Since I’ve been asked by many about my recent participation in the Closing Bell ceremonies at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), I thought I’d share some thoughts on the event.

A little about the NYSE Closing Bell: One of the most familiar images of the NYSE on the evening news is the loud ringing of a bell, signaling the opening or closing of the day’s trading. Trading floor bells are more than just a colorful tradition. They are critical to the orderly functioning of the marketplace, assuring that no trades take place before the opening or after the close (taken from the NYSE website).

A little about this rare opportunity: I was invited to be part of the Closing Bell ceremony at the NYSE on April 14. To promote 100 years of the Copa America as well as their upcoming tournament in North America, the Copa America planning committee invited Mix Diskerud (NYCFC midfielder) and local soccer fans to join them in ringing the bell.

First, we were given a tour of the trading floor and met some of the traders. Then we went up to the podium to initiate the ringing of the closing bell at precisely 4pm EST. Finally, we took some photos with the official Copa America tournament cup.

So, I was there to represent Ecuador and I wore my yellow jersey under my suit jacket. Given I’m a North American Latino that grew up playing soccer and works in the Financial Services industry, this opportunity seemed too good to be true.

Now, thinking a bit more about this opportunity… yes, I was excited to be a part of it, but there was more at work here than my selfish reasons. This was an excellent marketing opportunity for Copa America.

Each market day, 150 million global viewers are tuned in to watch the closing bell. This of course is only a fraction of the 1 billion global viewers that tuned into the 2014 World Cup Final in Brazil, but it’s a big step for soccer in terms of putting it among the most popular sports in the US. Furthermore, it was a chance for Copa America to target the 55 million Hispanics living in the US.

Congratulations to the Copa America planning committee on throwing a great event. In all, it was an amazing experience, and I’m looking forward to watching the tournament over the summer.