Q & A with Abraham MaciquezChairman of the FIHAV 2005 Organizing Committee

by Sabrina Duarte

Open to trade as the port of call it´s always been, Havana is welcoming entrepreneurs from around the world who will attend the island nation´s largest commercial fair. Business opportunities ,a safe market and a wide array of prospects that Cuba has to offer lure state-run companies and private enterprises to this major tradeshow. Caribbean News Digital talked with Abraham Maciquez, chairman of the FIHAV 2005 Organizing Committee.

CND: How will this year´s fair do in terms of turnout? How will the fair be organized this time around?

AM: The 23rd edition of the Havana International Fair will take place from October 31 through November 5 with a major turnout of foreign companies, as stacked up against last year´s event. Up to now, we´ve received confirmation of companies from 45 countries that will cover a total area of 8,500 square meters at the EXPOCUBA Fairgrounds. Companies from the turf will take up 5,000 square meters.

There´ll be four to five pavilions for the fair. ALIMPORT, for example, is this year taking 30 percent more exhibition space and will have two pavilions for their associates, including those nations and companies that have ties with it The United Stated will have the largest showroom within the ALIMPORT area, alongside representatives from China, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela and Mexico, among others. There´ll be a similar situation in the case of CUBALSE, I mean, the company and its business partners together.

There´ll also be ten official pavilions sponsored by the governments of different nations. There are countries like Canada that this time around will have 700 square meters of exhibition space. Some of the major highlights will be provided by South Korea, China, Mexico and Venezuela, as well as Germany, Argentina, Brazil and France.

Spain will be represented by a huge number of companies and local chambers of commerce, like Madrid, Saragossa, Asturias and the Basque Nation, just to name but a few. Other countries like Jamaica, Portugal and the Dominican Republic will have pavilions of their own.

CND: Last year´s FIHAV yielded good outcomes from a business and commercial standpoint. What do you expect to achieve in this year´s edition?

AM: The fair has turned out to be a major event for strengthening of commercial relations among countries and companies, as well as for forging joint ventures and partnerships of all stripes. Cuba´s participation in the tradeshow –planned by the island nation´s Chamber of Commerce- will throw the limelight on a number of local importing and exporting firms.

This year, there´ll be 1,500 foreign businesspeople attending the fair and that speaks volumes of Cuba´s ability to foster incentive travel and congress tourism, a segment within the leisure industry that´s contributing an increasingly larger amount of revenues worldwide. This fair is in no way a financial sacrifice for Cuba, but rather a source of revenue. Keep in mind how much money the country earns in terms of the sale of exhibition space, lodging, car rentals and other services.

CND: We´ve learned that FIHAV 2005 will once again feature a major turnout of American companies and firms. What´s your reaction to that?

AM: That huge turnout of U.S. companies speaks volumes of how willing American are to find loopholes in the embargo and do away with the travel restrictions imposed to them by the White House. Those entrepreneurs come to Cuba because they believe in the Cuban market and in the future of the Cuban market.