Author: nurnbergmessebrasil

Created to be Brazil's main footwear fair, bringing together all sectors of the industry, the Brazilian Footwear Show - BFSHOW, announced that, less than 60 days before its opening, 96% of exhibition spaces have already been sold, with the presence of the country's leading brands. Of the confirmed brands, over 100 will be exclusively at BFSHOW in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. The fair, promoted by the Brazilian Association of Footwear Industries (Abicalçados) and operated by NürnbergMesse Brasil, will hold its first edition from November 21 to 23 at the FIERGS Events Center in the state capital. 

One of the major companies exclusively confirmed for BFSHOW is Vulcabras, from Parobé, Rio Grande do Sul. According to the group's CEO, Pedro Bartelle, the choice of the fair is strategic for strengthening the Brazilian footwear sector. "Vulcabras understands the importance of positioning Brazil, technology, and innovation in the Brazilian footwear sector. It is an opportunity to once again discuss the significance of the largest footwear industry outside of Asia, one of the most sustainable in the world," he comments.  

PG4 Galleria, a high-value-added men's footwear manufacturer from Franca, São Paulo, has also secured its presence exclusively at BFSHOW. The company's director, Giuliano Spinelli, emphasizes that the leading brands in each segment will be at the fair, positioning it as the main and most attractive business fair in the sector in Brazil. "The focus will be on business, so retailers or importers who attend the event will be in the right place for their supply, as they will find the leading brands from all niches, segments, and regions," he evaluates.  

Representing a segment that will be almost entirely present at BFSHOW, Carlos Mestriner, director of Klin, highlights that the fair will feature the best in Brazilian children's footwear. "We are sure that we will see quality business at a unique fair prepared to position Brazil as one of the world's leading players in the sector," he emphasizes.  

From the segment of comfortable women's footwear, Sergio Bocayuva, CEO of Usaflex, is another enthusiast of the event. "In a world of constant transformations, the footwear sector appears to have great potential for evolution. For this, we need a new fair, a new business model in trade shows. BFSHOW is the fair for Brazilian footwear entrepreneurs who want to innovate, offer better service to their customers, create professional business connections, and expand their horizons," he says.  

Industry Unity 

Haroldo Ferreira, the executive president of Abicalçados, highlights that the success of BFSHOW is the result of the unity of the national footwear sector, which for the most part understands the importance of having an internationally renowned fair that will result in investments in the sector through projects and not for a private company. "Proof of this is that over 90% of the brands at BFSHOW will be exclusively with us and not at any other fair. Certainly, both national and international buyers who come to the fair will be positively satisfied to find the leading brands in each segment in an environment fully prepared for business transactions. It will be a true showcase of Brazilian footwear," he comments.  

One of the highlights of the first edition of BFSHOW is the unity in support of the event, with companies understanding that it is a joint effort to strengthen the industry. According to Ferreira, BFSHOW is a moment that marks the history of the footwear industry. "In over 130 years of footwear production in Brazil, we have never had a fair organized by the entrepreneurs themselves and focused entirely on business and transparency. We are experiencing a historic moment of unity for the strengthening of the entire sector. We have the support of 16 footwear industry unions from all over Brazil, in addition to the Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investments (ApexBrasil), which is our official partner," he says. ApexBrasil is one of the supporters of the BFSHOW Buyer Project, which will bring over 100 international buyers from all continents. 

A New Model for Trade Shows in Brazil 
NürnbergMesse Brasil, the promoter company associated with the German NürnbergMesse Group responsible for organizing BFSHOW, reports that more than 10,000 buyers are expected to visit the first edition of the footwear fair. "BFSHOW has already been a success since its announcement. Following an international trend of major trade shows, such as Micam Milano, which is promoted by the Italian footwear association, the fair was created by the market and for the market, channeling resources to reinvest in the sector through its industry association. It is a new model for footwear fairs emerging in Brazil," comments NürnbergMesse Brasil CEO João Paulo Picolo. 

Registration for the first edition of BFSHOW is open on the website https://bfshow.com.br/en, where confirmed brands and other event information can be found.  

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. 

Boaonda, an injected footwear industry based in Sapiranga, Rio Grande do Sul, is increasing its presence in the sector's market through significant investments. According to the footwear company, this year's investments in expanding the factory, machinery, and equipment are expected to total more than R$ 9 million.  

The brand's manager, Cássio Romani, explains that the expansion of the factory will be ready in the first half of next year and will require a total investment of over R$ 4 million. "Regarding machinery and equipment, with an investment of R$ 5 million, some are already in operation, and the rest are on their way," says the businessman, adding that the flagship investment is in an injection machine for EVA raw material. 

Perspective 

Despite considering the year "challenging," with instability in both domestic and international markets, Romani expresses confidence in good results, especially due to the work the brand has been doing with its customers, always focusing on quality, comfort, and sustainability. "The estimate is to grow by 12% in production in 2023," he projects.  

One of Boaonda's commercial promotion strategies is participating in the world's major footwear fairs. In Brazil, the company's next stop is at the Brazilian Footwear Show - BFSHOW, a footwear exhibition organized by the Brazilian Association of Footwear Industries (Abicalçados) and operated by NürnbergMesse Brasil, taking place from November 21 to 23 at the FIERGS Events Center in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. 

About the company 

Recently, the Mould Group, which is the "parent company" of Boaonda, celebrated its 28-year history. It currently employs more than 300 workers who produce approximately 1.5 million pairs of shoes per year, with 18% of them being exported to over 30 countries.  

Calçados Bibi, a pioneering brand in the children's footwear market, has confirmed its presence at the first edition of the Brazilian Footwear Show - BFSHOW. The fair will take place from November 21st to 23rd in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, at the FIERGS Events Center. At the event, organized by the Brazilian Association of Footwear Industries (Abicalçados) and organized by NürnbergMesse Brasil, Bibi will showcase its Winter 2024 collection to national and international buyers. The company will join more than 100 of Brazil's top footwear brands, expecting over 10,000 visitors from Brazil and abroad. 

BFSHOW is considered a showcase for Brazilian footwear, offering opportunities for clients to discover the diversity and quality of women's, men's, children's, and sports shoes from various sizes and production centers. This initiative will have two annual editions, with the second one scheduled for May 21st to 23rd, 2024, featuring the launch of the Spring/Summer 2025 collection, this time in São Paulo at the Transamérica Expo Center.  

"Bibi has chosen BFSHOW to participate and launch the Winter 2024 collection for multi-brand channels and some importers in the region. This will be the first edition of the trade fair, but we are with the footwear sector, which conducted researches in partnership with manufacturers and other channels, seeking to enable a new trade show format, to be held in Porto Alegre, and to bring improvements to the logistics of participating brands and visitors. Given all this, we have good expectations to start promoting our new collection for children aged 0 to 9. Thus, we aim to put our purpose into practice, which is to do good by aiding children's development through comfortable and quality products," emphasizes the brand's president, Andrea Kohlrausch. 

Currently, Bibi has over 150 stores worldwide, with 20 of them located in Latin American countries. With two manufacturing plants in Parobé, Rio Grande do Sul, and Cruz das Almas, Bahia, the brand produces over 2.6 million pairs of shoes annually. About 20% of these are destined for export to more than 60 countries across five continents. Bibi also has a strong presence in its own e-commerce channel and in more than 3,000 multi-brand stores in different regions of Brazil.  

About Calçados Bibi:  

Promoting natural and healthy development for the age group of 0 to 9 is one of the fundamental principles of Calçados Bibi. The brand is a pioneer and leader in developing products based on research and scientific studies. It gained recognition in the industry through the development of non-toxic, physiological shoes and its exclusive Fisioflex Bibi insole technology, which provides the sensation of walking barefoot. With the purpose of doing good, one step at a time, Bibi, wichh was founded in 1949 and became a reference in the children's footwear market, aims to promote sustainable practices, encourage the healthy development of future generations, and fulfill its social responsibilities for building a better world. With factories in Parobé, Rio Grande do Sul, and Cruz das Almas, Bahia, it produces more than 2.6 million pairs/items annually. Present in over 60 countries across five continents, in Brazil, it is in 3,000 multi-brand retail points, as well as operating an e-commerce platform and a franchise network with more than 150 stores. The company is the first footwear manufacturer certified with the Diamond Sustainability Seal, attesting to its commitment to initiatives in industrial processes, as well as the development of actions in line with the core principles established by the Sustainable Origin program: Environmental, Economic, Cultural, and Social. 

The first edition of the Brazilian Footwear Show - BFSHOW, which takes place from November 21st to 23rd at the FIERGS Exhibition & Convention Centre in Porto Alegre, Brazil, announces a partnership with INSPIRAMAIS for fashion curation. Through this partnership, the trade show organized by the Brazilian Association of Footwear Industries (Abicalçados) in conjunction with NürnbergMesse Brasil will publish fashion content via email marketing and its social media channels starting in September.

Letícia Sperb Masselli, Project Manager at Abicalçados, explains that the goal of the partnership is to provide light and easy-to-consume content for the retailers attending the event. "The content should contribute to greater accuracy and confidence during the purchasing process, as it will present fashion and consumer trends for Winter 2024 collection, which will be launched at BFSHOW in November 2023," she comments.

Rico Azeredo, Head of Business Development at NürnbergMesse Brasil, believes that the content, curated by Walter Rodrigues, the coordinator of the Design and Research Center of the Brazilian Association of Leather, Footwear, and Artifact Components Companies (Assintecal), will enhance the visitors' experience. "We are envisioning a distinctive trade show, aligned with the best practices of international events, focused on participant experience, product segmentation, and high-quality, relevant content for the industry as a whole," emphasizes Mr. Azeredo. He adds that more than 10,000 people are expected to visit the FIERGS Exhibition & Convention Centre over the three-day event.

Fashion

Designer Walter Rodrigues, who will curate the content, explains that the foundation of the work will be the Homo Faber research, which was presented in materials during the most recent edition of INSPIRAMAIS event in July. "The Homo Faber theme aims to showcase this creative individual, bridging the gap between manual work and artificial intelligence," Rodrigues said. The research highlights pragmatism and manual skill as guiding principles, emphasizing that originality is crucial to capture the consumer's attention. The research also highlights the stimulation brought about by materials and products, as well as the geometry present in checks, model angles, shoe shapes, weaves, and 3D prints. Themes like seduction, hypertextures, and western influences are also explored, alongside sustainability in the production process, reflected in products with floral patterns and earthy tones.

BFSHOW has the official partnership of the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) and the support of the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae), Assintecal, and footwear industry syndicates from various regions.

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.