Geovana Pagel
São Paulo – Movelpar 2004 – Furniture Fair From Paraná State – 1st Special Electrum Edition, to take place between February 9 and 13 at Expoara pavilion, in the city of Arapongas, north of the southern state of Paraná, will receive large importers from the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Russia, Costa Rica, and England.
Apart from participating in technical visits to exhibitors, foreign visitors will go to furniture factories and sector suppliers. The fair is the only one in the country that offers furniture, house appliances, and electronic products all at the same time.
Importers are coming to Brazil at the invitation of the Brazilian Furniture Export Promotion Program (Promóvel), connected to the Brazilian Furniture Industry Association (Abimóvel), with the support of the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (Apex).
Pedro Paulo Pamplona, executive director of the Promóvel, says that the importers are owners of large product distribution chains and are interested in making deals with Brazilian companies in the furniture sector. "They have already received all the necessary information about the production potential of the area and the factory visits are focussing on the closing of deals," he stated.
It is expected that deals closed should total around US$ 500,000 while the importers are in Brazil. They will arrive in Brazil on February 8 to participate in the fair opening and will be in Arapongas on February 9 and 10.
They will then go on to Curitiba, to meet suppliers in the sector, and then to the port of Paranaguá, to observe export logistics. Promóvel, created four years ago, has already brought the country over 250 importers and 50 foreign papers.
Target is business deals
"In previous fairs, we worked on the Buyer Project, which attempted to bring many importers and show them the country business potential. Technical visits are different because the target is to bring people who will effectively close deals during the Movelpar," he states.
Movelpar is one of the most important furniture fairs in the country, and has been taking place since 1997, every other year, always on odd years, and is organized by the Expoara Exhibition Centre with the support of the Arapongas Furniture Industry Union (Sima).
This is the first Electrum Edition, which is going to take place every even year, including furniture, house appliance, and electronic equipment. The fair will count on the participation of large importers from all over the country. It is expected that over 25,000 professionals from the sector should show up.
Among the events to take place in parallel are the Decoration and Interiors Show, the exhibition of products selected in the first New Talent Design Competition – which provided incentives for the use of design in industrial furniture and electronics production – and the Technological Vanguard project exhibition. This latter will be showing products developed with innovative raw materials, by companies in the wood, glass, paint and varnish, tools and accessories, fabrics and foams, and will include talks about design.
Furniture pole
The Paraná state furniture pole, which includes 550 companies, is among the most important in the country. The city of Arapongas concentrates the largest number of companies: around 160 firms making all kinds of furniture and upholstered items, generating around 10,500 direct jobs.
In 2002, revenues totalled around US$ 218 million. About 10% of production is exported. Last year, 19 companies from the Arapongas furniture sector joined forces and established Conex Furniture Brazil.
Formalization of this initiative, which counts on Sima support, took place in April 2003, together with the Business Plan, which forecasts the industry steps over the coming eight years. Among the 19 companies participating, 50% have never exported. They are firms with between 250 and 800 employees.
"What brings these businessmen together is the view that more than selling, it is necessary to be internationally present, know the market and clients, and understand the dynamics of the export market," explains organization director, Rajanand Costa.
Initially, Conex has defined four target markets: Central America, Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. The choice took place due to the existence of sales to these areas, and the target is to intensifying demand.
Product trade will include 130 lines, with a total of 300 items, 44 different types of wood finish will be offered together with 200 upholsteries.
Sebastião Batista, president of the Sima, emphasizes that the creation of mechanisms for foreign trade strengthening is very important for the furniture industry, which currently has a greater installed capacity than production. "We are betting on this project and are sure the results will be important for the development of the domestic industry in the sector," he states.
Contact
www.movelpar.com.br
