Reed Buys Brazil Shows

Reed Exhibitions has bought a majority interest in 26 tradeshows in Brazil and signed a joint partnership with the largest tradeshow organizer in South America.

Brazil-based Alcantara Machado and Reed Exhibitions began doing business together two years ago with the joint ownership of Feicon Batimat, an annual Sao Paolo, Brazil, building and construction industry tradeshow that Alcantara Machado had owned previously. Since then, the two organizers have launched two more shows together: ISC BRASIL — Intl. Security & Conference Expo, a spinoff of ISC East and West in the United States; and Sao Paulo Real Estate Exhibition. Both take place in Sao Paolo.

"That allowed us to develop a deeper relationship with Alcantara Machado," said Chet Burchett, president of Reed Exhibitions Americas.

It also led to the deal announced April 9 that involved 23 more shows owned by Alcantara Machado. The deal is particularly significant because it involves one of the largest tradeshow organizers in the world, Reed Exhibitions, with more than 450 events in 34 countries already, and the largest in Brazil, Alcantara Machado.

Among the shows Reed Exhibitions now adds to its portfolio are some of South America's largest, including Mecanica, for machinery and industrial supplies, Brasilpack, for packaging, and Fenatec-Primavera/Verao, for textiles.

Reed, which has operated in Brazil since 1996, will continue to manage five smaller shows on its own: LAAD, Aviation Expo Latin America, CCMA, LinuxWorld and Expo Aluminio Brasil. Likewise, Alcantara Machado will hold onto a handful of its own shows.

"But this aligns the lion's share of both our interests down there," Burchett said.

Plus, it puts Reed Exhibitions in a position to dominate the tradeshow industry in one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

Alcantara Machado has been in business in Brazil since 1956, essentially introducing the concept of the tradeshow to the country.

The benefit for Alcantara Machado in a partnership with Reed Exhibitions is the wide number of contacts with exhibitors and attendees from other parts of the world that it offers.

Alcantara Machado President Jose Rafael Guagliardi said, "With this partnership, we have ensured that we can continue to provide leadership in South America and further support Brazil's economic development."

Guagliardi will become chairman of the new combined entity to be called Reed Exhibitions Alcantara Machado. Day-to-day operations will be managed by Reed Exhibitions' managing director for Brazil, Juan Pablo de Vera. Pablo de Vera will report to Marco Giberti, president of Reed Latin America.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.