With the FIFA World Cup on the horizon, an ambitious venue expansion underway and a packed international calendar, Guadalajara is staking its claim as Latin America’s premier business events destination. Iain Stirling speaks with Gustavo Staufert, CEO of the Guadalajara Convention Bureau, and José Andrés Orendáin, CEO of Expo Guadalajara, about the city’s growing global ambitions.
Iain Stirling: There has been considerable international media attention following the recent security incidents in Guadalajara. How has that affected the city’s ability to attract and retain business events?
Gustavo Staufert: Whenever something of that magnitude takes place, there are inevitably ripples. We did have to reschedule a small number of events – the World Aquatics Diving World Cup came close to being moved – but we didn’t lose a single major event. What’s important to understand is that the situation was quickly contained, the individuals involved were either apprehended or eliminated, and crucially, no tourist was harmed. As Gianni Infantino has said, unfortunate events happen all over the world – Las Vegas, New Orleans, London before the Olympics. Our duty is to be prepared, to have the right protocols in place, and to keep our clients safe. The outcome here was positive in that regard.
José Andrés Orendáin: I’d echo that. All events remained confirmed. We had to make some date adjustments, but there were no cancellations. What I would highlight is that the response from the authorities demonstrated the superiority of the rule of law – the good guys had more power than the bad guys. We were back to business as usual very swiftly. The venue maintained constant coordination with state and federal authorities throughout, and our security protocols – built over nearly 40 years of operation – held firm. We meet international standards, and we can demonstrate that operational framework to any client.
Iain Stirling: The FIFA World Cup is coming to Guadalajara in a few months time – how is that reshaping the city’s profile and what does it mean for the wider business events calendar?
Gustavo Staufert: The World Cup is a transformative moment, and history tells us just how significant that can be. The 1970 World Cup drove the opening of Latin America’s first mall and the city’s first major hotel cluster. In 1986, Fiesta Americana and the Hyatt – the first 400-room hotels in Guadalajara – were built for the tournament. The Pan American Games later added a 550-room hotel, new transport infrastructure and world-class sports facilities. Each of these events left a lasting legacy, and the 2026 World Cup will do the same. Right now, we have new hotels coming online that will bring us to around 34,000 hotel rooms, plus roughly 11,000 Airbnb units. That’s a strong base. And the trophy tour has already begun – FIFA’s CEO for Mexico was here in February for the launch. The excitement in the city is real.
José Andrés Orendáin: From our perspective, the momentum generated by the World Cup and the state’s investment in infrastructure creates a genuine window for exponential growth. Expo Guadalajara currently has 26,000 square metres of land in reserve, and we are designing an expansion to take us above 100,000 square metres of sellable space – which would place us firmly in the large venue category internationally. We’re also converting one of our main halls into a top-of-the-line, dedicated congress facility, ready by early 2027. The World Cup is the catalyst, but the legacy is what we’re really building for.
Iain Stirling: And what’s on the business events calendar either side of the tournament?
Gustavo Staufert: It’s a remarkably full year. In May, just one month before the World Cup, we’re hosting the 94th ICOLD Annual Meeting & Congress (International Commission on Large Dams) – a significant event given that water scarcity is one of the defining political issues of our time. We also have Expo Plásticos this month, which is increasingly framing itself around environmental innovation. Then, after the World Cup, we host the inaugural edition of ITB Americas. They’ve already sold 70% of floor space and confirmed their hosted buyers programme, which is a real statement of intent for the region. And of course, the Guadalajara International Book Fair closes the year, as it always does. From April through to December, we are essentially fully booked.
Iain Stirling: Where are the gaps that still need to be addressed if Guadalajara is to compete consistently at the top level internationally?
Gustavo Staufert: Two areas above all others. First, airlift. The airport expansion is already underway and that will unlock further connectivity. Two years ago, we had no direct flights to Canada – today we serve most major cities, including Toronto and Montreal. Calgary is particularly interesting as a transit point for European travellers who want to avoid routing through the US. We are now in active discussions with carriers about new direct routes to both France and the UK – not Heathrow, which is at capacity, but London Gatwick. I would expect that announcement within the year. Second, we need to invest more in how we communicate our offer to the European market specifically, because Europe is our primary feeder market for association congresses. That means greater presence in trade media, stronger representation on the ground, and more consistent investment in showcasing what Guadalajara actually is.
I’d add one more – English language proficiency. The World Cup has accelerated investment in language skills across the city, but it’s an area we have to continue developing systematically if we want to host major international congresses comfortably.
Iain Stirling: Where does the US market sit in your priorities, particularly given the current political and trade environment?
Gustavo Staufert: I think it splits clearly into two segments. For association congresses, the US largely keeps its major events domestic – their national congresses often exceed the scale of equivalent world congresses. So, for MICE business of that type, Europe is by far our primary client. That’s why our GSA is based in Europe and why our international development strategy is largely pointed in that direction. But for individual business travel and for leisure tourism, the United States remains number one – around 70% of all foreign visitors to Jalisco come from the US. So, we need both, but for different reasons.
José Andrés Orendáin: I’d agree. What we see across sectors like technology, manufacturing, healthcare and innovation is continued North American economic integration working in our favour – you see those industries represented at our trade shows as exhibitors, as hosted buyers, as visitors. The strategic position of Mexico means we can work both sides effectively: promoting to Europe for international congresses, and benefiting from natural North American business flows for exhibitions and commercial events.
Iain Stirling: Expo Guadalajara recently became a Diamond Partner of UFI. What was the thinking behind that and what do you want to get from the relationship?
José Andrés Orendáin: Quite simply, if we want to change our position in the world, people need to know we exist – and building that reputation takes time and deliberate investment. The UFI partnership is part of a broader international strategy, not an isolated gesture. We are already hosting the 94th UFI Global Congress in 2027, and we wanted to do the work through that process properly. We’ve also been working with IFES and AFIDA, and both Gustavo and I were at the IAPCO conference in Greece two weeks ago. But what I want to be clear about is that this isn’t a hollow sponsorship. We have substance to back it up. We hold Earthcheck and ISO 9001 certifications, we are weeks away from obtaining LEED certification for the current venue, and we have a sustainability roadmap to 2050. We’re sponsoring UFI because we are genuinely ready to receive the world.
Gustavo Staufert: I’d frame it as part of an international policy. The Best Cities Global Forum came to Guadalajara earlier this year. We hosted the World Meeting Forum for Latin America this week. ITB Americas is coming. The World Cup follows. Then Dermatología 2027. These are not coincidences – they reflect a coordinated effort between the Convention Bureau, the venue, state government and the hospitality sector. Guadalajara and Jalisco are ready to play in the big leagues. Not necessarily as the champion, but as one of the key players – and without question the leading MICE destination in Latin America alongside Brazil.
Iain Stirling: How are you thinking about AI and its role in what you do – both as a business tool and as something your clients increasingly expect you to have addressed?
José Andrés Orendáin: We’re running pilot programmes using AI-assisted camera and internet analytics to better understand visitor behaviour – not just for security, but commercially: understanding passive behaviour patterns, building better visitor profiles. That data is going to be increasingly valuable to PCOs and event organisers. We’re also moving our marketing and communications toward more digital platforms, where AI is already shaping how we work. And we see AI and sustainability as linked – smarter data helps us operate more efficiently and reduces waste.
Gustavo Staufert: AI is a genuine tool for business intelligence – it makes gathering market data, building bid books, and understanding what clients expect far faster than before. But I’d sound a note of caution. When everything becomes easy, people stop checking their work. The information AI draws from is only as good as the sources, and there’s a lot of inaccurate content out there. If you build on bad foundations, the structure will collapse. Our people need to retain the ability to interrogate the output, not just accept it. But here’s what’s interesting for our industry: in a world saturated with AI-generated content and deep fakes, the one place you can still trust what you see and hear is face-to-face. That’s our competitive advantage, and AI is ironically reinforcing it. To put it simply – AI is a tool, not a rule.
Iain Stirling: The Mexican government’s engagement with international business events trade shows has historically been inconsistent. Is that changing?
Gustavo Staufert: It is improving. Before we travelled to ITB, I asked our Governor to write a letter setting out the region’s commitment to the international MICE market. He did so, and when I handed it to Mario Tobias, he read it aloud to his board, in front of the Mayor of Berlin. That carries weight. Government at all levels is increasingly aware that the MICE industry generates over a billion dollars annually for Guadalajara. When the numbers are on the table, the conversation becomes much easier.
Iain Stirling: Finally – give us your best case for why an event organiser should bring their congress or exhibition to Guadalajara.
Gustavo Staufert: Three reasons. First, it will be a box office hit – the city delivers extraordinary attendance and engagement. Second, it will be unforgettable: colour, culture, food, warmth, and that ‘mexicanness’ that you simply cannot manufacture elsewhere. And third, it makes economic sense for the organiser – competitive pricing, real value, and a destination that’s genuinely invested in making every event a success. Colourful, tasty, easy to reach, and not overpriced.
José Andrés Orendáin: I’d start with connectivity – it’s easier to get here than many people realise, and it’s getting easier still. Then I’d point to what I call Mexico’s spirit in one place: everything the country represents, concentrated in a single, world-class destination. Add to that competitive pricing versus comparable European cities, the economic integration with North America, and a venue that is genuinely expanding to meet international ambitions – and the case makes itself. Oh, and the tequila. Not the kind you get elsewhere. The real thing!
