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Jorge León Benavides

PERU - Telecoms & IT

Come Together

Chairman & CEO, Grupo Digamma

Bio

Jorge León Benavides, the founder of Grupo Digamma, is currently its CEO. His knowledge in marketing and a specialization in Marketing Administration in the Development Center of the Universidad del Pací­fico of Perú have provided him with the tools to achieve a long term vision for Grupo Digamma customers. He has been appointed director of the Lima Conventions’s Burea, a nonprofit private association, whose main activity is the promotion of Lima as a place for first class meetings and events.

TBY talks to Jorge León Benavides, Chairman & CEO of Grupo Digamma, on connecting the mining industry, building a client base, and the outlook for the coming years.

What are Grupo Digamma’s main areas of activity?

We have a 10-year history behind us starting with our magazine Rumbo Minero, which is now the leading publication in the Latin American mining industry. It comes out every 45 days and is over 400 pages in length. We also stage targeted events within the mining industry to boost networking and cooperation. For example, we have a boutique membership event to bring the mining companies and suppliers closer together. We also launched Expomina, the largest mining fair in the country with over 1,000 stands and more than 18 participating countries. Meanwhile, we have moved into the construction sector, having launched the magazine Perú Construye, and are set to organize Expo Arcon, the most complete construction business event in the country. In addition, we issue newsletters, hold promotions, and operate web pages and social media related to our mining activities. For example, we have two television shows for entrepreneurs—Rumbo Minero and Perú Construye that are aired on one of the main TV channel in Peru. These shows have enabled us to offer the entire package of editorial, broadcast, and advertisement services to our clients in these two sectors.

What are the competitive advantages of Grupo Digamma?

Today, we have around 1,500 clients and are the main business tool, on which they rely. This is because there is no other company in the country, and probably in the region, offering a complete editorial and broadcasting packaging with such a high level of specialization that addresses whatever the client wants to achieve.

Can you tell us more about Expo Arcon?

This is an event that will be held for the third time in early July 2015 from 9 to 11, and will develop simultaneously three fairs. We have leading entrepreneurs and businesspeople on our advisory board, including former ministers and current presidents of the sector associations in the country. We also have our working committee, which includes the main presidents of national and international chambers of commerce and construction. The event will include a section for heavy machinery, consultancy firms, and developers. Over 10 countries are taking part in the event. We will also be organizing the International Infrastructure Forum, the International Technology Forum, the International Real Estate & Construction Forum, the International Architecture Forum, the International Construction Projects Forum, and the International Purchase Management Forum. Moreover, we will be organizing a series of national awards for the most important infrastructure and construction projects. We also have strategic partnerships with the main professional associations in Peru.

What is your medium term outlook for the industry?

I think Peru will grow at a faster pace in 2015; we have 10 key mining projects underway and the government is committed to significant infrastructure investment. I believe that the economic slowdown of 2014 has been due to the fall in foreign investment and certain inactivity on the part of the authorities. This has now changed and we foresee a positive 2015, all ahead of the presidential elections in 2016. In this context, if the mining and construction sectors grow, we also grow as a company because these are the two main sectors for us. We decided to focus our business activities on them because we knew they underpinned the future of Peru. In 2014 we sent the message to our clients that in times of crisis it was important to diversify your portfolio, and we focused our events on that goal. It proved to be a great success, and we became a useful tool for clients in a time of crisis.

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