410 people were part of Cubrecol Americas 2010. For two days the applicators and manufacturers of paints and coatings gathered around a congress and a commercial exhibition in which the recovery of the industry was evidenced, after the debacle suffered in previous years.By Vanesa Restrepo
For the seventh consecutive time, the professionals involved in the application of paints and coatings gathered to learn about the latest advances in formulations, equipment and new technologies at Cubrecol Americas 2010, the most important academic and commercial event in Latin America for the actors of the last link in the production chain of the paint industry: contractors, auditors, applicators and inspectors.
The perfect setting for the meeting was Medellín, one of the Colombian cities with the largest number of paint factories, and which also has a great development in terms of construction and industrial development.
The fair had two quite innovative attractions this year. The first of these was the forum "Perspectives of the paint industry in Latin America, in a post-crisis scenario", in which Telma Florencio, representative of the Brazilian Association of Paint Manufacturers, Abrafati; Edgar Valderrama, president of the Global Paint Company; Eduardo Loaiza, president of the Colombian Chamber of Construction, Camacol; and Max Jaramillo, director of Cubrecol and INPRA LATINA Magazine, met to discuss the real impacts of the crisis and the possible scenarios it will have, now that the Latin American economy has entered the reactivation stage.
From this forum it was possible to conclude that elements such as the reactivation of housing construction in Colombia and the promotion of infrastructure as one of the "locomotives" that will flatter the economy, according to the announcements made by the government of that country, will serve for the sector of industrial coatings and architectural paints to be energized in the coming years.
In other countries such as Chile, events such as the reconstruction of the damage caused by the earthquake are recorded; while in Brazil, investment has increased on behalf of the preparation of sports venues and infrastructure to host the Olympic Games and the World Cup in 2016 and 2014, respectively. These developments augur a direct growth for the industry of protective and anticorrosive paints and coatings.
Traders at the table
The other element that caught the attention of the attendees was the Business Roundtable, in which manufacturers, suppliers and contractors gathered to present their specific products and services, with a view to closing commercial agreements in the remainder of the year. The participants expressed their satisfaction with the results obtained, since between 50 and 80% of the appointments ended in positive approaches and broad business perspectives.
"In the Business Roundtable we had contacts and we managed to advance in business issues for our company. These fairs and activities bring great benefits for both exhibitors and interested companies," explained Anuar Sabogal, from the Colombian company Bycsa S.A.
According to the experience of the previous year, the Business Roundtable allows to find new clients from the region, as well as to open new commercial spaces in the geographical area that is already being worked.
The next edition of Cubrecol Americas will be held in September 2011, also in the city of Medellín, Colombia.
Some statistics.
410 attendees at Cubrecol Americas 2010.
Of the participants in the Congress:
50.4% said they were satisfied with the quality of the conferences
27.1% said they were very satisfied
21% considered that the event still has issues to improve
1.9% were dissatisfied.
Of these, 90.3% said they would recommend the congress to their colleagues, given the high level of speakers and the quality of the presentations.
The next edition of Cubrecol Americas will be held in September 2011, also in the city of Medellín, Colombia.
