“We are energizing culture and the national economy.”

We talked to Luis Guillermo Quintero, general manager of the Movistar Arena, about the cultural impact of this multipurpose venue, which has strengthened the entertainment industry in Bogota.

When talking about concerts and large-capacity events, one of the most iconic venues in Bogota is the Movistar Arena, which since 2018 has become a benchmark for entertainment in the capital, hosting hundreds of concerts during its five years of operation, with a capacity of close to 13,000 people per show.

That is why we spoke with Luis Guillermo Quintero, general manager of Movistar Arena, about the cultural impact of this multipurpose stage, which has strengthened the entertainment industry in the city, generating unique experiences through the best infrastructure, service and human talent.

53.4% of all events held in Bogota in 2023, with capacity between 2,000 and 22,000 people, have been held at the Movistar Arena. In addition, its offer includes shows for children, lectures by speakers and, of course, concerts. Why did you decide to focus on entertainment for different audiences?

Since this project was born, we have had the conviction that we will dynamize the culture of Bogota and the country in a very broad sense, and we have succeeded. Initially we planned to have different capacities, but also different types of content. That is why we have family presentations such as Disney on Ice, comedy shows, concerts and talks by leaders. That is being multipurpose, reaching different targets and fulfilling our vision of contributing to cultural dynamism.

Since February 2022, the venue has generated sales of more than one million tickets, but it also puts on public shows. How are the figures going in this regard?

This year we set a goal of 90 public events, and we are going to finish with 110. There are 20 more, with around 800,000 tickets, which will be surpassed by the end of the year. This is thanks to the fact that most of the activities that go on sale are a success with 95% full houses.

Percentage achieved because we guarantee a good experience to the fan in a nearby site, with good services, secured seating, fast lines, excellent acoustics and, above all, we ensure that everyone feels safe to come and have a good time before, during and after the event.

Over the years, the Movistar Arena has set itself the goal of being the most sustainable event center in Latin America. Have you achieved it?

Talking about entertainment is also talking about sustainability and that is what artists, producers and promoters are looking for. This goal sounds ambitious; but since our construction we thought about it in three main approaches: the first one was the care of the environment, that is why the arena breathes by itself and we change the air eight times an hour depending on the capacity. We do not spend electricity or energy unnecessarily on air conditioners, for example, to air-condition the place and, finally, we reuse rainwater for the operation of our bathrooms.

All of this demonstrates our commitment to sustainability. Over the years we have set out to be the most sustainable event center in Latin America, being the first venue to have a forest for reforestation and to create the first interactive circularity center.

We plant native trees on behalf of the artists who pass our stage; we extend life on their behalf on our own initiative.

The visit of international artists in Colombia increased by 63% compared to 2018. You have brought world-class artists such as Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus and Rosalía. Is Bogota becoming an obligatory stop on the tours of great singers?

The Movistar Arena has put Colombia on the map of the international tours of many artists, because we meet the technical requirements they demand. That is why we have brought Alicia Keys, who had never come to the country before; Pablo Alborán will come in December and music legends such as Raphael and soon Marco Antonio Solís.

All of them, and those we do not name for space, think of Bogota as a new market and a chance to be closer to their audiences in Latin America, because in many cases people from Peru, Ecuador and Panama come to the country just to see them. We are dynamizing the national culture and economy.

The reception of national artists at the Movistar Arena increased by 13% from 2018 to 2022, with an average participation rate of 41%. Do they want to be a platform of growth for local talent?

Of course we do. Our commitment to potentiate culture recognizes that we have singers and artists who deserve stardom and their passage through our facilities has contributed to this. Pipe Bueno, for example, has performed twice in six months and has filled the venue completely, celebrating his 15-year career.

The same has happened with Piso 21, Fonseca and Andres Cepeda, who show that Colombian talent is incredible, as well as Feid, Karol G and Morat, who do their thing (succeed) abroad and represent the country. As an event center we bet heavily on national artists in all rhythms of reggaeton, popular music, vallenato and other genres, because we help their growth by having them on our stage.

The cultural impact also involves gender equity. How are you linking this approach to your operations?

We generate an average of 1,000 jobs per event, which we distribute in 50 % men and 50 % women, understanding that it is usually more complex for women to get a job, especially if they are young.

The vacancies are diverse and include logistical support, food and beverage and security operations. In this way, we help to generate jobs and to provide them with sufficient income while they study, as happens in most cases.

We generate fair hiring conditions by ensuring that, if there are 1,012 events per month, during that same number of matches they will have a fixed ticket.

At Movistar Arena we are great generators of employment and we always think that equity is paramount in the construction of the country.