January 2006
5-minute interview: Jim Forlenza, Principal, Agile Events

Jim Forlenza and his partner Bill Herman — both industry veterans with nearly 20 years of experience each — launched Agile Events in October 2004. The company has launched two consumer events for the Hispanic market and has plans to launch several more. Forlenza talked to EXPO about launching the company and his unique market niche.

EXPO: How did you decide to start your own company?
Forlenza: I’ve known Bill for a long time. We both felt like it was time to do something different. I’d always wanted to do something on my own. You reach a point in your career when you realize that if you’re going to do it, you’d better grab the opportunity now.

EXPO: Why did you decide to launch events that cater to the Hispanic market?  
Forlenza: We were looking for untapped opportunities. Initially, we thought we’d launch a trade show, but our research showed the greatest opportunity was with a consumer event. Hispanic business owners are the fastest-growing demographic of business owners, and the Hispanic community is the fastest-growing part of the population. We have plans to launch a trade event later. The market is a natural fit for us because of our experience. I’ve organized shows in Latin America for years.

EXPO: Many consumer shows are finding marketing an increasing challenge because of the growing variety of media available to potential attendees. Is this true for your events and, if so, how are you coping?
Forlenza: While I’ve organized shows for decades, this is my first year in the consumer show business, so I can’t compare my experience with past years. But yes, I hear the same things from other consumer show organizers. We’re actually lucky in this area because we have such a specific demographic and the number of media outlets is very defined. We have strategic alliances with a number of Hispanic media outlets, as well as with retailers. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t look for alternative ways to market. One thing we’ve done that’s been very successful is to hire people to go to heavily Hispanic neighborhoods and pass out information about the show. It’s more of a grassroots approach. In addition, we formed an alliance with one of our exhibitors, Lowe’s, and sent our team of face-to-face marketers to a store in a heavily Hispanic neighborhood. They passed out coupons and show information to the customers.

EXPO: What advice do you have for other show organizers, consumer or trade, about how to best market to the Hispanic demographic?
Forlenza: Two things: First, you’ve got to have credibility. When we started our business, we invested a lot of time building relationships with key vendors and others in the community. Relationships are vital for this demographic. Second, you’ve got to understand the differences in culture, values and buying habits. For example, we offer lots of activities for kids at our shows. The Hispanic market does things as a family. They don’t just show up, walk around and buy some windows. They spend the day.