Revistir Draws Well in April Debut

SÃO PAULO, Brazil – With 28,500 buyers in attendance, the inaugural Revestir/Brazilian Stone and Tile Exhibition appeared to be a big hit on April 9-13.
Event organizers reported that Revestir, held at São Paulo’s Transamérica ExpoCenter, generated approximately $50 million in business, with $20 million of commerce related to exports.
The event covered Brazil’s ceramics, marble and granite producers, with a trade floor of 100 exhibitors. Along with domestic attendees, the show brought in buyers from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, France, Italy, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain and the United States.
Last year, the ceramics and stone sectors generated more than $500 million in export sales, with exports estimated to top $650 million this year and $1 billion in 2005.
“The figures pointed to the importance of holding a trade fair specifically aimed at this segment,” says Caíque Paes de Barros, director of Revestir. “The result of this, the first such event of its type, has proved that the strategy is the right one.”
Revestir will return next year on March 9-13 at the Transamérica ExpoCenter. Event organizers anticipate the exhibit space will expand by 20 percent, with 90 percent of the floor already booked in advance.