Project doubles Apex-Brasil’s business forecast

The results obtained during carnival by the Brazilian Trade Investment Promotion Agency (“Apex-Brasil”) has sured the initial forecast of $340 million generated in business over the next twelve months. “Actually, it has nearly doubled,” said Diogo Akitaya, coordinator of Project Carnival, in an interview with Agência Brasil on Tuesday (Mar. 11).

The project aims at strengthening the relationship between Brazilian companies and potential importers and suppliers overseas in an attempt to expand the country’s exports and generate revenue in foreign currency for Brazil. The event gathered in Rio de Janeiro 296 foreign guests altogether, including buyers and opinion-makers, not to mention 200 Brazilian representatives, 196 of whom from companies and 31 from industry-related entities.

The business made for the next twelve months have amounted to $628.41 million: “This is very important to us in this kind of [event], because it shows that, even during [the Project Carnival], was much closer between Brazilian businessmen and potential buyers and importers, which also resulted in higher business expectations on the part of Brazilian businessmen.” Figures were very much celebrated by the agency, since, Akitaya added, “they’re the reflection of the work carried out by Apex and the companies, and this will boost exports and revenue in foreign currency for the country.”

In his view, the negotiations with foreign importers focused primarily on the Brazilian products with the highest added value, particularly machines and equipment in the medical and dental sectors: “There were outstanding results and confirmations of partnerships between guests and Brazilian companies.”

Another industry sector that attracted international attention, besides the traditional sectors of food and drink, furniture and fashion, was that of audiovisuals, propaganda and television. According to Diogo Akitaya, international visitors expressed a lot of interest in several loci in the country for filming and ment. The coordinator also asserted that this means more than just revenue for Brazil, “because it’s about hiring Brazilian services, and it’s Brazil’s reputation that’s traveling abroad in a profitable way.”

Project Carnival has been organized by Apex-Brasil since 2009 and gathers over 1.5 thousand guests, generating business for over 35 economic sectors in the country. It is part of the agency’s Program for Marketing and Relationship, which includes a number of sports and cultural events in Brazil and abroad.

As regards the World Cup, Akitaya said that “Apex-Brasil holds very high expectations for the project, because this is a unique event.” He is expecting the specific number of countries and foreign which will come for Project World Cup in April: “We’ll definitely get very good results.”

Up to the moment, 170 Brazilian companies have ed so as to strengthen their relationship with international buyers and make business during the event. Apex-Brasil is to greet guests in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Brasília and Fortaleza – cities which are to host two to three World Cup matches each.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira