CMN EXPANDS INTO L.A.!

CHICAGO (January 11, 2010) – In response to the growing demand for multicultural and experiential marketing campaigns in the West Coast, Cardenas Marketing Network (CMN), one of the leading multicultural event marketing and sponsorship agencies in the U.S., has opened a local office in Los Angeles, California. The new office, located at 515 S. Flower Street, strengthens CMN’s national presence, adding to its Chicago and Miami offices.

"We’re thrilled to open a new office in Los Angeles as it marks an important step in our development as an experiential event marketing and entertainment entity,” said Elena Sotomayor, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales at CMN. “Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world and a critical market for our business and clients. We felt this was the right time to establish a bigger presence in that area as many of our programs for 2010 and beyond will take place in Southern California."

The office opening reaffirms CMN’s commitment to this important market and enables CMN to provide additional support and services to its rapidly growing client and staff base in the West Coast, which includes Las Vegas and Phoenix. CMN recently increased its staff by 20%

Ingrid Martinez, CMN’s L.A.-based project manager, will lead the company’s operations in the new location. Martinez is a seasoned project manager whose contributions to CMN include brand activation and event marketing campaigns for various clients.

“Given the tremendous economic potential of Los Angeles, we are confident that our new set-up in the West Coast will help us build a stronger presence and boost visibility for our company, services and clients. We are confident that CMN’s expertise, commitment to client service – as well as the proximity to our clients—will drive tremendous growth for our operations in this region,” added Sotomayor.

Last year CMN produced over 1,000 events, including concert tours in the U.S., Latin America and Europe. Some of its major experiential campaigns included “Vive Tu Musica with 5 Gum,” a national battle of the bands competition, and “Planeta Wrigley,” the nation’s largest multicultural mobile marketing tour – both sponsored by Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. Sotomayor and her team also launched “Suda La Verde,” a promotional campaign for Anheuser-Busch featuring the Mexican National Soccer Team.

In September 2009, CMN also helped launch the art exhibition, “Discover Colombia Through Its Heart,” on behalf of the Colombian government. The exhibition featured 47 heart sculptures placed strategically throughout the Washington, D.C. and New York City metro areas to help educate the public about Colombian culture.

CMN received several national recognitions in 2009 for its experiential programs. It was named to Crain’s Chicago Businesses’ “Largest Minority Owned Firms” for the second consecutive year, as well as Hispanic Business Magazine’s “500 Largest Hispanic Owned Companies,” Pollstar Magazine’s “Top 100 Worldwide Promoters,” and Event Marketer’s “It List,” among others.

Los Angeles is currently the second-largest city in the U.S. In 2008, the “City of Angels” was named the world's eighth most economically powerful city by Forbes. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Los Angeles-Long Beach combined statistical area has a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of $831 billion (as of 2008), making it the third largest economic center in the world, after the Greater Tokyo Area and New York-Newark-Bridgeport combined statistical area.

To inquire about sponsorship opportunities in the Los Angeles, please contact Elena Sotomayor at 773-908-9548 or at elena@cmnevens.com.