Hispanic expo attracts Presidential candidates

A clear sign of the growing clout of the Orlando area's Hispanic community, is the political interest in this weekend's Hispanic Business & Consumer Expo. Aside from a host of local and state officials, including Gov. Charlie Crist and the mayors of Orlando and Orange County, the expo has attracted attention on the national stage.

The campaign of former New York mayor and current presidential contender Rudy Giuliani has been working to organize a stop at the expo, which runs Friday through Sunday in the Orange County Convention Center.

And Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska, who also is making a presidential run, plans to put in an appearance, said Gaby Ortigoni, director of sales and marketing at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando, which hosts the event.

"It not only shows the growth of the community in general but of the Hispanic business community," Ortigoni said. "They [the presidential candidates] really want to attend the event."

The Hispanic expo, which attracted a record 25,000 attendees last year, is now the largest such event in the nation, according to the chamber.