ABF Expo, one of the largest franchise fairs in the world, returns to face-to-face format in 2022, with more space and new exhibiting brands. The 29th edition of the event takes place between June 22nd and 25th, at Expo Center Norte, in São Paulo, and will bring together around 450 brands from different segments. Franchising Brasil — the result of a partnership between the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) and Brazilian Franchising Association (ABF) — will bring five Latin American investors to the exhibition.
Bruno Amado, Franchising Brasil’s executive manager, emphasizes that the purpose of the trip is to introduce Brazilian franchisees participating in the program to the guests and to promote business. “We are very confident and have great expectations regarding the ABF Expo. We have a strong group and we hope to close many deals with the brands that will be presented during the event”, he quotes with optimism.
The group is made up of investors from Chile, Peru and Paraguay. Among the guests is the Chilean Marcela Varas Cataldo, who works in the food and clothing sectors. Cataldo is the chairman of the Franchising Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of Santiago and master franchisee of the Spanish brand LLao LLao in Chile since 2016, with six units in operation and six more scheduled to open in the next two years.
Peru will be represented by three players in the franchising market, all members of the Promperu Franchise Committee. Among the guests is Jorge Wong, with an interest in the food, health, beauty, wellness, and medium and low investment franchises in different sectors. Jorge is the owner of the Embarcadero 41 brand, with over 15 years of experience and 16 units.
We will also have the presence of Richard Lovon, active in the service, contact center and technology sectors, and owner of the Photolife Studios brand, a franchise network of photographic studios with 11 years of experience.
And finally, the Peruvian Martha Garate Chavez, who works in the area of aesthetics and services in general, will also be at the event. She is the manager of the intimate fashion brand Bombon Rojo, with six units in the Latin country.
We will also have the illustrious presence of Christian Trovato, from Paraguay, who operates in the clothing and accessories sectors. Christian is the CEO of the Trovari group, which currently has 32 exclusive locations, with stores from brands such as United Colors of Benetton, Lacoste and Pandora, as well as its own shopping mall.
Franchising Week
The Franchising Week, which is part of ABF Expo, has been held since 2016. The event, lasting a week of immersion in the franchise universe, is the largest meeting of the sector in Latin America. This year, the initiative will bring together nine events in one, which will be held during ABF Expo, in a hybrid format, mixing in-person with virtual broadcasts.
Among the events, the International Franchising Congress will take place and the 2022 Internationalization Highlight Award ceremony will also be held on June 22, at 2 pm. Five internationalization cases from the following franchise chains will be awarded: Chilli Beans, Espaçolaser, SD Group, iGUi and Oakberry.
Last edition
The most recent edition of ABF Expo took place in person in 2019 and brought together 400 exhibiting brands and more than 60 thousand visitors. After two years of interruption due to the pandemic, the fair returns with the expectation of receiving an even larger audience in 2022, having expanded the event area by 1 thousand m², totaling 32 thousand m².
About Franchising Brasil
Franchising Brasil is a joint project of the Brazilian Franchising Association (ABF) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), which aims to support the internationalization strategy of Brazilian franchise networks and their international trade promotion. The initiative was conceived to promote this recognized business model in the main international markets.