How do I book Hugo Ortega to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Hugo Ortega for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Hugo Ortega, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Hugo Ortega or any other speaker of your choice.

What are the speaker fees for Hugo Ortega

Speaking fees for Hugo Ortega, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Hugo Ortega are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Hugo Ortega, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Hugo Ortega speak about?

Hugo Ortega is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Celebrity Chef, Food & Beverage

Who is Hugo Ortega's agent?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Hugo Ortega for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Hugo Ortega for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker's or celebrity's engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event's completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Hugo Ortega or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you're looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you're in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Hugo Ortega | Speaking Fee

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Hugo Ortega Biography

Hugo Ortega is executive chef/co-owner of three of Houston’s top restaurants – Backstreet Café, Hugo’s and Caracol. He is a five-time James Beard Awards finalist, among other accolades, has been recognized locally, nationally and globally for his inspirational story and his passion for sharing traditional Mexican cooking and culture.

Ortega’s American Dream story started at Backstreet Cafe, a neighborhood bistro started by Tracy Vaught in 1983. He began his career in the restaurant business first as dishwasher and busboy and later as a line cook before graduating from culinary school and later becoming Backstreet’s executive chef. He and Vaught married, and together, they have created an award-winning Houston restaurant family that also includes Hugo’s and Caracol.

Ortega was born in Mexico City, the oldest of a family of eight children. At 15, he began working at one of several Procter & Gamble factories in Mexico to help support his family. In 1984, he immigrated to Houston with no contacts or job leads, but determined to make a life for himself in America. Slowly, step-by-step, Ortega began to set down roots in the bustling oil capitol. He shared an apartment with several friends, and followed up on leads for jobs in nearby restaurants. He was happy to find his first job, as a dishwasher, at a popular bar and nightclub. While the pay was meager, Ortega grabbed at the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the restaurant business and find contacts to help him improve his English.

Later, Ortega cleaned the floors in office buildings to supplement his income. With an unexpected turn of bad luck, his roommates moved to California and he lost both of his jobs. He had no income and no place to live. A friend asked Hugo if he wanted to wash dishes and Hugo jumped at the chance. The friend took Hugo to Backstreet Cafe, and this is where the turning point of his life happened.

Ortega worked hard, and showed an interest in working in the kitchen. In Mexico, he learned cooking from his mother and grandmother. Ortega was given a position on the line in the Backstreet kitchen, and he continue to advance from there. Impressed by his hard work and dedication, Vaught offered to enroll Ortega in the Culinary Arts program at Houston Community College. He jumped in with both feet.

Ortega graduated from HCC’s Culinary Arts program in November 1992 and assumed the role of chef at Backstreet Café, then executive chef in 1995.

Ortega is passionate about sharing the traditional foods and culture of his native Mexico with diners. In 2002, he opened the critically acclaimed Hugo’s, which brought Authentic Regional Mexican Cuisine to the forefront of dining. In 2013, the Ortega and Vaught opened their third concept, Caracol, a Mexican coastal kitchen celebrating their love of seafood found along Mexico’s 16 coastal states. Ortega is a five-time finalist for Best Chef: Southwest at the James Beard Foundation Awards (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016); has made three guest chef appearances at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City; and was named “Up-and-Coming Chef of the Year” in 1999 and Chef of the Year in 2012 and 2002 at the Houston Culinary Awards; among other accolades. His restaurants have been named “Top Table” by Bon Appetit; Best Restaurants in America by Eater, one of Houston’s Four Top Latin Restaurants by Forbes Travel Guide, included in “What Makes Houston’s the Next Great American City?” in Smithsonian Magazine, among others. His cookbook Hugo Ortega’s Street Food of Mexico was selected by Saveur magazine as one of just six “essential Mexican cookbooks.”

When he is not in the kitchen, Ortega can be found riding the bike trails of Houston and the Texas Hill Country.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Hugo Ortega and other top speakers and celebrities.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 01/01/2024.

Hugo Ortega Videos

Interview with Chef Hugo Ortega from Hugo's, Caracol, and Xochi in ...

Visit http://worldsofflavor.com for more information HUGO ORTEGA, winner of Best Chef: Southwest at the prestigious 2017 James Beard ...
Houston's Hugo Ortega wins 2017 James Beard Award - YouTube

Houston's Hugo Ortega wins 2017 James Beard Award.

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FAQs on booking Hugo Ortega

How do I book Hugo Ortega to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Hugo Ortega for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Hugo Ortega, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Hugo Ortega or any other speaker of your choice.
What are the speaker fees for Hugo Ortega

Speaking fees for Hugo Ortega, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Hugo Ortega are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Hugo Ortega, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
What topics does Hugo Ortega speak about?

Hugo Ortega is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Celebrity Chef, Food & Beverage.
Where does Hugo Ortega travel from?

Hugo Ortega generally travels from Houston, TX, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
Who is Hugo Ortega’s agent?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Hugo Ortega for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Hugo Ortega for your next private or corporate function.
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Hugo Ortega or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Hugo Ortega is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Hugo Ortega for your event is available upon request. Hugo Ortega generally travels from Houston, TX, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Philip Speer, Joshua Weissman, Claudia Sandoval, Sylvia Casares and Luca Della Casa. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Hugo Ortega for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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