Fifth largest shoe producer in the world, the largest outside Asia, with an industrial park that brings together more than 4,000 factories of all sizes and which has a preponderant economic strength in at least ten Brazilian states. It is this industry that, starting in November, will achieve another historic landmark. This is because, between the 21st and 23rd of that month, the Brazilian Association of Footwear Industries (Abicalçados), in partnership with NürnbergMesse Brasil, will hold the debut edition of the Brazilian Footwear Show (BFSHOW), at the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Fiergs), in Porto Alegre/RS. According to Abicalçados, nine months after its first edition, the footwear fair already has 85% of its spaces occupied, with companies of all sizes and Brazilian production centers.
With logistical advantages - as it takes place geographically close to the Salgado Filho international airport, in a city with a wide and qualified hotel network -, cost optimization for exhibitors, focus on business and excellent infrastructure, the first edition of the BFSHOW confirms the presence of players from all segments and sizes of the Brazilian footwear sector.
Another factor that has been attracting the attention of the sector, not only in Brazil, but internationally, is the fact that the BFSHOW is led by a national entity representing the activity, such as Micam Milano, an international reference in the segment of footwear exhibitions promoted by the association of Italian shoemakers, Assocalzaturifici. “Companies, of all sizes and segments, as well as large retailers, understood that it is an event demanded by the market. It is a fair held by the industry for retail, with no other interest than to meet the desires of the sector and provide one more tool for its development”, evaluates the executive president of Abicalçados, Haroldo Ferreira.
The CEO of NürnbergMesse Brasil, João Paulo Picolo, projects a thriving fair with business effectiveness. “We are excited! The seal of Abicalçados, by itself, points to the strength of the fair, optimizing resources and generating more expressive returns for exhibitors. The expectation for the first edition of the BFSHOW is very good, mainly due to what we can feel in the footwear centers that we visited over the past year”, he highlights.
Sector sees an opportunity to increase sales
With an expected growth of 1.6% in production, reaching more than 860 million pairs produced in 2023, the Brazilian footwear industry sees in the event an opportunity to expand sales both in the domestic and international markets.
In the first month of 2023, positive news encouraged the activity. In January, the Brazilian footwear industry exported 14.63 million pairs, which generated US$ 117.9 million. The results are superior both in volume (+4.5%) and in revenue (+16.6%) compared to the first month of 2022. The great highlight was due to the United States, Latin American countries and Europe markets.
Para a BFSHOW, Paludetto destaca que a expectativa é bastante positiva, especialmente pela recuperação da representatividade e pujança de uma feira “do tamanho que o setor merece”. “Sabemos que a BFSHOW será uma construção, mas temos a expectativa de que se torne a principal feira nacional de calçados, para o mercado brasileiro e mundial”. Segundo o diretor, o fato de ter à frente uma entidade representativa, como a Abicalçados, facilita na interlocução com os players do mercado, tanto expositores quanto varejistas. “O mercado deve ter o comando. Ter a Abicalçados na promoção garante uma maior flexibilidade para atender às demandas do setor”, acrescenta, ressaltando, ainda, que são diferenciais desta primeira edição, em Porto Alegre/RS, a infraestrutura e as facilidades logísticas, já que a Fiergs fica localizada muito próxima ao aeroporto da capital gaúcha.
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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.
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.
