We're almost two weeks into February, but time flies, and I still haven't uploaded the monthly work recap blog I promised myself I’d do—so here we are!
January was quite a turbulent month! Between the start of the year, the U.S. presidential transition, and the corresponding shake-ups it has caused—and the ones still to come—we have enough material to write a dystopian novel... or a utopian one, depending on who you ask! Or, at the very least, rewatch House of Cards (but only up to the fifth season). Anyway, since January gave us plenty to talk about and February is not disappointing in the slightest, I’ll get straight to the point and recap some of what we’ve been doing at Odoo to get closer to Latin America.
As everyone obviously knows (of course), Odoo launched version 18 in October last year. However, with so much travel, it had been impossible to refresh the demo we present at the Business Shows in the region. So, we made it our mission to dedicate December to renewing and updating our demo content and, of course, making it more interactive for the audience. We added hardware like RFID readers, barcode scanners, and, naturally, gave the audience a chance to interact with the databases I showcase from the stage.
Without a doubt, I’m convinced that the Business Shows we held in January were a huge success and helped confirm that we’re on the right track.
My journey began on Sunday, January 12, with a couple of flights that took me to San José, Costa Rica, by midday the following day. That day, I took some time to recover and later met up with Carlos Vásquez (partner at Vauxoo) and Marco (colleague from the San Francisco office) to enjoy some Costa Rican cuisine—obviously, with a cold Imperial beer and a fantastic live performance of Vida Loca by Francisco Céspedes to set the mood.
The next day, I led the event at the Barceló San José Hotel, where we had around 280 attendees and our sponsoring partners: Vauxoo, ADA Robotics, and Delfix. Of course, the morning called for a good energy boost at the municipal market (photo evidence attached). The evening event was a total success, with prospects ready to make stratetic decisions and the great enthusiasm that Costa Ricans are known for.
That night, I was supposed to go to bed early since Marco and I were traveling to Panama the next day. But, being a good Mexican, I had to go out for another late-night dinner with our partners.
Morning came, and in spite of the little sleep, I woke up in time to get to the airport.
Once in Panama, we had the pleasure of having lunch at a fantastic local restaurant—El Trapiche—where I couldn’t resist having two big plates of Sancocho... I skipped a third one only because I had to save room for dinner at Marál Rooftop, where we met with Yuliana and Javier from PSDC, Paola from Hermec Consulting (both Odoo partners), and of course, our representative in Panama, Nicoleta!
On Thursday, January 16, we held the second and final event of the trip at the Sheraton Grand Panama, with around 300 attendees and, of course, our previously mentioned partners, PSDC and Hermec Consulting. They did an excellent job delivering interactive demos of the solution and answering attendees’ questions. When an event is over and people don’t want to leave—that’s a sign it was a great one!
We ended the night on a high note with dinner at Tacos Tarascos, and I know what you’re thinking—but hey, sometimes your taste buds miss home! The next day, we grabbed a meal to say goodbye to Nicoleta and then mentally and physically prepared for the nine-hour journey back to San Francisco.
But anyway, this blog is getting a bit long, so we’ll leave it here!
Cheers :)
P.S. If you made it to the end and are wondering about the city in the banner—I was lucky enough to fly almost directly over my hometown, Hermosillo, Sonora—the perfect angle and distance to snap a quick photo during my flight from Panama to San Francisco.