The exponential growth of BFSHOW — which, in just two years, has already consolidated itself as The biggest footwear tradeshow in Latin America — was recognized at the 2025 Prêmio Caio. Created in 1999, the award featured more than 2,000 entries and is considered the “Oscars of Events.” The ceremony took place on the evening of December 8 at Expo Center Norte, in São Paulo, Brazil.
The trade show was a finalist alongside competitors such as VTEX Day, Feicon, and APAS Show in the B2B Trade Shows category. The award-winning case relates to BFSHOW’s exponential growth, whose fourth edition took place from May 19 to 21, 2025. With 353 Brazilian footwear brands across a 12.4-thousand-square-meter area at Distrito Anhembi, in São Paulo, Brazil, the trade show welcomed 12,339 visitors—more than 10% of them international, from all five continents. “This impressive performance represented growth of more than 140% in the number of exhibitors, 124% in occupied area, and 143% in attendance compared to its inaugural edition, in November 2023,” says the trade show’s head at NürnbergMesse Brazil, Felipe Marchioni.
Strategic event
Letícia Sperb Masselli, Relationship and Business Manager at the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados), emphasizes that with each new edition, BFSHOW continues to strengthen its position as a strategic showcase for Brazilian footwear—focused on results, a qualified audience, and an enhanced experience. “With the goal of becoming the industry’s leading event—featuring a professional operation, management carried out jointly with business leaders, and a trade show designed for efficient visits by retailers and international buyers—the event has become a benchmark for launches and business for the domestic industry, and a milestone on the international footwear calendar,” she says.
The trade show
Held by the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados) and organized by NürnbergMesse Brazil, BFSHOW will hold its sixth edition from May 18 to 20, 2026, at Distrito Anhembi, in São Paulo, Brazil.
About Abicalçados
The Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados) represents the national footwear industry, the world’s fourth-largest footwear producer and the biggest in the West. Founded in 1983, Abicalçados is headquartered in Novo Hamburgo, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and its members include companies of all sizes, accounting for more than 65% of all pairs produced in Brazil. The association represents an industry that directly employs more than 290,000 people. Its mission is to represent, defend, develop, and promote the Brazilian footwear industry with respect, excellence, and results. Learn more: abicalcados.com.br.
About NürnbergMesse Brazil
NürnbergMesse Brazil is one of the country’s three largest event and exhibition organizers. A subsidiary of the NürnbergMesse Group, it hosts some of Latin America’s most important business gatherings, bringing together suppliers, distributors, and resellers from a wide range of economic sectors. The company’s purpose is to support the development of Brazilian industry and strengthen Brazil’s relevance in foreign markets. Among its leading events in the country are BFSHOW, Expo Revestir, Haus Decor Show, PET South America, PET VET, FCE Pharma, FCE Cosmetique, Analitica Latin America, Glass South America, ABRAFATI SHOW, Construlev Expo and Catarina Aviation Show.
