First Latino PR agency starting on Long Island
Jose Avila, president of the soon-to-be launched Long Island Latino Public Relations, visits JVC Broadcasting in Ronkonkoma. (April 21, 2010) Credit: Ed Betz
A marketing executive who came to Long Island 10 years ago from Colombia is starting the Island's first Latino-oriented public relations agency.
Jose Avila, 40, of Brentwood, plans to open Long Island Latino Public Relations in Hicksville soon. The company's website, longislandlatino pr.com, just went live.
"A lot of Long Island businesspeople don't speak Spanish," Avila said, "but they want to reach out to [Latino] markets. That's the fastest-growing demographic on Long Island."
Avila's firm will introduce Island businesses to the Latino community through Spanish-language newspapers, radio stations and websites.
Avila, who was president of Fusion Marketing & Events in Brentwood, will be working with two employees. In 2001 he organized the largest-ever Colombian Day Parade on Long Island, in which about 6,000 people marched in Brentwood.
His PR firm's first major event will come Sept. 26. It is helping organize a Latino business expo at the Long Island Marriott in Huntington. The event is also being put together by Long Island radio veteran John Caracciolo, chief executive of JVC Broadcasting, which operates "La Nueva Fiesta'' WBON / 96.9 and 98.5 FM, in Westhampton.
Caracciolo said the event will be a first for Long Island. He expects about 250 companies to participate.
"It's all going to be about Latino lifestyle and living on Long Island," Caracciolo said.
Updated now Newsday travel writer Scott Vogel took the ferry over to Block Island for a weekend of fun.
