NEW YORK, Sept. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The sights and sounds of the 3^rd annual Festival PEOPLE en Espanol reverberated around the world; with the event’s hashtag #FestivalPeople going viral and generating more than a billion social media impressions leading up to the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. 

“The 3^rd annual Festival People en Espanol delivered a universal message of inspiration, personal empowerment and cultural pride to Latinos around the world,” says Monique Manso, publisher, People en Espanol. “Through exciting live performances, powerful conversations and focused community engagement, this year’s Festival People en Espanol was a unique celebration of our heritage and a powerful testament to the brand’s connection to community.”

Garnering rave reviews from fans and media alike, the two-day Festival took place in San Antonio, TX over Labor Day weekend (August 30-31) and focused on empowering youth through the theme “Inspiring the Next Generation.” According to Latin Post – the “…Festival made its mark on San Antonio this weekend”!  Over two full days, Festival PEOPLE en Espanol offered fun, interactive activities for families, youth empowerment programs, free giveaways, and exclusive access to the latest debuts of top television shows, telenovelas and movies. 

The Festival’s expanded, free daytime events featured twice as many celebrities, double the amount of meet & greets and nearly double the number of performers as compared to last year. The Festival PEOPLE en Espanol line-up of more than 30 celebrities and influencers included: Saul Canelo Alvarez, Don Francisco, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Congressman Joaquin Castro, Ana Maria Polo, Henry Cisneros, Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza, Isabel Sanchez, Dr. Juan Rivera, Mane de la Parra, Priscila Angel, Gabriel Coronel, Genesis Rodriguez, Miguel Arteta, Maite Perroni, Chris Perez, DJ Ernie D, Matt Hunter, Rosie Castro, Julian Gil, Las Fenix, Blue Demon Jr., Maria Marin, Myrka Dellanos, Eduardo Verastegui, Edith Gonzalez and Jaci Velasquez. Festival PEOPLE en Espanol’s ‘Chicas Poderosas’ concert powered by Disney was a highlight of the weekend on Saturday night – featuring energetic performances by pop singing sensations Zendaya and Becky G.  A slate of star-studded youth empowerment programs took place on Sunday offering intimate access to the industry’s top teen performers Becky G., Zendaya and Leslie Grace, who each shared their groundbreaking journeys and offered words of advice for overcoming obstacles and achieving success.  Plus, Las Fenix, Leslie Grace, Matt Hunter and Miguelito performed.

More than just a weekend of celebrities and concerts, organizers of Festival PEOPLE en Espanol reached beyond the walls of Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center to empower San Antonio’s youth; bringing the Festival’s theme of “Inspiring the Next Generation” to life at three local San Antonio schools.   

• Henry Ford School of Art & Design: Career panel discussion featuring PEOPLE en Espanol editors Armando Correa and Zuania Capo and recognition of the PEOPLE en Espanol “Festival Design Challenge” student winner Miguel Olivares.
• Brooks Academy of Science & Engineering: FESTIVAL People en Espanol preview featuring a live performance and autograph signing by teen star Miguelito.
• University of Incarnate Word: Insights presentation by PEOPLE en Espanol Associate Publisher Marketing Iliana Carlo about marketing to Hispanic consumers and the use of Spanish-language media in the U.S.
• For the third consecutive year, Festival PEOPLE en Espanol reinforced its commitment to education and the community by presenting scholarships to San Antonio youth. In partnership with Cafe College, PEOPLE en Espanol awarded four students with a college scholarship of $5,000.

For all the behind-the-scenes action from Festival PEOPLE en Espanol, join the conversation: peopleenespanol.com, Twitter, Facebook, #FestivalPeople.

Sponsors of Festival PEOPLE en Espanol 2014 include powered by Disney; major sponsors Coca-Cola and Jeep; official sponsors COVERGIRL, HEB, and Strayer University; host sponsors the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau; screening partners ABC, Azteca, HBO Latino and Walt Disney Film Studios; partners AARP, St. Jude and Center for Disease Control; media partners CNN, MusicChoice and Telemundo. 

About Festival PEOPLE en Espanol:
PEOPLE en Espanol‘s annual Festival aims to entertain, inspire and unite Hispanic families around an unparalleled celebration of culture.   Festival PEOPLE en Espanol has become one of the year’s most-anticipated celebrations of Hispanic culture featuring today’s hottest celebrities, expert panels and family-fun activities over Labor Day weekend.

About PEOPLE en Espanol:
PEOPLE en Espanol was launched in 1996 as a special issue, and today has become the top-selling Hispanic magazine in the United States. Published 11 times a year, PEOPLE en Espanol reaches an audience of 6.9 million every month with its editorial mix of Hispanic and popular entertainment, fashion and beauty trends, and compelling human-interest stories. PEOPLE en Espanol delivers original editorial content that captures the values, contributions and impact of today’s Hispanics in the U.S.   The brand’s social media footprint includes over a 1,000,000 followers on Twitter and over 2.9 million fans on Facebook.  For daily news, photos, exclusive behind-the-scenes video and celebrity scoops, visit www.PEOPLEEnEspanol.com.

About Time Inc.:
Time Inc. is one of the largest branded media companies in the world reaching more than 130 million Americans each month across multiple platforms. With influential brands such as TIME, PEOPLE, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, InStyle, REAL SIMPLE, Wallpaper, Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine, Time Inc. is home to celebrated events and franchises including the FORTUNE 500, TIME 100, PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED’S Sportsman of the Year, the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and the ESSENCE Festival.

Contacts:

Festival PEOPLE en Espanol:  Dana Baxter 212-522-1634    dbaxter@essence.com

inHOUSE Public Relations: Lisa Andrade 210-389-9765    lisa@inhousepublicrelations.com