Great expectations for EXPOCOMER, EXPO LOGÍSTICA PANAMÁ and EXPO TURISMO Internacional

The Organizing Commission for Exhibitions and Events of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP) presented advances almost more than a month after its three major and main commercial exhibitions, which will take place from 23 to 26 next March at the Panama Convention Center, Amador. With almost everything ready, EXPOCOMER, EXPO LOGÍSTICA Panamá and EXPO TURISMO Internacional 2022 will promote commercial exchange, as well as the dynamism of the local and regional economy, hosting nearly 700 companies from more than 20 countries, interested in strengthening their businesses.

“Panama is the ideal place to grow, strengthen business and promote commercial exchange between the business sectors of all countries, which is why our union is proud to host fairs of this quality and importance, which will take place in the same date to show the world that our country is prepared to receive international events within the same first-world convention center, and what better opportunity than this to see it function at full capacity with Expocomer, Expo Logística Panamá and Expo Turismo Internacional" , expressed Marcela Galindo, president in charge of the CCIAP.

“We feel optimistic about offering a safe environment, which complies with all the necessary measures to be able to receive exhibitors, buyers and visitors. Once again we seek to promote business tourism, exhibitions and international events that are a fundamental part of the economic reactivation of the country”, he added.

“EXPOCOMER is the main multisector fair in Latin America. It is a country event, which has generated great contributions to the local economy in the past and we are sure this edition will not be the exception. We already have confirmed quality exhibitors and buyers who will come together to do business that will impact the economies of our region and the world," Galindo said.

For his part, Jorge Juan de la Guardia, president of the Organizing Commission for Exhibitions and Events of the CCIAP, as well as of Expocomer 2022, pointed out that national and international companies, as well as buyers from the region, are eager to participate again to explore new business contacts. EXPOCOMER, EXPO LOGÍSTICA PANAMÁ and EXPO TURISMO INTERNACIONAL 2022 are preparing to receive the participation of more than 20 countries, who come to take advantage of the opportunities to present their products and services.

De la Guardia invited the Panamanian and international business sector to participate in EXPOCOMER 2022, which is 90% sold out, with the aim of promoting the generation of business contacts, key to boosting trade relations and strategic business alliances with their counterparts.

EXPOCOMER
EXPOCOMER, the "World Trade Showcase" that will take place from March 23 to 26, has been organized by the CCIAP since 1983. This year the 38th edition will be held, with the sponsorship of the Ministry of Trade and Industries (MICI), Copa Airlines, Cobre Panama, the Authority for the Attraction of Investments and the Promotion of Exports of Panama (PROPANAMA), Santos Customs, the Tourism Promotion Fund (PROMTUR) and Tigo.

product categories

The countries that participate in the multisectoral fair will be distributed in pavilions that will house, in the 16,000-square-meter exhibition hall, companies with products in the categories of food, beverages, and agricultural products; textiles, clothing and accessories; technology and electronics.

confirmed countries

Among the countries that have expressed their commitment to participate as exhibitors in the thirty-eighth edition, are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, United States, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, Nicaragua , Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago and Turkey.

The United States is the guest country of Expocomer es; while Turkey and Colombia stand out for their broad representation.

Trade missions
At the same time, trade missions are expected to participate in Expocomer, coordinated through different chambers of commerce such as Guatemala, the Peruvian-Panamanian Chamber, the Costa Rican Chamber of Foreign Trade (CRECEX), PROCOMER El Salvador and the Chamber of Commerce. of the Colombian Pacific. For these missions, we have had the support of the Panamanian diplomatic corps abroad.

In addition to this, one of the novelties of this year is that for the first time a trade mission has been organized made up of humanitarian entities, interested in making contact with potential suppliers of products and services, and they will have a specialized business roundtable to achieve their objectives. .

Business Roundtable
The seventh edition of the Expocomer International Business Roundtable is scheduled for March 24, with a maximum capacity of 150 buyers, who will have the opportunity to apply for the privilege of meeting at 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 pm with product suppliers, previously chosen and with whom they have agreed on an agenda. 

Interested entrepreneurs must apply to be elevated to buyers. To date there are 302 applications, of which 73 companies have been elevated to selected buyers, and profiles continue to be reviewed in this regard.

The buyers who have confirmed their participation come from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada. Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, the United States, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, the Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela.

EXPO LOGÍSTICA Panamá
EXPO LOGÍSTICA Panamá, organized by the CCIAP and the National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT), from March 23 to 26, will have 115 exhibition modules. On this occasion, it is sponsored by the MICI, Panama Maritime Authority (AMP), PSA Panama International Terminal, Colon Free Zone (ZLC), PROPANAMA, Tigo, Cobre Panamá, PROMTUR and Panamá Ports Company.
In its fourteenth edition, so far, it has 50 confirmed companies from the public and private sectors, among them, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), Panama Maritime Authority (AMP), PROPANAMA, Colon Free Zone ( ZLC), Regional Logistics Center for Humanitarian Assistance, COAMCO SA Equipment, Latim Cargo And Trading, London & Regional, Mediterranean Shipping Company Panama (MSC), Panama Ports, Plj Logsitics,SA, Panamanian Cargo Association, Free Trade Zone Users Association. Colon (AU) and Terpel Panama.

EXPO LOGÍSTICA Panama will have three main components: exhibition area, business meetings and the Specialized Congress, called "The Revolution of Logistics Services".

Specialized logistics services congress
One of the main objectives of this fair is the training and updating of knowledge for professionals in the logistics and multimodal transport sector. This year a specialized congress of logistics services is contemplated, where current issues and innovation will be presented; human development, communication, logistics hub and electronic commerce, as well as post-Covid-19 perspectives.

Among the exhibitors who will participate in the specialized congress are: Lucas Mairal-Cruz - Americas Manager DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation with the theme Radar of Trends in the Logistics Sector; Demóstenes Pérez, CEO IPL GROUP-Logistics Operator - LAST MILE Technology, who will participate in a panel on the Role of Technological Infrastructure to Support Ecommerce, moderated by Carlos Caicedo, commercial director of Inbound Logistics LATAM Magazine.       

Meanwhile, Alberto Sierra, executive director of the Regional Logistics Center for Humanitarian Assistance, will address the issue of the Role of the Humanitarian Hub as a Logistics Platform for Humanitarian Operations in the region; meanwhile, in a panel made up of Ana Reyes, deputy administrator of the Panama Maritime Authority; Alberto López Tom, president of the Logistics Business Council (COEL) and Antonio Domínguez, Manager Director Caribbean Area, MAERSK, will give presentations on the "Main Challenges and Perspectives, Post Covid, of the Logistics Sector in Panama: Contributions for the improvement of logistics processes ”, under the moderation of Dovi Eisenman, from the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama.

Other topics to be analyzed are, Supply Chain Security: Impact of the Pandemic on Supermarkets - Experience in the United States; Strategies to improve the competitiveness of companies in the logistics sector; Cybersecurity in the Supply Chain / Virtual Presentation; Role of the Colon Free Zone in regional trade; Agrologistics as a strategy for economic reactivation in the region.

Juan José Dutari, president of the Organizing Commission of EXPO LOGÍSTICA Panamá 2022, pointed out that “EXPO LOGÍSTICA Panamá, which has been sold to date by 90%, has established itself as the most important event in the industry in Panama and the region. Therefore, we will continue with this event, strengthening it and innovating, so that it has an impact on the development of the Panamanian logistics sector, a fundamental axis of our development as a country”.

This exhibition promotes the growth of the logistics industry in the country and the region, while allowing participants to establish business contacts with representatives of maritime service companies, ports, freight forwarders, ports, customs, consolidators, transportation, technology, warehouses, shipping companies, among others; to name a few.

During the inaugural cocktail of EXPO LOGÍSTICA Panama, the former presidents of the Logistics Business Council (COEL) will be recognized as entrepreneurs who have promoted a sector that represents a fundamental part of national growth.

EXPO TURISMO Internacional
This eleventh edition of EXPO TURISMO Internacional 2022 is organized by the CCIAP and will take place on March 25 and 26. It has the support of the Panamanian Association of Hotels (APATEL), PROMTUR, Tourism Authority of Panama, Panama Convention Center (PCC) and Copa Airlines.

It also receives the support of hotels such as Hotel El Panama, Bern Group Hotels, Sheraton Hotel, Aloft Hotel, Verde Azul Group Hotels, JW Marriot, Hotel Riu, Hotel Central, The Santa María Hotel, Whyndham Panama (Albrook Mall) , Hilton Panama, Waldorf Astoria Panama, among others.

The exhibition room will have more than 120 exhibition modules; In addition, it expects to receive the participation of more than 150 international buyers who will be distributed in the event with the aim of positioning Panama as a tourist destination.

“This fair will be focused on tourism for meetings, conventions and events; In addition, in leisure, adventures and multi-destination products, promoting the growth of the tourism industry in the country, it also seeks that exhibitors and buyers take advantage of the opportunity to establish business contacts with wholesalers, tour operators interested in the Panamanian tourist offer and the region; as well as, congress organizers, among others”, explained Monique de Saint Malo, president of the Organizing Commission of Expo Turismo Internacional 2022.

To date, EXPO TURISMO has received more than 200 forms from companies that want to apply as buyers, of which a meticulous selection has been made to confirm the participation as buyers of companies from Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile , Colombia, Costa Rica, Spain, the United States, France, Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Turkey, among others.

National and international companies specialized in different areas of Tourism will participate in the exhibition modules, such as: airlines, Ministries of Tourism, tour operators, hotels and other lodging establishments (beach, sports, jungle and mountain resorts), bureau of Conventions, travel agencies and shopping centers, among others.

Starting the week of February 21, the platform will be enabled to make business appointments between exhibitors and international buyers, "so once we start the session on March 25, we will be ready to be able to make business between the participants."

The first day of EXPO TURISMO Internacional, the program, in addition to having the exclusive exhibition area for buyers and exhibitors, includes the inaugural conference given by Burcin Turkkan, president of SKAL INTERNATIONAL, where topics such as post-pandemic tourism trends, Reengineering in tourism companies and Digital Transformation in tourism, among others. Ending the day with business appointments, a cocktail and Networking offered by the JW Marriott Hotel.

There will also be educational and cultural activities such as folkloric presentations, in the same way, on Saturday the entrance is for the general public to give the opportunity to all the people who wish to plan their vacations, get to know and obtain local and international offers.

In addition, international buyers will be given post-tours in various tourist sites in Panama, on Saturday, so that they can learn on site the range of tourist products and services that Panama offers.

Parallel events
As an added value, various parallel activities will be held during these events, such as forums, awards, Networking, conferences on topics of interest and current affairs for entrepreneurs with economic, logistics, marketing and business opportunities issues, among others. Where the participation of more than 50 national and international specialists is expected to present topics of great interest to the business sector, among them are:

1. Inauguration Cocktail of Expo Logística Panama / March 23, 2022, at 4:00 pm
2. Delivery of the National Award for Business Innovation 2021 / March 23, 2022, at 6:00 pm
3. Economic Forum: "Regional expectations of business activity, challenges and opportunities" / March 24, 2022 at 9:00 am
4. Elections to choose the CCIAP Board of Directors for the period 2022-2023 / March 24 from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm
5. Marketing Trends/March 24, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
6. Positive Panama Business Forum / March 25 at 8:00 am
7. Specialized Congress: The revolution of logistics services / March 25 at 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
8. International Tourism Expo opening conference / March 25 at 8:00 am
9. Health Forum-Panama as a Health and Innovation Hub/ March 25 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
10. Networking – Forum: The Red Heels of the Guilds /, March 25 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
11. III FECAMCO BUSINESS MEETING: Central America Central American recovery and business projections / March 25 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Fair hours

The opening of EXPOCOMER will be at 11:00 am on Wednesday, March 23, with the presence of national and international authorities and personalities.

On March 23, the opening hours of EXPOCOMER and EXPO LOGÍSTICA Panama for exhibitors are from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm; while on March 24 and 25, access is from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. On Saturday, March 26, it is from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for exhibitors, buyers and the general public. .

The schedule of EXPO TURISMO Internacional, for Friday, March 25, the exhibition will be exclusively for business meetings between exhibitors and tourism buyers. Meanwhile, on Saturday, March 26, it will be open to the general public (over 18 years of age) from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Entrance cost The entrance
cost has a value at the box office of US$15.00 for 1 day where the visitor will have access to visit EXPOCOMER and EXPO LOGÍSTICA Panama; while, EXPO TURISMO Internacional will open to the public on March 26.

To participate either as an exhibitor or as a buyer, those interested should go to the Directorate of Exhibitions, Events and Professional Training of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama, and take advantage of the promotional packages, by calling Tel. (507) 2073433/34 or via email expocomer@panacamara.org , | website:  https://www.expocomer.com/