The event is being held the evening of Friday, November 20 at the exclusive St. Andrews Club in downtown Toronto. Prime Minister Stephen Harper will meet with program winners this spring in Ottawa. This year’s attendees will enjoy priority registration for the 2010 awards ceremony.

“Having Canada’s first Minister for the Americas at the 10 most influential Hispanic Canadians will shine a spotlight on Hispanic issues and achievements, and make for an exciting evening,” said program director Mauricio Ospina. “And the fact that the Prime Minister will be meeting with our winners is an incredible testament to the talent and influence of Hispanics in Canada, and the reach of this program. We can expect bigger things to come.”

Dubbed by the organizers as “100% networking”, this year’s awards are being held in a cocktail reception format. “Last year we had 680 people in attendance but this year we want a more intimate ceremony with only 300. This is a chance to mingle, do business, and celebrate our accomplishments as Hispanics,” Ospina said. Two hundred tickets have been snapped up by members of the new Hispanic Business Association (HBA), meaning only 100 tickets are left for this exclusive event.

Award winners are chosen by a panel of judges that includes past winners, executives, and journalists from the Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Canadian Business, CBC, FOCAL, Canadian Hispanic Congress and Hispanic Press Association of Canada. The awards program is in its third year.

The first edition of the Hispanic Business Association (HBA) directory, featuring community statistics and member profiles will be distributed at the event and made available online. Another 10,000 directories will be distributed in the GTA and Ottawa. There is still time to become one of the founding members of the HBA and receive year-round exposure for your business. Attendees at the 10 most influential Hispanic Canadians will participate in a draw with prizes valued at $1,000, including a TACA airlines voucher, courtesy of the Hispanic Business Association, and a rare “Maple Leaf” gold coin, courtesy of Scotiabank.

Hispanic media sponsors include Correo Canadiense, El Popular, La Guia de Toronto, Mercado News, Abanico, Latin Life, Latidos, TorontoHispano.com, Una-C Canada, RevistaDebate.ca and TLN Television. More than 900,000 Spanish-speaking people live in Canada, according to the Print Measurement Bureau. Statistics Canada reports that Hispanics are ten years younger and are more likely to be university educated than other Canadians, most live in the GTA and more than 70 per cent have arrived in the last twenty five years.

This year’s awards ceremony was launched at the Distillery District. Matthew Rosenblatt and Jason Lester, co-owners of the Distillery District, announced up to $13,000 in discounts extended until December 31, 2009 and available only through Mauricio Ospina. Six units have been sold to date under this program and Ospina himself purchased two units. Of the 1,047 units in the Distillery's three towers, approximately 100 are still available. Prices in the development could go up next week if Toronto is chosen to host the 2015 Pan American Games: the Games' site would be located next to the Distillery District.

- To qualify for the $13,000 discount at the Distillery or to become a member of the Hispanic Business Association, email Mauricio.Ospina@HispanicBusiness.ca

- Tickets to the awards ceremony are being sold in groups of ten for $500, five for $300 or $70 individually. The price includes full appetizers and wine. To purchase tickets, please contact an HBA member (available at www.HispanicBusiness.ca), or email Mauricio.Ospina@HispanicBusiness.ca.