The Wave Festival, a leading ad festival for Latin America, in 2013 will include the U.S. Hispanic market and Puerto Rico for the first time.

Advertising Age is partnering with Wave to help introduce the awards, held every April in Rio de Janeiro, to Hispanic agencies in the U.S. The regional Wave Festival is organized by Meio & Mensagem, Brazil's top advertising and marketing trade publication and events organizer, and Ad Age 's longtime editorial partner in Brazil.

Four of the most-talented creatives in the U.S. Hispanic market have been invited to represent the U.S. as judges at the Wave, where all the judging is done onsite in Rio de Janeiro by 70 judges from 12 countries. In April 2013, Luis Miguel Messianu, president and chief creative officer of Miami-based Alma, will chair the direct-category jury. The other U.S. judges on three other juries will be Sergio Alcocer, president-chief creative officer of LatinWorks in Austin, Texas; Pablo Buffagni, chief creative officer at Los Angeles-based Grupo Gallegos; and Aldo Quevedo, who takes over next April from Roberto Orci as chairman of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA). Separately, Mr. Quevedo, the longtime president and chief creative officer of Dallas-based Dieste, is leaving the agency at the end of December to pursue new opportunities.

"It's essential for the growth of our industry that the U.S. Hispanic creative work is recognized more often around the world," said Claudio Vera, creative director of Casanova Pendrill and president of Circulo Creativo, the U.S. Hispanic creative group. "We certainly welcome new opportunities to show our creative evolution to the global advertising industry."

Started in 2006, the Wave Festival draws entries and judges from across Latin America.

"As the Wave grows, we want to include and welcome the U.S. Hispanic market in recognition of the enormous importance of Latinos in America, and the growth of the best creative agencies targeting that multicultural market," said Jose Carlos Salles Neto, CEO of Grupo Meio & Mensagem. "We hope the Wave will become another platform to showcase the best work from U.S. Hispanic agencies."

The 2013 Wave festival will be held April 15-17 at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro. The call for entries will open Jan. 20 and entries will be due April 1, 2013.

The Wave gives awards in nine different categories, including film, press/outdoor, cyber, radio, promo, direct, design and PR and the Blue Wave award for the most-innovative ideas.

To find out more about the Wave Festival, including winners, judges and speakers from last year, click here.

For any further information or questions about entering the Wave from the U.S., please contact Laurel Wentz, Ad Age 's international and multicultural editor, at [email protected].