Havana’s International Fair gets underway

Havana’s International Fair -Cuba’s major tradeshow penciled in as the most important event of its kind in all Latin America and the Caribbean- got cracking Monday in its 20th edition in the huge fairgrounds of EXPOCUBA, right in the outskirts of the capital, with a record turnout of 1,500 companies hailing from as many as 59 countries.

Businessmen and execs from exhibiting nations, posting some kind of commercial tourism this time around, alongside Cuban technicians, experts and entrepreneurs –representing over 500 local exporting and importing firms- packed the grounds at opening time to kick off a series of professional visits following the ribbon-cutting ceremony the night before that featured an opening cultural event at the National Theater.

Havana’s International Fair –comprising some 16,000 square meters of exhibiting area in 14 official pavilions for as many countries: Germany, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, Holland, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Japan and China, plus other shared areas- was literally swarmed over by a connoisseur public that almost immediately got in touch with foreign representatives right in their own stands.

Sources close to the FIHAV 2002’s Organizing Committee confirmed the attendance –virtually from the word go- of some 19 official delegations, some of them presided over by ministers, vice ministers and chairmen of chambers of commerce who brought along an entourage of 270 entrepreneurs or so-called field expositors specialized in negotiations.

A number of countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, the Saharan Republic, Algeria, Benin and Libya are making their debut in international tradeshows and fairs. The attendance of more nations and entities has not been ruled out.

According to Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Trade –one of the fair’s sponsors- the island nation does business with over 3,000 enterprises from 160 countries, with Europe bearing the brunt with 43 percent of all trade relationships and the largest chunk of that percentage in the hands of the European Union. Spain –one of the founding nations of Havana’s International Fair and a participant for 20 straight years- goes on to be Cuba’s number-one trade partner.