Mexico Tourism Board

Mexico faced a perception gap within the U.S. market, widely recognized for tourism, but underrepresented as a premium culinary destination. The objective was to shift this narrative by highlighting the depth, diversity, and sophistication of Mexican cuisine. To succeed, the activation needed to break through at a crowded, high-profile festival environment and resonate with an audience of tastemakers, media, and consumers who expect elevated, experiential programming, not just traditional destination marketing.

Elevate orchestrated a series of Mexico-sponsored events in partnership with the New York City Wine & Food Festival. Mexico’s involvement with the NYCWFF featured multiple chefs, events, and locations to create a multi-layered experience for festival attendees. The culinary partnership began months before the festival itself, with “Visit Mexico” sending several American-based chefs to various destinations throughout Mexico. Once there, the chefs were partnered with renowned Mexican chefs to learn about the unique flavors and techniques of Mexican cooking. The chef duos then collaborated on a cooking demonstration based on what they learned during their trip, held over the course of 3 days at the Mexico Pavilion at the Grand Tasting during the NYCWFF. Mexico also sponsored two sold-out evening events during the NYCWFF: Dinner with Enrique Olvera and Jordi Roca and Tacos & Tequila hosted by Aaron Sanchez. Dinner with Enrique Olvera and Jordi Roca was hosted at Cosme, Olvera’s highly acclaimed and first restaurant in the United States. Chef Olvera’s restaurant Pujol in Mexico is ranked No. 16 on the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and Chef Roca is the pastry chef at El Celler de Can Roca, the No.1 Restaurant in the world. Tacos & Tequila was one of the main events during NYCWFF and featured over 15 mixologists and chefs with their delicious signature taco creations, located in URBO in Times Square. The event was hosted by Chef Aaron Sanchez, co-star of Food Network’s hit show “Chopped" and host of the Cooking Channel’s “Taco Trip”.