‘La Plaza de Fútbol’ to showcase Hispanic brands at American Dream during World Cup
American Dream’s mega-plans for the FIFA World Cup Finals in the New Jersey Meadowlands keep on kicking.
From July 11 - 19, “La Plaza de Fútbol" will give some 1,000 New Jersey small businesses the opportunity to showcase their products and services.
The mega-mall expects that hundreds of thousands of visitors will be exposed to the installation during World Cup matches that begin on July 13. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority is collaborating with the New Jersey Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and American Dream to bring the concept to life.
“’La Plaza de Fútbol’ represents the next step in our mission to connect global visitors with the richness of New Jersey’s business community,” said American Dream chief marketing officer Adam Petrick. “Over the course of 39 days, visitors will have the opportunity to experience the culture, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit that defines our state. This is about more than commerce — it’s about community.”
The concept, developed over the past two months, has completed its initial planning phase and now moves into final logistical planning and vendor coordination.
The Modesto Educational Foundation (MEF) will partner with the Hispanic Chamber and American Dream as a financial partner in the operation of the Small Business Marketplace.
MEF is a nonprofit company that supports special education students from diverse cultures with special needs.
“Hispanic-owned businesses are one of the fastest-growing segments of New Jersey’s economy,” said Carlos Medina, the CEO of New Jersey’s Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “This initiative creates unprecedented visibility and opportunity — not only for Hispanic entrepreneurs, but for small businesses across the entire state.”
New Jersey is home to approximately 50,000 LGBTQ-owned businesses and tens of thousands of Hispanic-owned businesses that contribute billions of dollars annually to the state’s economy.
“This is a defining moment for New Jersey’s small business community,” Petrick added. “’La Plaza de Fútbol’ is an invitation to the world — to experience who we are, what we build, and what we represent as a state.”
