São Paulo – The show focused on the hookah sector World Shisha Dubai, which took place this month in the United Arab Emirates, rendered great contacts and deals for Brazilian brands. As a visitor to the show, Brazilian businessman Enio Alexsandro Cassiano, partner-director at Thermoceram, even closed deals with a distributor in Dubai. “The contacts we made at the show were incredibly positive. The best contact we had was at a meeting scheduled by the Arab Brazilian Chamber. We closed a representation deal in the UAE,” he revealed. Pictured above (left to right), the businessman’s interpreter; Ahmed Kamal Hussein, from the ABCC team in Dubai; and Cassiano.
The company, from Mogi Guaçu, in the state of São Paulo, sells hookah coal burners, also known as rosh. “Our exports plan is very solid. Three months ago, we decided to seek foreign markets for this product, and we had meetings scheduled in Dubai by the Arab Brazilian Chamber. Now, I’m back in Brazil and already taking care of sending samples [to the distributor]. The intention is to sell in all the emirates. We also made excellent contacts in the region to follow up,” stated Cassiano.
The professionalism in the sector in the UAE drew the businessman’s attention. “This also brought us a distinct perspective on the market. It opened our horizons to think about the Brazilian domestic market differently,” he concluded.
Ziggy’s export manager, Magali Rodrigues, also believes the show brought together a qualified audience. “I really enjoyed the show because it was well targeted. It had more demand for B2B. Most participants were really there to buy and sell,” she stated.
Among the visitors to the brand’s stand were businesspeople from the UAE, Pakistan, Jordan, Iraq, and even the United States. In addition to distributors, Rodrigues also met owners of restaurants and lounges in Dubai. This caught the attention of the Brazilian, who is now carrying out a study to decide whether the company will have a point of sale in Dubai. “Many people wanted to know if we already had a distributor. We are considering opening distribution there, but that would be for next year. If we get a distributor from there, it could be faster [to export],” she explained.
The company’s participation in the show was complemented by a schedule of meetings also organized by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC). “We spoke with seven importers; one of them even invited us to visit a lounge in the city. Among our flavors, the most successful were tutti frutti, banana, and macchiato. People also enjoyed our brand’s hookah pots,” she said.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
