The Brazilian Footwear Show - BFSHOW ended its second day today (22nd) with lively attendance, especially from international buyers. The event counted more than 150 international buyers from 30 countries and from all continents, brought together in a joint effort between NürnbergMesse Brasil, Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados) and Brazilian Agency for Export and Investment Promotion (ApexBrasil). The first edition of BFSHOW started on the 21st and runs until the 23rd, at the Event Center FIERGS, in Porto Alegre/RS. The event brings together 137 Brazilian footwear brands and expects around 7.000 visitors over the three days of the fair.
The executive president of Abicalçados, Haroldo Ferreira, pointed out that the event surprised by the amount of visitors, despite the problems with floods that affected parts of the state capital. “For a first edition, BFSHOW far exceeds expectations. But not only the visitor numbers, but also the business deals and the resulting important discussions for the development of the activity are impressive”, celebrates the president.
The CEO of NürnbergMesse Brasil, João Paulo Picolo, points out the national footwear industry’s understanding of the importance of having an international quality event that brings together companies from all sectors of the footwear industry. “It is a national fair, which brings together all segments, niches, sizes and regions. Brazil is a very rich country with a gigantic footwear production chain and the fair reflects this reality. We are very satisfied”, evaluates the CEO.
Exhibitors
Exhibitors are also enthusiastic about the attendance, especially from international buyers. Kidy, a footwear producer from Birigui / SP, is one of the companies that are satisfied with the first edition of BFSHOW. “The first days were surprisingly well attended and we are optimistic that it will continue like this until the end. We received many old and new customers, with some deals being closed right at the start of the event, in addition to those who were lined up for us during the fair”, says the company's Marketing and Digital Channels manager, João Gava. The professional also highlights the quality and structure of BFSHOW. “We also have the ideal logistics to receive international customers, as the Event Center FIERGS is close to the International Airport,” he concludes. On the first two days of the fair, Kidy received customers from the south, southeast and north regions of Brazil, as well as importers from Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, Egypt, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Libya and Tanzania.
For the CEO of Piccadilly, Cristine Grings Nogueira, the visits for this first edition of the event went as expected. “We had some good business at the event and we have more deals lined up with Brazilian customers”, she comments, stressing that the collection launched at the event had “a very positive feedback from shop owners”.
Union
BFSHOW is a trade fair held by Abicalçados, organized by NürnbergMesse Brasil and sponsored by the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae). The official partner is the Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investments (ApexBrasil). Support comes from the footwear unions industries of Rio Grande do Sul, Bahia, Paraíba, Estância Velha, Sapiranga, Birigui, Campo Bom, Dois Irmãos, Jaú, Fortaleza, Farroupilha, Parobé, Franca, Igrejinha, Nova Serrana and Novo Hamburgo. Learn more about the fair on the website www.bfshow.com.br. www.bfshow.com.br.
About Abicalçados
Abicalçados represents the Brazilian footwear industry, fifth largest in the world and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. Founded in 1983, Abicalçados is based in Novo Hamburgo, state of Rio Grande do Sul, and its members are companies of all sizes accounting for more than 65 percent of the footwear produced in the country. The entity represents an industry that employs more than 300,000 people. Its mission is to represent, defend, develop, and promote Brazil’s footwear industry with respect, excellency, and results.
About the organizers
NürnbergMesse Brasil is a subsidiary of the NürnbergMesse Group, one of the 15 largest fair organizers in the world. The group’s portfolio includes more than 120 international fairs and congresses (14 of them in Brazil) and more than 40 pavilions. Every year, more than 30,000 expositors and more than 1,5 million visitors meet in events hosted by NürnbergMesse, which also has subsidiaries in China, United States, Brazil, Greece, Italy, and India, The group also established a network with sone 50 representatives operating in more than 116 countries.
