THE COMPANY AND THE TEAM

G.S.A.R. Marketing, a 25 years old company involved in the marketing of international travel and tourism, promotes and organizes CULTOUR. For the last eleven years G.S.A.R. Marketing has been actively involved in the promotion and operation of three international travel trade shows called MITM, Meetings and Incentive Trade Market and now CULTOUR:

, since 1997, was held in Seville (twice), Vigo-Santiago de Compostela and Marbella in Spain. On board a cruise ship between Barcelona, Spain and Genoa, Italy; in Salerno, Italy; Lisbon Portugal; Marrakech, Morocco; Prague, Czech Republic; Nice, France and in 2007 in Tunisia. The 2008 venue will be Cologne, Germany.

has been held in Guadalajara (twice), Merida and Leon-Guanajuato in Mexico; in Guatemala City, Guatemala; Varadero, Cuba and in Quito, Ecuador. In 2007 will be in Acapulco, Mexico, in 2008 in Lima, Peru and in 2009 in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

took place in Miami Beach, Orlando in Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada (twice), where it will continue indefinitely.

, the world first international cultural travel trade exhibition, was held in Santiago, Spain in 2007. Starting June 2008, it will be held in Cologne, Germany, indefinitely.

A total of 2,660 buyers from 33 countries have been hosted by G.S.A.R. Marketing to attend MITM events and 76,680 business meetings were performed at MITM and CULTOUR shows between these buyers and travel and tourism suppliers from Europe, the Mediterranean, Latin and North America. G.S.A.R. Marketing goals had been to produce quality oriented travel trade shows. G.S.A.R. Marketing believes that professional travel trade shows are a very valid marketing tool for both buyers and suppliers for as long as there is a balance between supply –number of exhibitors- and demand –number of buyers-, buyers are qualified professionals and trade shows are directed to a specific market as it is the case with MITM shows, addressed to the business travel market, and now, CULTOUR, directed to cultural travel.
THE TEAM

Ramón Álvarez
President and Managing Director

President and Managing Director of Convenco-Incentive Solutions and G.S.A.R. Marketing, he started his carrier in American Express, Madrid, from where he was transferred to Los Angeles office. Later, he was District Sales Manager of National Airlines (later Pan Am) and Regional Director of Peruvian Airlines. At this time he founded and presided the first Regional Chapter of SATO (South America Travel Organization). Based in San Francisco, he was appointed the first Sales Director of Club Med for the USA, assisting to introduce the company into the US market. Ramon Alvarez returned to American Express as staff member of the company’s Travel Division President and put in charge of Special Markets for North and South America, based in the American Express Headquarters in Wall Street.

Hired by Iberia Airlines to open and direct its Incentive and Convention Sales Department for the USA, he was principal in the creation of SITE (Society of Incentive Travel Executives), being its first Steering Committee President. From New York he returned to Spain founding Convenco in 1974, a pioneering company in the field of incentive travel and meeting planning.
In 1982 he founded GSAR Marketing

Ramón Alvarez is Past-President of SITE Spain Chapter (Society of Incentives and Travel Executives). He is also a member of IMA (Incentive Marketing Association), MPI (Meeting Professionals International), ASAE and ACTE, and “Past President” of the PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Spain Chapter.

Charo Trabado
Vice President, Sales

Masters in Tourism, She had been in CONVENCO group from 1987.
Director of sales for Spain and Portugal of American Airlines (2 years), Taca Airlines (6 years) Copa Airlines (10 years) (represented by GSAR Marketing), accumulating 21 years of experience with G.S.A.R. Marketing in the commercialization of trips, transport and tourism events, including the sales and operations of incentive groups worldwide, as well, conventions, seminaries, corporative presentations of product and events inside and outside Spain.

Also organizing and operating promotions for international clients of tourism in Spain and Europe, such as social product seminaries, workshops, destination presentations, events, campaigns of promotion, etc.
At the present time I am the Vice-president of Sales of GSAR Marketing and lead the commercialization of all the fairs organizes and produces by GSAR Marketing. From year 1997: MITM Euromed with 12th editions in Europe, MITM Américas 14th editions in Américas and CULTOUR, Global Cultural & Heritage Exhibition, in his 3rd edition, in Germany.

E-mail: charo.trabado@gsamark.com

Patricia Ciruelos
Exhibitors

Has a degree in Tourism and has been with the group since 1997. She is in charge of exhibitor registration and logistics of all G.S.A.R. Marketing quality oriented shows.

E-mail: pat.ciruelos@gsamark.com