Savvy marketing and global events are boosting polo's appeal with the masses. (Photo: Fabiano Goldoni)

It may be winter here in Argentina, but the world’s polo elite continue the 2010 tour on the Northern Hemisphere fields of the U.S. and England. And if there’s a common theme we’re seeing on this year’s circuit, it’s the continued marketing maturation and well-coordinated attempts to broaden the game’s appeal to a much wider audience. First it was the Polo World Cup on South Beach, then Nacho Figueras joined forces with Moet Hennessey for New York’s Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, and finally tens of thousands turned out for London’s second annual Polo in the Park in June. The Financial Times says these events clearly demonstrate polo’s marketing evolution from game for the elite to sport for the masses. “Initiatives are under way to make polo more accessible and to create a more compelling business proposition, but at the same time,” FT adds, “there are signs that the game is healthier than ever at the grassroots.” David Woodd, the CEO of the Hurlingham Polo Association says shaking up polo’s traditional patron-based funding system could open the door to expanded global TV coverage and greater fan loyalty. The creation of a true Polo World Cup would also be a dream event for fans and marketers alike, says Woodd, even though the outcome may be somewhat predetermined. “We need a World Cup for polo,” Mr Woodd says, “and to just accept that Argentina would win it.” (Full Article)

Dame Dos: BA's Villa Crespo has quickly become the epicenter of outlet shopping in Argentina.

It used to be that Argentines had to travel roughly 4,500 miles to South Florida or Orlando’s International Drive to indulge in deep discount retail therapy, but it seems the outlet concept has caught on fire in one BA neighborhood. Villa Crespo has long been known as a solid, middle-class residential neighborhood, but the 2001 financial crisis left this BA barrio with several abandoned warehouses and residences. Today, according to Clarín, many of those buildings are being bought for upwards of US$500,000 and converted into the BA equivalent of Sawgrass Mills. The phenomenon began five years ago when several large BA clothing stores started opening their first outlets around Gurruchaga and Aguirre. Today there are over 60 outlets in a four-block zone and close to 100 in a 10-block region. The retail pioneers like Hunor Gobos closed their stores on Avenida Florida five years ago, opened the first VC stores and have watched sales and shoppers grow every year since. Clarín says the Boom de los Outlets has really exploded over the last ten months, and the area is teeming with bargain-seeking tourists, especially Brazilians, Chileans and Uruguayans. Daniel Chain of the Buenos Aires Department of Urban Development says prices in Villa Crespo are still lower than Palermo but says they will continue rising, as Villa Crespo will be one of the prime beneficiaries of GCBA’s new infrastructure to control flooding. As for the name of the new retail zone, some refer to it as Palermo Queens, while others call it Villa Crespo Nuevo. Personally, we like the sound of Porteño Mills. (Full article in Spanish)

Any Questions?: Much like his country, striker Diego Forlan is slowly silencing Uruguay's skeptics.

One of the greatest story lines in this year’s World Cup has been Uruguay. When the tournament started June 11, many futbol experts believed they would lose in the First Round to the likes of mighty France and Mexico. All eyes and wagers were on perennial powerhouse neighbors Brazil and Argentina. When Uruguay advanced to the Round of 16, we contrasted the Maradona-stoked cockiness of Argentina with the humble, workmanlike approach of Uruguay. Now both neighbors are home and Uruguay is two wins away from hoisting its third World Cup. Marie Elena Martinez, a travel writer for the Miami Herald proves Uruguay’s skeptics are alive and well off the field as well. “A lover of big cities, I arrived in Montevideo, Uruguay with low expectations,” she writes, “I wasn’t sure Uruguay could offer anything different than South American spots more popular with tourists — Chile, Argentina and Brazil.” Arriving at Montevideo’s ultra-modern Carrasco International Airport is often a foreign visitor’s first taste that expectations will soon be exceeded. Over the course of her visit, Martinez discovers the beaches of Pocitos, the Mercado del Puerto, the Plaza Fabini and the 14-mile winding waterfront, La Rambla. By journey’s end, her confession is a familiar refrain among one-time doubters in the Switzerland of South America: “I was exhausted, but no longer skeptical. Yes, absolutely: Uruguay.” For more information about investment opportunities in Uruguay, visit our archives or download the July 2010 edition of InvestBA Privada.

From ultra-luxury to fractional ownership to upscale boutiques, hotel opportunities abound in BA.

Foreign buyers. Global brands. Mega-deals. Few sectors of the local economy can compete with the luxury hotel business for headlines and superlatives. Coveted parcels are the object of bidding wars, while others are selling for as much as $21 million. Today Cronista gives a sweeping analysis of el sector hotelero in both Argentina and Uruguay while highlighting emerging trends like condo-hotels, green projects and fractional ownership. Brazil may be hosting the World Cup in 2014, but by then Argentina will have a leg up in terms of luxury properties. Alvear will christen—not one—but two new BA hotels, a St. Regis will rise in Puerto Madero, Nordelta will welcome an InterContinental and, as discussed in April, several new luxury boutiques will open in Palermo and Recoleta. Major chains are also capitalizing on the sheer beauty and natural amenities in destinations like Iguazú (Hilton, Loi Suites), Bariloche (Sofitel), Córdoba (NA Concepts), Brandsen (HoJo) and Tandil (Mülen). And while the four and five-star projects generate the most PR, the most active sector in terms of units under construction and fractional units for sale is the Sub-4 (star) sector. Projects like La Defensa, Hollywood Suites and Dazzler San Telmo are prime examples of the type of in-demand condo and fractional opportunities awaiting foreign developers today and foreign travelers tomorrow in Buenos Aires, Montevideo and other regional tourist destinations. For more information on local sector opportunities, download a free copy of our premium newsletter, InvestBA Privada.

BA-based Cardon is one of Argentina's fashion retailers recommended by Lucire for their quality.

Buenos Aires has long been synonymous with fashion, so it seems only natural that Lucire, the global fashion magazine, would pay a visit to Argentina. With Town & Country, editor Elyse Glickman gives Lucire readers a sweeping travelogue of two of the country’s most fashionable destinations: Buenos Aires (Town) and Mendoza (Country). From Recoleta’s boutiques to Palermo Soho to high-end malls like Patio Bullrich and Gallerías Pacífico, Glickman is impressed by the low cost/high quality of the clothes and shoes she encounters. She describes Cardon garments as possessing “workmanship that would make Ralph Lauren green with envy,” and declares the local shoe stores “particularly fabulous, not only for the quality-to-price ratio but also the shopping environments, which are part-tea salon, part-walk-in closet and part-couture boutique.” When it comes to fashion, Mendoza doesn’t play second bandoleón to Buenos Aires, although Glickman confesses to being taken by surprise. “What makes Mendoza—state and city—so memorable is that its charm and sophistication sneak up on you.”  She comes away impressed with the “seemingly endless offering of (more) leather goods, sweet shops doling out divine ice cream and sorbet, unprepossessing clothing stores and craft boutiques that are refreshingly un-kitschy.” Mendoza, she later discovers, also offers professional shoppers a picturesque place to unwind and raise a malbec toast after a stressful day of credit card swiping. In the post-shop analysis, she says, Argentina leaves you “with a sense of pride and the memory of sensory pleasure.” At least until the AMEX statement arrives. (Full Story)

All Smiles: More parents are discovering the joy of exploring Argentina with the whole family.

Anyone who has spent time in Argentina can tell you the high priority that’s placed on family time, especially quality time with the kids. On weekends, city clubs and parks around Buenos Aires and throughout the country swell with parents relaxing and kids running everywhere playing futbol, roller hockey, tennis, golf and, yes, even polo. No surprise then that Argentina comes up, not once, but three times in a Luxist interview with the founder of My Little Swans, a travel website for families who want to plan unforgettable holidays with the kids. The Australia-born, California-based founder and mother of three, Katrina Garnett, has been traveling the globe con los niños for 15 years. She says Argentina, where “we got to hike glaciers, ride horses across the pampas, zipline through the rainforest and rappel down waterfalls,” was one of her kids’ two favorite destinations. And even if you’re not planning a family trip, she says big kids can find lots of cool toys down here on the Pampas: “In the fall, my husband – who’s an avid art collector – and I are going with a few other friends on an art-themed trip to Argentina and Brazil.” Garnett says the favorable exchange rate is ample incentive for future travelers who can expect “plenty of exceptional luxury accommodations ranging from elegant hotels in Buenos Aires to big estancias in the countryside.” And if you are looking for family-oriented living in BA, take a look at Pinares, one of the featured luxury projects in this month’s InvestBA Privada.

Extra, extra! The first issue of our premium content e-newsletter, InvestBA Privada, arrives on Friday.

After several months of planning and design, we’re very pleased to announce the arrival of our premium content e-newsletter, InvestBA Privada. While the blog often gravitates toward current events, Privada gives our readers a much closer look at macroeconomic trends in Argentina and Uruguay, detailed investment opportunities and general lifestyle topics like golf, wine and polo. In the July issue, for example, we profile commercial properties from Mendoza to Montevideo, feature some very unique Argentine wines and size-up the Argentine and Uruguayan teams preparing for this month’s World Cup. We also profile a beautiful new luxury golf development in Buenos Aires and several historic properties in Montevideo’s Ciudad Vieja, recently featured by NuWire Investor. Future Privadas will feature cultural, legal and financial advice, as well as one-on-one interviews with local business and design professionals. If you would like to receive Privada, just click here. While you’re signing up, be sure to tell us what type of content you would like to see in future editions. And because we hate spam (el spam here in Argentina) as much as you do, your information will not be shared with any third parties. The only item you receive from us will be the bi-monthly Privada. ¡Disfrútalo!

View from the pool deck of Maral 52, one of the luxury towers under construction in Mar del Plata.

Yesterday was an historic day here in Buenos Aires. Millions took to the streets to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Revolution for independence from Spain. Further down the coast in Mar del Plata, festivities were equally raucous; yet, it’s another “200″ that’s generating headlines.  That’s the number of new buildings currently under construction in this seaside metropolis of 550,000 residents, according to Editorial NyP. That ratio of new construction to population may sound out of whack until you consider the population of “Mardel” more than doubles several times during the course of the year as visitors, many from Buenos Aires, pack the local beaches. While the numbers are impressive, the housing boom enthusiasm is tempered by NyP with a closer look at real estate values which are now on par with BA neighborhoods like Palermo and Caballito. Inland real estate values in Mardel are roughly $2,000/m² ($185/SF), while coastal values range from $2,700-4,000/m² ($250-370/SF). General consensus by those interviewed is that prices are inflated and local demand, especially from middle class Argentines who rely on bank financing, may not be adequate to absorb future inventory levels. Some Mardel projects completed during the past two years are still not 100% sold, which may give pause to developers of an additional 200 buildings currently approved. While foreign buyers may choose to steer clear of Mardel condos, the region should not be overlooked entirely. Beautiful beach cottages and country homes in secluded forests are scattered around Mardel and offer excellent value for investors. (Full Story in Spanish)

An American recently bought this beachside home in idyllic Punta del Este, Uruguay for US$160,000.

It’s another triple-digit loss day on the Dow so—depending on your degree of diversification—your retirement savings may be taking a similar hit. Appropriate then that we turn to an article on net worth and how to stretch your hard-earned savings post-retirement. The New York Times says Latin American destinations like Buenos Aires, Punta del Este and even Medellín are starting to factor into the equation for Americans seeking an affordable retirement destination with a high standard of living and affordable health care. “Now that air travel and communications have grown easier, adventurous seniors are retiring to more far-flung destinations, lured by lower costs, better climates and growing colonies of like-minded retirees,” writes Shelley Emling. Argentina and Uruguay are both mentioned in the article which features one American who bought a Montevideo condo for $58,000 and a beachside Punta del Este home for $160,000. Two homes in Uruguay for the price of a two-room co-op in New York? No wonder the Times is looking to the Southern Hemisphere with a sense of longing. It’s good to see more mainstream news sources picking up on what InvestBA and other specialty publications like International Living and Shelter Offshore have known for some time. As one of the Americans interviewed sums it up, “I don’t know of anyone who has decided to move back full-time after having had a taste of living abroad.” (More quality of life articles on InvestBA)

Argentina sent 1.2 million tourists to Brazil in 2009, while the United States sent over 600,000.

At the height of the summer travel season, we posed the question, Where do Brazilians go when they need a little D&R (Descanso e Relaxmento)? Judging by the Portuguese-speaking throngs on the slopes of Bariloche or in the trendiest parrillas in Puerto Madero, we surmised, Argentina was a safe bet. Now the flip-side of that tourism coin: A record number of Argentines visited Brazil last year, and a major public/private sector marketing campaign is priming the tourism pump for more in 2010. Over 1.2 million Argentines visited Brazil in 2009, a 19% increase over 2008, in a year when total visitors to Brazil actually declined slightly by 5%. Argentines account for 1 out of every 4 visitors to the Mercosur neighbor followed by the United States which sent over 600,000 travelers to Brazil, roughly 12% of the 4.8 million total visitors. In an exclamatory effort to keep a good thing going, the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, Embratur, recently launched an aggressive marketing campaign called ¡Brasil Ahora! (Brazil Now!). Full-page advertisements in Clarín and La Nación promote discounted vacation packages to beautiful Brazilian destinations like Florianópolis, Salvador, Búzios and Pipa. Fortunately for Argentines, there is no shortage of flights from Ezeiza and Aeroparque. Major airlines like GOL, TAM and Aerolíneas Argentinas are participating in the ¡Brasil Ahora! promotion, while short-haul carriers like Pluna and Buquebus offer attractive airfare options. Embratur says the goal of the campaign is to introduce foreign travelers to new Brazilian destinations in the years leading up to the 2014 World Cup. According to the government report, of the 1.2 million Argentine visitors, 77% entered Brazil for pleasure, the average stay was 11 days, and Florianópolis was the #1 destination.