São Paulo – Companies Portobello, Cecrisa, Gail and Villagres are going to participate in meetings with architects in the Middle East during the first edition of Arc-Middle East, to take place from October 29th to November 1st, in Cyprus.
The event should bring together professionals from the 50 main architecture offices of the Middle East, responsible for the decision making regarding the material used in large constructions in the region. During four days, producers of several sectors will participate in meetings with architects.
Participation of Brazilian companies is being coordinated by the Brazilian Association of Ceramic Tile Manufacturers (Anfacer), sponsored by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil).
To Antônio Carlos Kieling, the Anfacer superintendant, participation in the event is an opportunity to put Brazilian companies in contact with the main architects in the region. "You enter the books of those responsible for the specifications of works, and that is very important. With the contact, he [the architect] will get to know you, and when it is time to choose, he will call you," he pointed out.
The executive also pointed out the meetings promoted made possible by the event, which brings together so many companies and architects in a short period of time. "The companies can approach a number of offices in three or four days that would take up to a year without the event," he explained. Together, the Brazilian companies should have around 80 business meetings.
Anfacer and its associates have already participated in six editions of Arc-USA, the edition of the fair in the United States. Kieling says he does not know how much the fairs in North America have generated for Brazilian companies, but explained that the return has been positive due to the price of the products exported.
"The average price of products resulting from sales in Arc events has been 2.5 to 3 times greater than the average trading price, as you work with high-end products," he pointed out.
Currently, the association has around 70 associates. In the market in the Middle East, Kieling pointed out the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia as the most interesting countries for the ceramic tile sector.
"It is an attractive sector, mainly because the average price of products is high. Even if the sales volume is not high, the average price is very significant, as you sell higher value-added products there", he explained.
According to the Anfacer, the average price of Brazilian ceramic tile exports in 2009 was US$ 4.11 per square meter, whereas to the Middle East, sales averaged US$ 9.42 per square meter.
According to figures disclosed by the association, in 2009, the Middle East imported 210 million square meters of ceramic tiles worldwide, generating over US$ 952 million in business. Of this total, Brazil participated with the export of 470,000 square meters, with revenues of US$ 4.4 million. The country is the fifth main exporter of ceramic tiles in the world.
*Translated by Mark Ament
