economic, and institutional challenges facing Latin America and how these impact the region's development and investment confidence.

"Latin Consumer Summit has become a key reference point for brands looking to grow and remain relevant in Latin America and the US Hispanic market. The meeting delves into the changes transforming the consumer and their habits, and also brings together international leaders to anticipate trends, understand where the industry is heading, and detect new business opportunities", said Antonio Monckeberg, CEO of Grupo Ohla.

"Today, consumers are changing at an enormous speed, and that forces companies to constantly rethink how they innovate, how they connect culturally, and how they generate value. What we saw in this edition was a regional community that is increasingly collaborative, more global, and more aware of the opportunities that exist for Latin America and the Hispanic market in the United States", he added.

The main insights and conclusions of the 4th Latin Consumer Summit will be published soon through Grupo Ohla's digital platforms and on the official event website.