Fimec confirms the economic comeback of the leather-footwear sector
During the three days of the event, the largest fair of the cluster in Latin America was marked by optimism and good business deals
For three days, the 45th Fimec (International Fair of Leather, Chemical Products, Components, Machinery and Equipment for Footwear and Tanneries) brought together the leather-footwear cluster to present new product, technology and service launches at Fenac, in Novo Hamburgo/RS. The event, which ended on Thursday (March 10th), provided the ideal environment for networking, prospecting and closing deals to the highly qualified public that attended the fair.
For the CEO of Fenac, the outcome of this edition was positive. “It was a thriving and high-quality Fimec, which brought together visitors with unique decision-making skills”, he highlighted. “This is the most surprising Fimec ever, both for exhibitors and visitors of the footwear chain in Latin America”, reported Jung. For 2023, the expectation is for an even bigger fair. “Several exhibitors are already in touch with us for the next edition”, he added.
Our exhibitors were really happy with their good deals
Fimec 2022 brought together around 280 exhibitors who presented new features and goods in the categories of leather, chemical products, components, machinery, equipment and technologies for footwear and tanneries. Among exhibitors, the perspective was to regain optimism in the sector.
For Quimicolla, their participation was positive. “In terms of visitation and business generation, our expectations have been totally exceeded. We are very happy with the results achieved. The projection for next year is to have a stand that attracts even more public attention at the fair”, said Vinicius Amaral, Marketing team member at Quimicolla, explaining that the company has already renewed its participation for Fimec 2023. “Our main objective with the participation in fairs is the presence of the brand, which is why Quimicolla's management team was surprised by the closing of deals during Fimec, which was 100% more than expected". All of which reinforces the fact that, in addition to the closed deals, the company has several prospects and contacts in progress for the period following the conclusion of the fair.
For Nelise Gasperini, commercial manager at Tecnomaq, the closing of deals during this edition was also a surprise. “The fair itself surprised us in a very positive way. We didn't expect so many visitors, much less the considerable amount of orders we closed, since the normal flow of a trade show, especially for the machinery segment, involves a much longer sales process. This year, many took advantage of Fimec to close product sales orders,” he celebrated. When talking about the current scenario of the leather-footwear sector, he mentioned the following. “Brazil on its own is going through a transformation in the footwear segment and it is a very prosperous moment in this sense for the Brazilian footwear industry”, explained Nelise.
Optimistic Visitors
One of the highlights of this edition of Fimec was the presence of a highly qualified public, including 96 international buyers. For Juan Blanc, a Colombian businessman, this was his first participation in the fair. “I got to know Fimec in Colombia and I knew that it was the most important fair in Latin America. Now that I am here, this image has come true”, he highlighted. Blanc also pointed out that he will return to Colombia with excellent shopping deals and a strong desire to return next year. “I became acquainted with processes and machines that I had no idea existed and saw them working up close at Fábrica Conceito”, he reported. “I bought a machine that helps improve the quality of our team members' work, as well as other inputs to produce shoes for women and children, which is our main focus,” added Blanc.
Another visitor from the last day was Jaqueline Moraes, analyst at Arezzo&Co, she said the fair presented new features and products. “We found it all very interesting due to the amount of new features and exhibitors present at the fair. We have already found several products and services that we were looking for”, explained Jaqueline, stating that the fair is essential for businesses and customers to be able to see the products in person. She even gave us her personal opinion about the reality of the cluster. “The sector is more evolved, it has been growing and recovering during this post-pandemic period”, she pointed out.
The 2023 edition of the fair: The 46th Fimec (International Fair of Leather, Chemicals, Components, Machines and Equipment for Footwear and Tanneries) is confirmed to take place from March 7th to 9th, 2023, at Fenac's pavilions, in Novo Hamburgo/RS, Brazil.
About the 45th Fimec: it was organized by FENAC S/A and is sponsored by Covestro, Sicredi Pioneira and Transduarte. The fair also counts on the support from Abicalçados, Abiacav, Abqtic, Abrameq, ACI-NH/CB/EV, Aicsul, Assintecal, CICB, Fiergs, IBTeC and Sebrae/RS. The professional fair took place from March 8th to the 10th, at Fenac, in Novo Hamburgo/RS. For more information: please go to www.fimec.com.br and follow the event on social media @feirafimec.
