Inside 3 Hispanic Heritage Month Events From Billboard, Rémy Martin, and Siete Foods

The sold-out Billboard Latin Music Week took over Miami Oct. 2-6, welcoming 20,000 attendees over its five-day run. The packed programming called Miami Beach’s Faena Forum home, with over 50 artists and executives headlining performances and panels, including Shakira (who also graced the magazine’s Sept. 23 Latin Power Players issue), Ivy Queen, Thalia, and more.

“In the past five years, Billboard truly took its commitment to Latin music, its artists, and the industry to another level,” said Leila Cobo, Billboard’s chief content officer for Latin/Español. “We began to host Latin Music Week during Hispanic Heritage Month and committed to growing the event to make it a weeklong celebration of Latin music in Miami, the epicenter of Latin music. I am not exaggerating when I say that it is the essential gathering place for our music today.”

This year’s official partners included AT&T, Cheetos, CN Bank, Delta Air Lines, Lexus, Netflix, Michelob ULTRA, and Smirnoff. “The brand partners who tend to work with Billboard’s Latin Music Week deeply value authentic and impactful engagement with the highly influential global Latin audience,” said Billboard President Mike Van. “Leveraging a core human interest in music, we collaborate closely with our partners to create a full stack experience that includes immersive programming, bespoke content, and daily social publishing that not only scales yet brings value back directly to this audience pre, during, and post Latin Music Week.”

Netflix made its debut at Latin Music Week on Oct. 4, with an advanced screening of Neon, a series about an aspiring reggaeton star and his best friends who move to Miami. The series premieres Oct. 19.

Cheetos took the party reins by presenting the Billboard Latin Music Week Block Party at Wynwood Marketplace on Oct. 6. Puerto Rican rapper Myke Towers performed at the free and public event. Cheetos also presented the Deja Tu Huella chat with Towers earlier that week alongside Project Runway winner Shantall Lacayo; the two discussed creativity and community.

Meanwhile, Michelob ULTRA backed two Billboard En Vivo shows—Greeicy and Mike Bahía on Monday night and Fonseca on Friday night. Fellow beverage partner Smirnoff provided complimentary Smirnoff ICE and Smirnoff Spicy Tamarind all week long.

Siete Foods jump-started its Juntos Inspiramos ("together, we inspire") Hispanic Heritage Month campaign on Sept. 15 on social media, encouraging followers to share who inspires them. The brand collaborated with Target’s Más Que ("More Than") campaign to produce two limited-edition product packages—one for their Mexican Wedding Cookies and one for their Fuego Lime Kettle Cooked Potato Chips, both designed by Latina artist and muralist Christin Apodaca. The brand honored Apodaca during a heritage-inspired dinner celebration at its Austin headquarters on Sept. 22.

The 34-guest dinner welcomed friends of the brand while plating regionally diverse fare crafted by Siete’s internal culinary team (chefs Andrés Figueroa, Scarleth Aguilar, Melissa Carroll, and Dan Salivar).

The evening’s goodie bags were filled with Latinx-backed products, including CocoAndré Chocolatier chocolate, Desnudo Coffee, Bonita Fierce candles, Ceremonia hair care, and Millennial Lotería Cards by Mike Alfaro. Georgina Herrera designed the bags hand-woven by an Indigenous community in Mexico and made from recycled plastic.

Then, on Oct. 11, Siete introduced the nine recipients of this year’s Juntos Fund, a $200,000 endeavor created to empower Latino entrepreneurship. “Every business starts as a small business,” said Miguel Garza, Siete Foods co-founder and CEO. “We understand the inherent challenges of building a company from scratch. Knowing the additional funding struggles Latino founders face, we are proud to use our Juntos Fund as a vehicle for financial support. The awards directly reflect our commitment to the broader Latino community and belief that when one of us succeeds, we all succeed.”

Rémy Martin’s Que Viva Rémy Sobremesa Hispanic Heritage Month activation centered on the Sobremesa Social Club’s launch at New York City’s Jalao on Sept. 20. The concept invited ticketed guests to pay homage to Sobremesa, a social post-dining tradition.

The spirit label partnered with Mexican native chef Carlos Gaytan, Dominican and New York-bred chef Paola Velez (pictured), and Miami-based Cuban mixologist Josué Gonzaléz, encouraging each to interpret Sobremesa and present their innovations to the evening’s guests. The trio’s recipes can also be found online. The night’s cocktails featured Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal and Tercet.

Afro-Puerto Rican group Bombazo and DJ Bembona keep the experience lively, while ​​Dominican multidisciplinary artist Danny Peguero (pictured) designed custom T-shirts for attendees.

Rémy Martin also promoted the Que Viva Rémy Sobremesa on their U.S. and international Instagram pages. Proceeds from the evening benefited the Hispanic Restaurant Association (HRA), which aims to support and advance the careers of aspiring chefs, culinary entrepreneurs, restaurant managers, and industry professionals within the Hispanic community.