“We offer European companies to come to Madrid to do business with Latin American companies”

Interview with Carlos Morales, general director of Madrid Platform

Carlos Morales is president of the consulting firm MSHGlobal and general director of Madrid Platform, an appointment
with business between Europe and Latin America that will celebrate its first edition on the next 10 to 12
May.

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Everything ready for Madrid Platform?

 

Carlos Morales: “Everything ready, everything ready… in a pandemic situation where something changes every day and we have to adapt in a hurry… yes, the predictable, everything prepared; the unpredictable, dealing with it.”

 

 

Why did this event arise and why did you choose to do it in Madrid?

 

CM: “We are an international consulting company specialized in business internationalization, and we have been in the market for 20 years. A company that we created in Madrid, we have a position in Chile, Peru, Colombia, Mexico and Ecuador and in these 20 years we have carried out many internationalization processes. We have tried to bring investment to Spain and Europe, especially small and medium-sized companies, and it has been very complicated. 

 

But three and a half, four years ago, we were lucky enough to be the first observers of a phenomenon that is the diversion of capital inflows towards USA, product of Trump's policies, of “America for Americans”, a lot of investment that was going to Miami began to arrive in Spain. 

 

We began to study the process today Latin America is the second investor in Spain with 42.500 billion euros, and when talking about these amounts it is a long-term investment. This happens throughout Spain but mainly in Madrid: In the year 19, 4.000 million euros entered Madrid, mainly in the real estate field, with family offices from Venezuela and Mexico, which is the big investor at the moment. And in the end we did a follow-up and from that follow-up we obtained a series of figures that we presented to the Madrid City Council.” 

 

What will be the big themes and events planned for Madrid Platform?

 

CM “The creation of Madrid Platform is not the idea of ​​an events company, but rather comes from an international consulting company, so our search is the generation of an ecosystem. When this whole operation is generated and these investments begin to arrive, what one has to do is lay the foundations so that companies feel comfortable and opportunities are generated. 

 

It is more difficult for a Danish, Norwegian, or Czech company to go to Latin America directly to do business, which We offer you to come to Madrid to do business with Latin American companies., that is the basis of Madrid Platform, we are committed to creating the first business hub between two regions, products of this departure of Latin American companies that see Madrid and Spain as a gateway to Europe. This speech is the opportunity to do it.

 

We have two sections at the event: one Business and another Reflections-Ideas; in Business They range from small to medium-small, we will approximately have around 2.000 work meetings between now and December 2021. The number of companies that have been interested is surprising. And in the Reflections-Ideas area, where we will have seminars, workshops, pro-business sessions that will be held at the Cibeles Palace between May 10 and 12, we have more than 150 speakers, some 1.200 companies interested in attending (only 30 % in person). 

 

Can companies still register? 

 

CM: “Today, April 26, the City Council is going to begin to show the presence of Madrid Platform in 300 digital communication points. On Wednesday (April 28), we will present to the press the breakdown of Madrid Platform: what the forums, the workshops are about, the countries that attend, which today we have six from America and six from Europe. Starting on the 28th we open registrations; The only shame this year is that they will be limited in person, they will be covered very quickly.”

 

Is there interest among companies in being able to have this type of forum in the current circumstances to be able to do business?

 

CM: “In the time it took us to connect, nine companies have signed up.”

 

Is there more presence of any particular country?

CM: “There are countries that may have a presence but not be participating in the business matchmaking sessions; each country comes to present its offering: Chile with its green hydrogen offering, Ireland with its proposal to establish a very diverse country for investment… that doesn't mean they are the most active. The registration of companies from Ecuador has been very significant; from Spain, of course, from France… there isn't a direct relationship because all the business matchmaking and part of the forum is virtual; you can be in Chile, Peru, Denmark…”

 

Why should companies go to Madrid Platform?

 

CM: “We cover the target of small and large companies in two different areas of the event and throughout the year because we host it on a platform and continue working with companies. We give a very significant example: we had a meeting with a group of businessmen from Denmark and we asked them how many of those present would be willing to go to Nicaragua to meet with businessmen. Let's imagine, out of 40, 4; and the second question was, how many of you present would be willing to go to Madrid to meet with Nicaraguan businessmen, all of you. That is Madrid Platform. That's what we are looking for.

 

This is an event that will exist from now on; There is a commitment from the Madrid City Council and all political groups; This is really important for you to have a vocation for permanence. 

 

The event lasts three days, but companies continue to participate through the platform, and in fact, we'll have presentations—two in Europe and two in America—that we're calling 'Road to the Platform' for 22, where we expect to have in-person attendance and reach 10.000 participants both virtually and in person. But we have to hold the first edition first.”