EMECA Press Releases
European Major Exhibition Centres Association:
EMECA supports Al-Invest aid programme
- Aim: open EU market to Latin-American companies
- 30 joint pavillions at international trade shows in Europe
Latin America is becoming increasingly interesting for international trade. The share of the worldwide Gross Domestic Product (GDP) held by Central and South America was already 3,534 billion US dollars or 6.5 per cent in 2007. Latin America’s exports alone have achieved two-figure growth rates in the past two years. The 27 EU states with 16,770 billion US dollars and a 30 per cent share of the worldwide GDP still currently exceed the economic power of the aspiring region by a factor of five, but the minor role of Latin America by worldwide comparison is growing all the time – due partly to the economically attractive production conditions. Reason enough for EMECA to continue its commitment to the implementation of the economic aid programme for Latin America – “America Latina-Invest” (Al-Invest).
The programme launched by the EU in 1995 makes it easier for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from Latin America to exhibit at European exhibitions. The Al-Invest programme is managed by Eurochambres, the European Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry. More than 87,000 SMEs have participated in Al-Invest projects to date.
Al-Invest is divided into altogether four phases. The cornerstone of the current phase is the promotion of trade relationships through appearances at exhibitions. Traditionally, Latin America and the EU maintain close trade relations, but these almost exclusively cover a few large enterprises. For financial and logistic reasons, SMEs can seldom afford to appear at exhibitions abroad. The aim of the fourth phase of the programme is therefore to organize some 30 pavilions for Latin American SMEs at selected European exhibitions between 2009 and 2012. EMECA is responsible for the implementation. A company registering for the Al-Invest economic aid programme can exhibit at the exhibition as a co-exhibitor together with other companies from Latin America.
EMECA also advises Eurochambres on the selection of exhibitions qualifying for support, taking into account the special needs and requirements of the Latin American SMEs. The exhibitions selected are those of great importance for their respective sector and which attract many international exhibitors and visitors. The following ten sectors are supported by the Al-Invest aid programme: craft trades, food industry, environment and energy, information and communication technologies, service sector, textile industry, forestry, biotechnology, building industry and agriculture.
Interview about Al-Invest with Jörn Kornenwerth, EMECA Secretary General
This is the first time that an exhibition organisation has participated in an EU-programme of this type. Jörn Kronenwerth, EMECA Secretary General, discusses its central components, investments and the branches that profit from it. The full interview is available at www.emeca.eu.
Mr Kronenwerth, the Al-Invest programme has existed since 1994 and now (2009-2012) finds itself in its fourth stage. What does that mean in real terms?
Kronenwerth: The Al-Invest programme aims to promote business and technological exchange between Latin-American and European SMEs. A central pillar of the initiative is to give Latin-American companies an entry point to the European market through taking part in trade fairs. This also offers them the opportunity to make contact with European companies and to build long-lasting business relationships. To date, over 87,000 SMEs have taken part in the programme. Al-Invest IV is a continuation of the previous phases and is set to run until 2012. The cornerstone of the current round is explicitly to promote trade relations through representation at trade fairs. For logistical and financial reasons, taking part in trade fairs abroad is something that SMEs can rarely afford to do.
How is EMECA integrated into the EU’s funding programme?
Kronenwerth: The activities that take place within the Al-Invest IV framework are developed and led by a European consortium, under the supervision of the European Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Within the consortium, it is our job to organise the relevant trade fairs, thereby offering Latin-American companies an ideal platform on which to present their products.
How big is the budget and how does one access the funds? How large is the average grant?
Kronenwerth: The total programme investment for the four-year period is 62 million Euros, of which 50 million Euros come directly from the European Commission. These funds are there for the benefit of the Latin-American SMEs from which, for example, the cost of their participation at European trade fairs is paid.
Which branches profit particularly from this arrangement?
Kronenwerth: The branches that do best are those that are already strongly established in Latin-America, or which are in the process of developing. The Latin-American trade associations for these branches actively seek exchange and internationalisation opportunities for their members. Examples include consumer goods, foodstuffs, nutrition, tourism, agriculture, IT, construction and the automobile industry.
What does this programme mean for EMECA members?
Kronenwerth: For EMECA members, this programme represents a great opportunity to present themselves to Latin-American companies as efficient trade show organisers, with the ability to bring the right players together in a business context. At the same time, the businesses themselves benefit from being able to exploit the opportunity of using leading trade fairs as their entry point into the European market.
Information on participating in the Al-Invest IV phase and application forms are available on the website of the European Commission.
About EMECA:
The 18 EMECA venues organize some 1,200 exhibitions a year with around 388,000 exhibitors and 43.5 million visitors on a gross rented display area of about 36 million square metres. According to their own estimates, the exhibiting companies generate a turnover of some 800 billion euros through exhibitions. A KMPG study shows that the economic effects initiated by exhibitions at the EMECA venues amount to some 16 billion euros and secure over 360,000 jobs in Europe.
The EMECA members:
Belgium:
Brussels Expo
Germany:
Deutsche Messe (Hannover), Messe Frankfurt, NürnbergMesse, Landesmesse Stuttgart
France:
EUREXPO – Centre de Conventions e d’Expositions de Lyon, VIPARIS, Paris
Italy:
BolognaFiere, Fiera Milano, Rimini Fiera, VeronaFiere
The Netherlands:
Royal Dutch Jaarburs Utrecht
Portugal:
Feira Internacional de Lisboa
Switzerland:
MCH Group (Basel, Zürich, Lausanne), Geneva Palexpo
Spain:
Fira de Barcelona, IFEMA – Feria de Madrid, Feria Valencia
Press and media contact:
Peter Ottmann
Member of the Management Board of NürnbergMesse
EMECA Press Spokesman
Messezentrum
90471 Nürnberg
Phone +49 (0) 9 11. 86 06-83 15
Fax +49 (0) 9 11. 86 06-86 40
pressesprecher@nuernbergmesse.de
www.emeca.eu
June 15, 2010
EMECA supports Al-Invest aid programme
- Aim: open EU market to Latin-American companies
- 30 joint pavillions at international trade shows in Europe
Latin America is becoming increasingly interesting for international trade. The share of the worldwide Gross Domestic Product (GDP) held by Central and South America was already 3,534 billion US dollars or 6.5 per cent in 2007. Latin America’s exports alone have achieved two-figure growth rates in the past two years. The 27 EU states with 16,770 billion US dollars and a 30 per cent share of the worldwide GDP still currently exceed the economic power of the aspiring region by a factor of five, but the minor role of Latin America by worldwide comparison is growing all the time – due partly to the economically attractive production conditions. Reason enough for EMECA to continue its commitment to the implementation of the economic aid programme for Latin America – “America Latina-Invest” (Al-Invest).
The programme launched by the EU in 1995 makes it easier for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from Latin America to exhibit at European exhibitions. The Al-Invest programme is managed by Eurochambres, the European Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry. More than 87,000 SMEs have participated in Al-Invest projects to date.
Al-Invest is divided into altogether four phases. The cornerstone of the current phase is the promotion of trade relationships through appearances at exhibitions. Traditionally, Latin America and the EU maintain close trade relations, but these almost exclusively cover a few large enterprises. For financial and logistic reasons, SMEs can seldom afford to appear at exhibitions abroad. The aim of the fourth phase of the programme is therefore to organize some 30 pavilions for Latin American SMEs at selected European exhibitions between 2009 and 2012. EMECA is responsible for the implementation. A company registering for the Al-Invest economic aid programme can exhibit at the exhibition as a co-exhibitor together with other companies from Latin America.
EMECA also advises Eurochambres on the selection of exhibitions qualifying for support, taking into account the special needs and requirements of the Latin American SMEs. The exhibitions selected are those of great importance for their respective sector and which attract many international exhibitors and visitors. The following ten sectors are supported by the Al-Invest aid programme: craft trades, food industry, environment and energy, information and communication technologies, service sector, textile industry, forestry, biotechnology, building industry and agriculture.
Interview about Al-Invest with Jörn Kornenwerth, EMECA Secretary General
This is the first time that an exhibition organisation has participated in an EU-programme of this type. Jörn Kronenwerth, EMECA Secretary General, discusses its central components, investments and the branches that profit from it. The full interview is available at www.emeca.eu.
Mr Kronenwerth, the Al-Invest programme has existed since 1994 and now (2009-2012) finds itself in its fourth stage. What does that mean in real terms?
Kronenwerth: The Al-Invest programme aims to promote business and technological exchange between Latin-American and European SMEs. A central pillar of the initiative is to give Latin-American companies an entry point to the European market through taking part in trade fairs. This also offers them the opportunity to make contact with European companies and to build long-lasting business relationships. To date, over 87,000 SMEs have taken part in the programme. Al-Invest IV is a continuation of the previous phases and is set to run until 2012. The cornerstone of the current round is explicitly to promote trade relations through representation at trade fairs. For logistical and financial reasons, taking part in trade fairs abroad is something that SMEs can rarely afford to do.
How is EMECA integrated into the EU’s funding programme?
Kronenwerth: The activities that take place within the Al-Invest IV framework are developed and led by a European consortium, under the supervision of the European Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Within the consortium, it is our job to organise the relevant trade fairs, thereby offering Latin-American companies an ideal platform on which to present their products.
How big is the budget and how does one access the funds? How large is the average grant?
Kronenwerth: The total programme investment for the four-year period is 62 million Euros, of which 50 million Euros come directly from the European Commission. These funds are there for the benefit of the Latin-American SMEs from which, for example, the cost of their participation at European trade fairs is paid.
Which branches profit particularly from this arrangement?
Kronenwerth: The branches that do best are those that are already strongly established in Latin-America, or which are in the process of developing. The Latin-American trade associations for these branches actively seek exchange and internationalisation opportunities for their members. Examples include consumer goods, foodstuffs, nutrition, tourism, agriculture, IT, construction and the automobile industry.
What does this programme mean for EMECA members?
Kronenwerth: For EMECA members, this programme represents a great opportunity to present themselves to Latin-American companies as efficient trade show organisers, with the ability to bring the right players together in a business context. At the same time, the businesses themselves benefit from being able to exploit the opportunity of using leading trade fairs as their entry point into the European market.
Information on participating in the Al-Invest IV phase and application forms are available on the website of the European Commission.
About EMECA:
The 18 EMECA venues organize some 1,200 exhibitions a year with around 388,000 exhibitors and 43.5 million visitors on a gross rented display area of about 36 million square metres. According to their own estimates, the exhibiting companies generate a turnover of some 800 billion euros through exhibitions. A KMPG study shows that the economic effects initiated by exhibitions at the EMECA venues amount to some 16 billion euros and secure over 360,000 jobs in Europe.
The EMECA members:
Belgium:
Brussels Expo
Germany:
Deutsche Messe (Hannover), Messe Frankfurt, NürnbergMesse, Landesmesse Stuttgart
France:
EUREXPO – Centre de Conventions e d’Expositions de Lyon, VIPARIS, Paris
Italy:
BolognaFiere, Fiera Milano, Rimini Fiera, VeronaFiere
The Netherlands:
Royal Dutch Jaarburs Utrecht
Portugal:
Feira Internacional de Lisboa
Switzerland:
MCH Group (Basel, Zürich, Lausanne), Geneva Palexpo
Spain:
Fira de Barcelona, IFEMA – Feria de Madrid, Feria Valencia
Press and media contact:
Peter Ottmann
Member of the Management Board of NürnbergMesse
EMECA Press Spokesman
Messezentrum
90471 Nürnberg
Phone +49 (0) 9 11. 86 06-83 15
Fax +49 (0) 9 11. 86 06-86 40
pressesprecher@nuernbergmesse.de
www.emeca.eu
June 15, 2010
