The SBC Summit Latinoamérica will take place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Miami, from October 29 to 31.
Press release.- Former Colombian goalkeeper and the man behind the historic 'scorpion kick', René Higuita, will deliver the opening speech to 4,000 attendees at the upcoming edition of SBC Summit Latinoamérica.
The conference, titled "Fearless Football: The Revolutionary Impact of René Higuita", will kick off the conference program on Wednesday, October 30, the main first day of the event, which will be held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino from October 29 to 31.
In addition, Andrea Rossi, Commercial Director of Betsson LatAm, will conduct the interview. Earlier this year, Betsson appointed Higuita as its brand ambassador and collaborated with SBC to bring the iconic goalkeeper to the SBC Summit Latinoamérica stage.
Higuita will provide delegates with a firsthand account of his experience as a professional footballer in South America, detailing his innovative approach, the famous "scorpion" move, and his decision to play mainly in South America throughout his career. Furthermore, Higuita will discuss the powerful lessons his career offers for driving change, challenging conventions, and staying at the forefront of today's rapidly evolving sports landscape.
Before his appearance at the event, Higuita stated: "Over the last decade, sports fans have gained unprecedented access to more games than ever before, along with detailed analyses of athletes and the ability to express opinions on social media globally. Having observed the evolution of football and the general sports landscape over the past fifty years, I am excited to offer delegates an exclusive insight into the world of South American football and the rich cultural developments that have shaped it."
Born in Medellín, Colombia, René Higuita began his football career in 1985 when he joined the Colombian football team Millonarios. Although his time at the club only lasted one season, it was notable for Higuita, as he scored seven goals in just 16 appearances, a remarkable feat considering his role as a goalkeeper.
In 1986, Higuita moved to Atlético Nacional, where he played 112 matches and was first called up to the national team for the Copa América in 1989 and the FIFA World Cup in 1990, where he played a decisive role in helping Colombia reach the round of 16 for the first time in the country's history.
A year after returning from the 1990 World Cup, Higuita moved to Real Valladolid, where he played for two seasons, before returning to Atlético Nacional in 1993. In 1997, he moved to Veracruz and in 1999, the same year of his last international call-up for the Copa América in 1999, Higuita joined Independiente Medellín, where he scored 11 goals in 20 appearances.
In his last decade as a professional footballer, Higuita would play for various South American clubs, including Real Cartagena (2000-2001), Atlético Junior (2001-2002), Deportivo Pereira (2002-2003), Aucas (2004), Guaros FC (2007) and Deportivo Rionegro (2008), before retiring at Deportivo Pereira in 2009.
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After retiring from competitive football, Higuita transitioned to a career as a professional coach. In December 2008, he was appointed goalkeeper coach of his former club, Real Valladolid. He later joined the Saudi club Al Nassr FC, where he served from 2011 to 2016. In 2017, Higuita realized a dream: returning to Atlético Nacional, taking on the role of goalkeeper coach at the club where he spent many of his formative years as a player.
Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and founder of SBC, said: "As a huge football fan, it is an incredible honor to have such a legendary player at SBC Summit Latinoamérica. Higuita is widely credited with pioneering the role of the sweeper-keeper, transforming the position with his bold style of play and inspiring millions of people."
This figure represents a 9.5 percent year-on-year increase.
Press release.- CIRSA recorded in the third quarter of 2024 operating revenues of EUR 531m and an operating profit of EUR 173m, a 9.5 percent increase year-on-year.
"These results confirm the solid growth trend of the company's business thanks to its strategy of focusing on key markets and continuously improving the offer and quality of service, which means exceeding operating revenues by 7.8 percent and operating profit (Ebitda) by 9.5 percent compared to the third quarter of 2023," explained the company.
In the first nine months of 2024, the company has accumulated an Ebitda of EUR 508m and operating revenues of EUR 1.564m.
It is worth noting the acquisition of Apuesta Total, a leading company in sports betting and online gaming in Peru, which reaffirms the group's significant commitment to the online channel in regulated markets. With this acquisition and organic growth in this division, the online channel gains importance in the group, increasing its revenues from 14 percent of the total group in the third quarter of 2023 to 21 percent in this quarter.
These results reaffirm the forecast that the company communicated last June for the entire year and respond to the good implementation of the operational plans by the different business units, all in an environment of global macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty.
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The results of the Casino division for the third quarter of 2024 continue with the good trend thanks to the improvement in results compared to the previous quarter. Work continues on the roadmap marked in recent years with the selective renovation of facilities, having remodeled several establishments during this quarter and renewed the machine park to improve service and comfort for customers. Likewise, the division continues with the strict execution of commercial and productivity plans, to offset inflationary increases mainly in Latin American countries.
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The division continues with excellent results, both in revenue and Ebitda, supported by sustainably meeting customer expectations. Unidesa's products, "Manhattan Boom" and "Pyramid Cash Bar", are fundamental pillars in the execution of this strategy.
The execution of the planned commercial and efficiency plans has been decisive in the
favorable evolution of the results of the quarter.
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After a first semester of consolidating the operation and in a complex market environment, the division in Italy has managed to improve results compared to the general market trend, especially based on product improvement actions, support for sales points, and cost improvement implementations.
The focus on product, service, execution of commercial plans, and productivity will be determining factors to achieve the planned goals in the last quarter of 2024.
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