On Dec. 4-6, ExpoSystems completed its 10th year of its annual meeting and tradeshow dedicated to the South American exhibit marketing industry. The event was held at the Transamerica Expo center in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
ExpoSystems is supported by the Brazilian Association of Tradeshow Promoters and the Brazilian Association of Booth Builders, which is similar to the Exhibit Designers and Producers Association in the U.S. The show was created and organized by Feira & Cia Group.
The event attracted more than 3000 visitors composed of exposition organizers, exhibit and event managers and exhibit builders and suppliers. This year, there were 70 international visitors, a majority of which were International Federation of Exhibition and Event Services (IFES) members. Many of the international attendees were from Germany and China, with only a few coming from North America. The event is similar to EXHIBITOR in the U.S., but on a smaller scale.
“Economically speaking, all Brazilians had a tough year, but we remain confident that tradeshow marketing can open the doors of opportunity to grow businesses for years to come” said Francisco Marino of Feira & Cia Group.
Larry Kulchawik, past president of IFES attended Exposystems in 2010.
“I was most impressed with the quality and sophistication of this growing marketplace,” said Kulchawik. “World tradeshow suppliers should take a closer look at ExpoSystems in Brazil to secure trusted partners.”
“In ten short years, Brazil has become one of the fastest growing economies, and their exhibition culture has developed to the point that they can stand tall beside other country events,” said Barry Siskind, tradeshow marketing author and ExpoSystems speaker for nine years. “Exhibitors put a lot of thought and effort into their stands for greater impact. Attendees at ExpoSystems represent a wide range delegates and they are keen to learn new techniques and are genuinely inquisitive about how to apply the lessons learned to their exhibit programs.”
The 10th edition of ExpoSystems offered exhibit managers and suppliers an opportunity to share their tradeshow experiences in discussion groups called the Knowledge Lounge. Topics included social media trends and best practices, managing costs, branding through entertainment, standards for etiquette at events and sustainability in event production.
“Our biggest interest at Exposystems were the conference themes and topics,” said Cristiana Xavier, marketing coordinator for Hypermarcas in Brazil. “Our division participates in more than 40 medical conferences per year, therefore, we need to stay on top of key marketing trends.”
“The entire tradeshow industry chain meets at ExpoSystems where a booth neighbor may be a potential partner, or even a client,” added Carolina Goes of WOW Media and Business Trade. “At this year’s event, we were pleased to meet so many professional event agencies and end user exhibitors in our stand.”
One of the keynote speakers for ExpoSystems was Wanira Salles from Francal Tradeshow and Enterprise. Her lecture was entitled Women in Event Leadership.
Salles discussed the features that make woman increasingly indispensible in business: flexibility, adaptability and imagination. She also stressed that woman have emotional intelligence and awareness that helps events achieve greater success.
“The command in the tradeshow market is still mostly men who need the balance of female leadership and thought to insure success for any event,” said Salles.
After her presentation, she honored five women who represented female leadership in the exposition industry.
“Once again, the ExpoSystems event offered exhibit and event management professionals a rich program of conference topics and interests for this dynamic industry,” concluded Anselmo Carvalho, CEO of Feira & Cia Group. “We concluded our historic 10th edition of ExpoSystems on a positive note and strive to make it better each year. Plan to join us in 2013.”
