The first edition of the footwear fair Brazilian Footwear Show - BFSHOW, which brought together 137 brands at the FIERGS Event Center, in Porto Alegre/RS, raised the bar of the fairs and shows sector in the country. Focused on transparency, business and opportunities for companies of all local productive arrangements, sizes and market niches, the fair held by the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados) and NürnbergMesse Brasil received visitors from the country and the world in the three days of the event, generating many businesses - which will be computed and disclosed soon - and agreeing upon others for the coming months.  The fair happens between November 21 and 23.

Abicalçados' executive president, Haroldo Ferreira, points out that the fair had a “kick start” that surprised even the most optimistic ones. “BFSHOW, being a fair held by the market for the market, listening to all the actors of this important link in the productive chain of the sector, is already born recovering the prestige of national footwear fairs”. According to him, the fact that it is a trade fair focused on business and that received more than 150 international buyers from 30 countries, in addition to shopkeepers from all over the country, generated not only immediate business, but also sales prospects for the rest of the season. “Many sales, which were not closed on the spot, are agreed upon. The fair, in addition to the expressive visitation, especially in the first days, was effective, as a business event should be”, he concludes. 

The structure of the BFSHOW, which was organized by the German promoter, with office in Brazil, NürnbergMesse, was also highly praised. “We promote fairs in various economic segments and it is the first time we have held a footwear show. We are happy with the result of the partnership with Abicalçados and to be able to unite our expertise with an entity that has been dedicated to the development of the footwear industry in Brazil for more than four decades”, comments the CEO of NürnbergMesse Brasil, João Paulo Picolo. Among the highlights, both by exhibitors and visitors, are the structure and reception of the Fair, in a place that has ample paved parking, easy access to Salgado Filho International Airport, options for restaurants and snack bars, high quality wifi connection, among other points.  

Exhibitors
The Marketing Manager at Ramarim (Nova Hartz/RS), Nelson Magagnin, points out that the first edition of BFSHOW fulfilled its objective. “We've had a good visitation, especially in the first few days. We've openen new markets and welcomed customers for relationship. I believe that the highlight of the fair, in the capital, was the structure and logistics facilitated to the event”, he evaluates.

The director of Cactus (Jaú / SP), Renato Denardo, assesses that the highlight of the fair was its internationalization. Having started the export process last year, the company explored new markets during the BFSHOW, mainly with South American countries. “BFSHOW is a trade fair with great growth potential. In São Paulo, in May, the fair will be even bigger, and Jaú's collective stand should double the amount of companies (from 6 to 12)”, he highlights. 

The opinion is shared with Maurício Wendling, director of Calçados Wirth (Dois Irmãos/RS). According to him, BFSHOW is already born internationalized, having received buyers from more than 100 groups from 30 countries on all continents. “The first edition of BFSHOW is the most internationalized that we have participated in Brazil in recent years”, he evaluates. In the three days of the fair, the footwear company received buyers from the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Italy, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, among others. 

Savelli (Franca/SP) participated in an “impeccable” fair, according to its director, Marcel Mendes. He points out that, despite the Brazilian and world economic moment, the results were positive. "The fairs are places of relationship, where many businesses happen or and aligned to occur in the future. We received clients from Brazil, but above all from the world, from the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Latin America”, he points out. 

Charles Werb, Export Coordinator of Itapuã (Cachoeiro De Itapemirim/ES), also highlights the quality of the contacts provided by the fair. “We've had a lot of prospective deals with international buyers. The effort of promoting the fair was essential for this result”, he evaluates. 

"Regained the relevance of fairs”
As a B2B (business to business) business generating event, the main objective of the trade fair is to generate good connections and business for the supply of national and international retail. And at this point, BFSHOW also stood out. Welcoming thousands of shopkeepers of all sizes and parts of Brazil, the first edition of the fair left buyers eager for the next edition, in May next year, this time in São Paulo/SP. Shopkeeper Silvia Léia Terno Ribeiro do Val, from Léia Calçados (Andradina/SP), highlights the quality of the structure offered by the fair, which provided comfort and agility for work. "We closed deals, in a differentiated show” she says. According to her, despite digitization and large networks, tradition and eye-to-eye contact still grant a key role to trade fairs. 

The shopkeeper Maria Bethania Cavalcante, from Econis (Alagoinhas/BA), a chain with more than 50 stores in the Northeast, stressed: “BFSHOW recovered the glamor and relevance of shoe fairs”. Delighted with the structure and reception offered, the buyer says that the group conducted good business with exhibitors from different segments. "In addition to buying, we've selected products to buy later on. More than generating business, BFSHOW also allowed us to visualize the assembly of our Autumn/Winter Showcase, thanks to the quantity and quality of the novelties presented”, she concludes. 

International quality
New Zealand buyer Glen Maher of Maher Shoes points out that the fair surprised him positively. “I didn't expect to see this amount of brands and segments here, we came to buy men's shoes and ended up taking women's too,” he says. And he goes further: ”the stands are more showy and beautiful than Micam's". The international standard, he said, makes BFSHOW have “incredible" potential for growth in the coming years. 

Marcelo Maurer, buyer of MP Imports from Paraguay, also highlights the organization and facilities of an event designed for the comfort of the exhibitor and buyers. "In addition to business, we were delighted with the hospitality and treatment. It was clear that every detail was taken care of with care to make for an excellent experience”, he evaluates, stressing that he will return for the next editions.

Union
BFSHOW is a fair held by Abicalçados, organized by NürnbergMesse Brasil and sponsored by the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae). The official partnership is the Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investments (ApexBrasil). The support is from the unions of the footwear industries of Rio Grande do Sul, Bahia, Paraíba, Estância Velha, Sapiranga, Birigui, Campo Bom, Dois Irmãos, Jaú, Fortaleza, Farroupilha, Parobé, Franca, Igrejinha, Nova Serrana and Novo Hamburgo. Learn more about the fair on the website www.bfshow.com.br.



About Abicalçados  
Abicalçados is the entity that represents the national industry, the fifth largest producer of footwear in the world, the largest in the West. Founded in 1983, Abicalçados, is headquartered in Novo Hamburgo / RS, has in its membership companies of all sizes and that account for more than 65% of the total pairs of shoes produced in the country. The entity represents an industry that directly employs more than 300 thousand people. Its mission is to represent, defend, develop and promote the Brazilian footwear industry, with respect, excellence and results.  

About the operator  
NürnbergMesse Brasil is a subsidiary of the NürnbergMesse Group, one of the 15 largest international event organizing companies in the world. The group's portfolio has more than 120 international fairs and congresses (14 of them in Brazil) and more than 40 pavilions. Annually, around 30,000 exhibitors and more than 1.5 million visitors attend the events organized by NürnbergMesse, which is present, through its subsidiaries, in China, the United States, Brazil, Greece, Italy and India. The group also has a network of about 50 representatives, operating in more than 116 countries.