HHM Interview: Optimism and adaptivity towards a new normal

De NL Business Hub in Mexico,Holland House Mexico (HHM), interviewt geregeld Nederlandse ondernemers die actief zijn in Mexico. Om jou een beeld te geven van de Mexicaanse markt delen wij deze interviews graag met jou. De interviews zijn in het Engels. 

Holland House Mexico interviewed Mrs. Dulce Trujillo, Founder of RED Explorer, a consultancy firm for corporate events. Mrs. Trujillo describes how the covid-19 crisis has impacted her company. She explains the company’s strategy to overcome the crisis, and shares her expectations for the future for the event sector. 

Dulce Trujillo, CEO and Founder of RED Explorer, has over 20 years of experience in event organization and has produced more than 1000 events throughout her career. RED Explorer is a boutique consultancy firm specialized in high quality corporate events. Its mission is to offer high-end experiences, while respecting and focusing on Mexico’s cuisine and cultural heritage. 

What impact did the COVID-19 crisis have on RED Explorer, and what has been the strategy to overcome the crisis?

The restrictions for social gatherings and events came out of the blue and made an immediate end to the plans that had been prepared. All events were cancelled or postponed. Consequently, RED Explorer was left in total shock. 

Nevertheless, the abrupt lockdown created the opportunity to evaluate. Optimism and creativity are two of the mainstays of RED Explorer’s vision. Therefore, we initiated a learning project where each team member was dedicated to reading about the current situation and discovering the wishes and needs of our customers. The analyzed trends revealed that adaptation was going to be the best solution, thus RED Explorer started a transition process and narrowed down the number of services from seven to two. Now, we specialize in virtual events and delivered catering, which enables us to keep executing the company values, but in an innovative and safe manner. 

 

How did customers respond to this new strategy? 

The main goal was to prevent the customer from turning into a victim. Therefore, the shift towards virtual events and delivered catering was carried out as quickly as possible, which resulted in grateful and satisfied responses from our customers. 

 

How do you foresee the future for corporate events?

Times have changed, and the world is entering a ‘new normal’. Because of that, the entire concept of corporate events will change. I foresee a gradual shift towards virtual and hybrid dynamics, for which the ability of adaptation for both corporations and personal expectations will be key.

 

How do you experience the cooperation between RED Explorer and Holland House Mexico? 

Working for international organizations opens an extra door for our company. The possibility for cultures to mix always creates a special ambiance at events. The cooperation between HHM and RED Explorer has been very successful and rewarding, mainly because the visions of both companies resonate very well. For HHM, we have managed the catering service for several small events and organized a Christmas Party at the end of 2019. 

On top of that, RED Explorer values working with HHM since it creates the opportunity to spread awareness of Mexican culture and travel possibilities in the Dutch community. During a brief field research conducted in Europe, we concluded that the awareness of Mexico, and all its cultural opportunities, was relatively low in the Netherlands compared to other European countries. It is part of RED Explorer’s mission to increase the global interest in Mexico, and as a result attract more tourism and business to this country. 

 

How do you experience being a successful female entrepreneur in Mexico?

Regardless of gender and location, becoming a successful entrepreneur requires time, effort, and a certain positive attitude. I am convinced that opportunities are there to be taken, not to be waited for. Hence, it is important to educate yourself, focus on things you are good at, take initiative, and make yourself be heard. Sometimes, this last step might be easier for men since they tend to be slightly more dominant. However, I believe that women are strong, and strategic women can have a positive impact. 

 

Ook ondernemen in Mexico?

Bij NLinBusiness en de NL Business Hub Holland House Mexico helpen we je graag op weg. Heb jij een vraag waar je graag hulp bij ontvangt? Neem contact met ons op via het contactformulier.