KEY Milwaukee - Cover Story

Convention showcases city’s Hispanic community

THE HISPANIC Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin is planning a wide range of activities for the expected 5,000 delegates to the 26th U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Convention here Sept. 14-17. Events open to the public include an outdoor evening of entertainment, a business expo and a colorful parade that should be one of the best downtown parades of the year.

The local chamber will host LatinPalooza, an evening of entertainment Sept. 15 at the Peck Pavilion outside the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. Four bands will be featured in the evening event, including Groupo Miel from Columbia and the Grammy-award-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Fireworks over the Milwaukee River will conclude the evening.

Tickets to the LatinPalooza at $75 are available at the Hispanic Chamber of Wisconsin, 1021 W. National Ave., or through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com or call 414-276-4545).

Residents and visitors also will be educated and entertained Sept. 17 by the Salute to Hispanic Heritage Parade beginning at 9 a.m. Professionally produced floats representing many Latin American countries, bands and dancers will be featured in the parade that will loop from N. 4th and Wells Sts. east to Plankinton, travel south to Wisconsin Ave. and west to the Midwest Airlines Center.

Following the parade, the public is invited to the Convention Expo at the Midwest Airlines Center. More than 200 vendors are expected to participate in the Expo, which is open to the public beginning Friday, Sept. 16.

In addition to the national convention, which will focus on programs to grow the Hispanic business community, Milwaukee also will host the Latin Softball Champion-ships Sept. 15-18. More than 100 teams from throughout the U.S. are expected to complete in the four-day tournament.

Women and youth will compete at Helfaer Field beside Miller Park, while men will compete at Wilson Park, 1601 W. Howard Ave., and Zablocki Park, 3717 W. Howard Ave. For more information, call 281-7903.

Hispanic Chamber hosts
U.S. Commerce Secretary

CARLOS M. Gutierrez, U.S. Secretary of Commerce and former chairman and chief executive officer of the Kellogg Company, will be among the featured speakers at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Convention Sept. 14-17 at the Midwest Airlines Center.

Gutierrez, 52, was bon in Havana, Cuba. He came to the U.S. with his family in 1950, began working for Kellogg in 1975 and in 1999 became the youngest CEO in the nearly 100-year history of Kellogg.

The Commerce Secretary will speak to the International Breakfast of the convention at 8 a.m. Sept. 16.

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