A YEAR OF CHANGES IN FORM AND CONCEPT
Fernando Andrette

Huge challenges face those willing to brave the world crisis and end up strengthened. For many the current time is one of expectant waiting, while others opt to postpone projects and investments. A small number of businessmen are able to see a great opportunity of advancement and conquer of new markets within the current crisis.

We join the ranks of those that believe that the best way to face the paralyzing crisis is to invest and to seek partnerships that will enable the attainment of still more promising altitudes, once the clear skies are back again.

It is said the a successful business provides the market with a product it needs. When we launched the HI-FI SHOW in 1996, the high quality audio and video products market was still crawling in Brazil, so it was a bold yet risky initiative. Many did not believe that the event and the magazine would survive for long. The critics found the project elitist, made by a bunch of high end audio fanatics and half a dozen of well-off consumers, ready to spend a truckload of greenies on it.

The thirteen years of the magazine and the HI-FI SHOW have belied the skeptics and shown to the market that it is possible to advance without losing focus. The HI-FI SHOW has grown, progressing through five different, progressively larger venues, from an initial 500 sq.m. to 6,000 sq.m., and widened its attention to add new market segments, such as media centers, automation, and architectural lighting. The most important and meaningful step of all was taken this year, as we reached a partnership with Reed Exhibitions/ Alcantara Machado, and launched the HI-FI SHOW/BES (Brazil Electronics Show).

We were living the past two years in a state of impasse as for HI-FI SHOW's future, as we were unable to widen our space within the Palácio das Convenções, while at the same time recognizing it would not be possible for us to move in to the Pavilhão do Ahembi, the venue where the most important fairs in Latin America – such as the Salão do Automóvel, Feicom, etc. - are held. Thanks to Reed Exhibitions' regard of our event as a market consolidator, it contacted us during last year's HI-FI SHOW proposing the partnership now being fulfilled, which will enable us to move the consumer area to the larger, 12,000 sq.m. Ahembi Pavilion. Another important advantage is that the BES (Brazilian Electronics Show) will expand the number of segments exhibiting at the show, to include video gaming, cellular telephony, lighting and GPS. The high-end audio segment (HI-FI SHOW) will remain at the Holiday Inn hotel, occupying its mezzanine and the first floor.

The detail that convinced us about the importance of the partnership with Reed Exhibitions/ Alcantara Machado was, in addition to the new venue, the assurance of a attendance four times bigger, when compared to the previous location, the Palácio das Convenções: along with the BES (Brasil Electronic Show), three other shows will occur simultaneously - SISP (Salão Imobiliário de Sáo Paulo), a real estate fair with 250 exhibitors and over 50 thousand attendants seeking to purchase homes, apartments, commercial and touristic venues; FiaFlora, important landscaping and gardening show, with over 200 exhibitors, and Expo Síndico, fair of product suppliers for condos, clubs, banks and financial institutions. The four events will sprawl over the Pavilhão do Anhembi's 70,000 sq.m., enabling a total of over 80,000 patrons to attend all four shows for the price of one ticket.

We are talking about a highly qualified attendance, comprising of consumers from C, B and A levels, as well as professionals from such areas as architecture, decoration, landscapint, engeneers and technicians from various areas. By introducing new segments to the BES (Brazil Electronics Show), we are preparing many new features for this year, beginning with Casa Digital, a huge success in last year's HI-FI SHOW, which expands from the previous 180 sq.m. to over 300 sq.m, and adds a new area for trial and comparison of products. This will allow the visitor to evaluate and compare the best LCD screens available in the market (all of them previously adjusted by the manufacturer in accordance to the Audio & Video Magazine video evaluation methodology) and also to vote on his/ her favorite. Undoubtedly this will be the best comparative test ever carried in the Brazilian market. However, in addition to TV sets, the visitors will also be able to test other products as well, in areas dedicated to notebooks, cell phones and much more.

The official introduction of the partnership with Reed Exhibtions/Alcantara Machado was made at a cocktail party last March 26 at Feicom Fair, in the Pavilhão do Anhembi, with the presence of Reed Brasil's director-president, Mr. Juan Pablo, where the layout, the new concept and the news regarding the BES launching were presented.

Judging by the extremely positive reaction of the attendants, we believe it was a right first step in the presentation of the BES (Brazil Electronics Show) which will undoubtedly be the top consumer electronics show in Latin America – an event long expected by the market, attempted by many, however so far unsuccessfully.

An official list of exhibitors and all the new features will be published in our next issues. All I can tell you right now is that over 70% of last year exhibitors have already committed their full interest to be part of the show.