Please tell us about yourself Francisco?
I'm an event producer focused on sports events and film festivals. I’ve been working as a tour host since 2013. I'm married to Natalia and we have two boys that join us on our adventures.
I used to run adventure races, then moved on to mountaineering, kayaking, snowboarding, and all mountain activities. So, before working for Banff, I was already a big fan of the event. One thing led to another and, eventually, I became the tour host. I'm sure that loving the outdoors helps me to understand what people want from the festival and what moves them.
Describe a typical day in your life as a World Tour host?
As a host, I'm always trying to bring something new to the audience, not only with the films but with the whole experience of being at the event (drinks, raffles, music, film and photography workshops, speakers, and others). This year, we have a whole week of events, and the theme we selected was Women in the Mountains. We have the first Argentine woman to summit Manaslu, a female chef who cooks at Everest, Manaslu and Broad Peak base camps, and other stories of Argentine women in the mountains.
We start the tour in Argentina in August and have quite a busy month (five venues), so we're not only thinking about the current venue but also the next. I'm very active with social media, inviting influencers from each city and trying to reach the mountain community through locals.
Tell us about any funny stories, memorable moments, and mishaps from the road?
Our MC in the Patagonian venues is a magician. He always performs magic tricks for the audience. In the last show in Bariloche, he did one trick - he guessed the card the audience selected, threw the card deck to the roof, and the chosen card (should) stick to the ceiling. He did it in San Martin de Los Andes, and everything went well, but in Bariloche, the card didn't stick, and it fell along with the paint of the ceiling! He tried three times, but nothing happened. It was embarrassing but funny at the same time!
What would you say are the differences/challenges hosting in your country?
There is not enough space to describe what's going on in Argentina (perhaps this should go under memorable moments!). Argentina is undergoing a very difficult economic and political situation. We have inflation of 120% each year and a devaluation of 100% in the last year. Organizing such an event is challenging. There are a lot of decisions to make carefully before setting the dates, prices, venues, etc. We become very creative to solve problems and face the challenges each year. In one way or another, we keep the spirit high. The show must go on!
Any other updates that you’d like to share?
We added two new venues this year, and most of our events have sold out. Despite the country's situation, people keep coming to the events to have a good time. I've noticed that, after COVID, the audience has grown in each venue. People want to see what Banff is about, looking for new adventures or discovering new sports.
Author: Francisco Zamudio (World Tour Host, Argentina)
If you’re interested in becoming an international World Tour Host (for countries outside of Canada/USA), please email: worldtourinfo@banffcentre.ca
