[06/11/2008 – 11:53]
Items from Brazil attracted attention at the Hotel Show, a trade fair for the sector that ended yesterday in Dubai and counted on the participation of four Brazilian companies. Showrooms in the emirate displayed interest in representing Brazilian products.
Geraldo Costa |
| In the Brazilian stand at the Hotel Show, over 160 promising contacts were made |
Isaura Daniel*
[email protected]
São Paulo – Products made in Brazil attracted attention at the Hotel Show, a trade fair for the hotel sector that ended yesterday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Four Brazilian-based companies showcased decoration and construction items at the stand organised by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. According to the Marketing manager at the organisation, Andrea Uhlmann, the companies made more than 160 contacts during the fair, which lasted three days.
Some of the exhibitors were sought by local showrooms interested in representing their products in the local market. Such was the case with Revestir, Revestindo Couros, a leather upholstery company based in the city of São Paulo (SE Brazil). The designer at the company, Scarlet Andrade, who was at the fair, should visit a furniture and decoration showroom that sells European products in Dubai today. “They are willing to represent us,” says Scarlet.
Revestir, Revestindo Couros mostly manufactures leather upholstery for walls. However, it also upholsters floors, doors, elevators, furniture and other decoration items, such as wall clocks and trays. It also works with table covers and carpets, for instance. Leather types range from the traditional bovine variety to more exotic ones, such as toad, ostrich and fish. The company owns a factory in São Paulo and a showroom. The items are handmade.
“Our products attracted attention at the fair, we sensed a lot of interest,” Scarlet told ANBA. The company made contact not only with importers and architects from the Arab world, but also with professionals from other countries in the region, such as Pakistan and India, as well as from Europe and the United States. Scarlet believes that good follow-up work with the people who visited the stand may result in sales deals. This was the company’s first time exhibiting in Dubai.
Lighting fixtures manufacturer MP Lustres is another exhibiting company from Brazil that was visited by a representative from a local showroom interested in selling its products. Headquartered in São Paulo, the company sells products under its own brand, Chandeliers, and also exports Dominici fixtures. MP Lustres is an exporter for seven years now, and has already sold to the United States, Canada and Central America, but is not yet present in the Arab market. One of the company’s owners, Márcia Perasso, who is now in Dubai, will pay a visit today to the showroom that should sell her products.
Besides MP Lustres and Revestir, Revestindo Couros, also participating at the Hotel Show were companies Marmoraria Exclusive, for marble, and Docol Metais, for bathroom metals. According to Andrea, of the Arab Brazilian Chamber, the quality of visitors at the Hotel Show was high. “They are architects, designers, people who are really interested in doing business,” says Andrea.
Also yesterday, Brazilian architect Vanessa Gomes, a Professor at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), gave a lecture at the Hotel Show. She discussed sustainable construction and architecture projects in Brazil. Vanessa also visited the Masdar City project in Abu Dhabi yesterday. It is a project for a carbon-neutral city within the emirate.
Accompanied by the Market Development analyst at the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Marcus Vinicius Pillon, the architect heard an onsite explanation of the project, focussing mainly on the areas of water and power supply. They were received by the manager of the Sustainable Construction unit at Masdar City, Christopher Drew.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
