The Latin American Travel Association (LATA) has announced that its flagship event, LATA Expo, will now be going ahead as a live event in October 2021.
LATA Expo, formerly Experience Latin America (ELA), is Europe’s largest B2B dedicated Latin America trade show and would normally take place at the beginning of June. However the turn of the pandemic meant that LATA Expo 2020 took on a virtual format. For 2021, to ensure the safety and security of its delegates, guests and partners, LATA Expo 2021 will be taking place in October, then reverting to June from 2022 onwards.
October 2021 will mark around 18 months since the global pandemic brought international travel to a halt. LATA Expo is a key event in the reinvigoration of the Latin American tourism industry as it will be the first opportunity for exhibitors and buyers from the UK, Europe and Latin America to meet face-to-face, re-establishing old relationships and forging new ones – both critical in the wake of the disruption that the industry has been confronted with.
LATA’s previous live instalment in 2019 took place at an important sporting landmark of London, Chelsea Football Club, and now this year LATA Expo 2021 will be held at another iconic sports venue, The Kia Oval, home of Surrey County Cricket Club, offering Latin American and European partners a glimpse into one of the most quintessential of British sports.
LATA Chairman, Colin Stewart, commented: “We would like to emphasise that the safety and security of our delegates, guests and partners will always be our foremost priority, so we believe the decision to postpone is entirely the right one. However, we are passionate about supporting our industry and fully intend to bring the very best of Latin America to Europe when these difficult times have passed and we can once again look to the future with confidence. The travel industry has a history of resilience and the LATA community will continue to act as a point of support and positivity as we look to rebuild and thrive in partnership with our friends from around the world.”
