LACIME, designed to become the premier exhibition in the meetings and incentive industry for Latin America and the Caribbean, aims to provide a great opportunity for the region to showcase their destinations and diversified products, including hotels, convention centers, meetings products and specialized services to international visitors. Scheduled to take place June 23 through 25 at Transamerica Expo Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil, LACIME will provide a forum for international exhibitors to meet buyers of incentive and meetings products and services from all over Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ecuador´s International Tourism Fair, scheduled from August 5 through 8 in the city of Guayaquil, is destined to gather some of the world´s premier travel companies, organizers say. News dispatches from that South American nation state that at least nine countries from around the globe -Austria, Colombia, Chile, Egypt, Spain, France, Peru, U.K. and Tunisia- have confirmed their attendance. Other nations are expected to sign up anytime soon.

Buenos Aires will be home to the Forum of Tourism Leaders scheduled from September 30 through October 1 under the auspices of the World Tourism Organization (WTO). The event, that will take place every two years, will this time around focus on the importance of the private sector for the development of the travel industry worldwide.

Organized by the Argentina Association of Tourism and Travel Agencies, and Mendoza´s Association of Tourism and Travel Agencies, the 30th Congress of Travel Agents will unfold on June 24 through 26 at the Governor Emilio Civit de Mendoza Conference and Exposition Center. Under a motto reading "Tourism: Generator of Wellbeing and Thruster of the National Economy," the event will be divided in working sessions dealing with red-hot issues that play a major role in the travel industry. Some of those topics will broach air transport, legal and technical matters, national service providers, receptive tourism, training, ground transportation, travel retailers and wholesalers, among other issues.

Famous Cuban Havana Club rum won most of the awards given in the First International Rum Festival, which 300 participants from 30 nations considered the "Anejo 15 anos" (aged rum) the most complete, event participants said. The Melia Havana Hotel hosted the closing ceremony and awards dinner that ended in the early hours of the morning, and where prizes were awarded for best designs in such categories as best stand (free design) to Tecnoazucar Company, and best design of a product for the range of Havana Club rums, among others.

The West Indian Foundation, Inc. in Hartford, Connecticut is seeking artists to participate in its Annual Caribbean Art Exhibit schedule to open on Thursday July 15 and will end on September 18, 2004. Artists interested in exhibiting one dementional works should send photos of art (noting size and medium), artist’s bio and any other relative information to Yvonne c. Harris, 135 Canterbury Street in Hartford, Connecticut 06112.