PABEXPO continues to be one of Havana’s top fairgrounds
The roomy and comfy PABEXPO Hall in western Havana is increasingly becoming one of the most coveted fairgrounds for the many world-class events taking place in Cuba every year. One of the latest meetings held there was the Fourth International Trade and Service Fair (Habanabel 2003) in which businesspeople signed over $35 million worth of contracts.
Habanabel 2003, an event of the cosmetics industry, gathered a grand total of 58 companies from 16 countries: Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Chile, China, Spain, France, the British Virgin Islands, Italy, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Great Britain, Russia and Ukraine. That stands for a dramatic increase compared to five attendants that turned up for last year’s edition.
The fair took in an area of 1,091 square meters, way over the 536 square meters where participants showcased their products in 2002.
Next to Havana’s International Conference Center, PABEXPO will also host the upcoming Ninth International Handicraft Fair (FIART 2003) sponsored by the Cuban Cultural Assets Fund. The powwow –to be attended by artisans from different nations- will stretch out from December 14 to 21. Those interested in participating in the fair could contact planners by dialing this fax number: (537)65-2358 or by sending an e-mail to fbcstgo@cultstgo.cult.cu.
Some of the tradeshows recently held at PABEXPO include Informatica 2003 (computers and information technology) with as many as 2,200 square meters and a turnout of 80 companies from eight countries. Another recent major gathering was FECONS 2003, specialized in technological breakthroughs on building and construction in which 277 companies (156 of them from overseas) hired a staggering tally of 4,000 square meters worth of exhibiting space.
At the same time, PABEXPO has played host to the Health For All Fair with 462 companies from 32 nations; CUBADISCO with 25 countries and representatives from Argentina, Germany, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Spain, United States, France, U.K., Italy, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Uruguay, and TECNOTUR 2003, an exposition on cutting-edge technology applied to the tourist industry.
New shows in the making are METANICA 2003 scheduled from July 15 to 19; the International Transportation Fair from September 17 to 20, Havana’s International Fair and FIART, both due up in the fall of 2003.
