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Entrepreneurs prepare for more virtual fairs
Posted On 23 Jun 2020
With almost $ 15 million in sales expectations, triple what was projected at the beginning, the Virtual Business Roundtable organized by the Export and Investment Promotion Corporation (Corpei) and the state-owned ProEcuador, became a promising start to the season of this type of online events, due to the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic. These days there will be more, the next one tomorrow.
Entrepreneurs prepare for more virtual fairs
This is the Virtual Business Fair of the Americas that will be developed by the Ecuadorian-American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham).
From tomorrow until next Friday 26, from 08:00 to 17:00, the objective will be to recognize different trade opportunities in the region and learn about the options promoted by the Amchan of Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, the United States, Mexico, and Panama. , Peru, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay .
Representatives from agribusiness, auto parts, construction, security and defense, technology and communications will participate; services and tourism; in addition to 106 exhibitors and 600 visitors; and an interaction with more than 1000 entrepreneurs in the region is expected.
Three days later it will be the turn of the Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters (Fedexpor), which also plans the Ecuador Food Fair virtual fair from June 29 to July 3 . In this initiative they hope to bring together 100 Ecuadorian exhibitors and more than 150 international buyers.
The fair was created through the Internationalize Mipyme program of Fedexpor that has the endorsement of the European Union in Ecuador, and the support of the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries ; and ProEcuador.
The participating sectors belong to coffee and processed, cocoa and processed (chocolate), snacks, Andean cereals, fruit pulp and dehydrated fruits, jams and sauces, tea and spices, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, non-traditional fruits, banana and plantain, fishing and aquaculture.
Verónica Chávez, Vice Minister of Export and Investment Promotion , pointed out that the business expectation for this virtual event is $ 5 million , the same goal that the Corpei and ProEcuador event set itself.
Regarding this, Eduardo Egas, Chairman of the Executive Board of Corpei , indicated that $ 1.2 million of the sales expectations of $ 15 million were immediately realized during the event .
“This is a success for Proecuador, Corpei and the Ecuadorian exporters who invested 30 minutes per session, at the rate of an average of 6 sessions, which is three hours of time; They also invested $ 150 plus VAT in money and have been able to obtain sales income that could reach a total of $ 15 million in a year. A very high rate between expenses and results ”, highlighted Egas.
For her part, Marianella Ubilla, recently appointed president of the Ecuadorian Association of Banana Exporters (Fedexpor) , participant in the Business Roundtable, highlighted the success of the day, although she admitted missing the direct contact with the buyer, something that now the Pandemic has banned, indefinitely. Physical evidence of products is channeled through diplomatic bags.
Ubilla and his banana colleagues point to future virtual business rounds, after the European summer (October), when the banana is negotiated for next year. Although the contact with buyers now in June helps them to know the market trends.
As Corpei anticipated, buyers are turning to products that meet the new characteristics that the consumer wants now. Due to the pandemic, they are looking for those that give them biosecurity criteria. And that they strengthen their immunity. (I)
