, the original summit that Lacayo launched with partner Samantha Tams in 2018 — which in its pandemic-postponed iteration in March counted Johanna Ortiz, Alexandre Birman, Lauren Santo Domingo and Pharrell Williams among its guest speakers — will remain a staple in Miami, taking place in November each year as a “think tank” of sorts, bringing in C-level executives to uncover not just the latest coming out of Latin America but also the latest in business best practices.
The conference will take place over two days, with panel discussions limited to the mornings and the bulk of the afternoons designed for speed dating — meetings between handbag designers and buyers, meetings between jewelry artisans and shops that want their one-of-a-kind wares, meetings between those interested in fashion media and those in it sharing their insight.
And running counter to all that’s unlikeable about the typical trade show, Raíces is all set to take place in a colonial home, bringing alongside the exhibition of brands and designs from the region, the beauty of the Dominican Republic. As Tams said, the aim is for it to feel like more of an “out of office offsite kind of thing rather than business as usual.”
Because of the multifaceted features, the host country is fully on board. The first edition of the event will be presented by the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic. With the aim of making this a roving event throughout the region, LAFS is already in talks with other nations to develop similar things.