FIAF was present in the first edition of the RECon Latin America 2009, Annual Convention promoted by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), which was held in October 26-29 in Panama City, Panama, being represented by its General Secretary, Ricardo Camargo.

FIAF’s booth in RECon Latin America 2009.

Beside the participation as an attendee, Camargo presented a seminar on the franchise opportunity in the Shopping Centers and the economic overview about the Latin American region. The entity had an institutional booth, where it could present more details about the work of the Federation and distribute its divulgation materials. The Brazilian (ABF) and Mexican (AMF) Associations were present too with booths.

Ricardo Camargo, FIAF’s General Secretary, shows a seminar on the importance of the franchise for the shopping centers

The event was a great opportunity to establish some contacts with important groups of shopping centers in many countries.

ABF and AMF booth in Recon Latin America 2009

During his staying in Panama, Ricardo Camargo had the opportunity to speak about the FIAF’s actions in the Iberian American countries for a very renowned newspaper of Panama, the Capital.

Camargo gives interview to Hitler Cigarruista, from the newspaper Capital - Panama.

FIAF was present with an institutional stand in the 20th edition of the SIF&Co, traditional franchise fair in Spain and one of the most important in the country, which was held from October 15th to 17th.

This year, the expo showed the signals of the crisis in which the country is crossing, with a reduction of the exhibitor number, but in its first day received a good public. However, the organizers are optimist and they bet in the recovery of the growth from the second semester of 2010, which will impact positively in the next edition of the expo. A prove is that the SIF&Co renewed its support to FIAF and confirmed through its director Inmaculada Santaines the continuation of the Valencian Fair as the official seat of the Iberian American entity for the next two years.

During the event occurred the second annual meeting of the FIAF, which has detached the re-election of Ricardo Camargo as General Secretary of the entity, by unanimity, for the next two years.

Another important happening was the acceptance of the Membership Propose of Uruguay, which became the 11th country member of the FIAF. The other countries are: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Portugal and Venezuela. Besides Uruguay, the Law Office Poblete & Cabrera (México) and the Spain Consulting SDEYF Group had their membership propose validated as Supplier members.

According Ricardo Camargo, the permanence of the FIAF’s seat in Valencia shows the commitment and support of the SIF&Co with the development of the Iberian American Franchising and the coming of Uruguay as member fortify the entity each time more, increasing its representativeness and stimulating the entry of new countries of the region

The next meeting will be held in May 2010, in Portugal or in Argentina.

From left to right:
On foot: Juan Malo Jaramillo (Ecuador), Luis Kiser (Peru), Rogério Feijó (Brazil), José Fernandez (Guatemala), Lucas Secades (Argentina), Paulo Antunes (Portugal), Ricardo Camargo (Brazil), Paola Sordo (México), Alejandro Giraldo (Colombia), Tatiana Cruz (Portugal), Xavier Vallhonrat (Spain) and Eduardo Abadia (Spain).
Down: Carlos Roberts (México), Trindade Barros (Portugal), Alfonso Riera (Venezuela), Ferenz Feher (México), Eduardo Tormo (Spain) e Juan Gallastegui (México).

The FIAF participated of the 3rd Feria Andina de Negocios y Franquicias (FANYF) which happened from September 9th through 10th in the Convention Center Gonzalo Jiménez Quesada, in Bogota – Colombia. The event has been growing gradual and gains projection in the Franchise Latin American scene.

From left to right: Alejandro Giraldo - FENALCO; Alfonso Riera – Venezuelan Franchise Chamber, Eduardo Poblete – Mexican Franchise Association, Ricardo Camargo – FIAF and ABF, Luis Felipe Jaramillo – FANYF, Carlos Canudas – Argentinean Franchise Association, Luis Kiser – Peruvian Franchise Chamber and Gabriel Grasiuso – Uruguayan Franchise Chamber.

The Colombian market shows great possibilities for the international franchising, because the country offers political and economic stability, beside of a population with high cultural level and eager for news, mainly in the food, services and fashion areas.

There is a great concentration of Commercial centers and a retail in fast growth, which open space for new companies to enter in this market. Colombia is part of the Iberian American Franchise Federation (FIAF) since March of this year, in an effort of the sector to organize the franchise system in the country.

The FANYF received around 4000 visitors in its two presentation days and count on 70 stands, detaching one institutional for FIAF. Ricardo Camargo, FIAF’s General Secretary, invited by the fair organizers and the FENALCO, represented the entity making a lecture about the Worldwide Scene of the Franchise in Recession times and participated of the International Franchise Panel, where debated with represent of other countries

Camargo believes that Colombia is nowadays one of the Latin American countries which offer more opportunities to the expansion of the franchise networks, meeting around 10 cities with excellent business potential.

FIAF participated of the 18th ABF Franchising Expo, which happens from June 17th to 20th, with an institutional stand, in which received more than 300 interested in the franchise system of the Iberian American region.

From left to right: Julio Bonilla (AEDEF); Ricardo Camargo (ABF); Luciana (hostess); and Rogério Feijó (ABF).

With a new layout presentation, the FIAF’s stand had the presence of Julio Bonilla, Vice President of the Ecuadorian Franchisors Association (AEDEF), Carlos Roberts, President of the Mexican Franchise Association, and Ferenz Feher, Mexican consultant, besides the participation of Ricardo Bomeny, President of ABF and Ricardo Camargo, Executive Director of ABF and General Secretary of the FIAF.

The 18ª ABF Franchising Expo, which finished in the last Saturday (06/20), received around 39 thousand people interested in opening the own business. The public of the event met more than 260 investment opportunities in many business segments, profiles and regions.

According to the Brazilian Franchise Association (ABF), the expectancy is that the amount of generated business be around US$ 15 million, over passing the expectancy divulged before the event of 14 million. `In the first day of the event we registered an increase of 22% of the visitors interested in opening a franchise, consequently the business amount, after the expo, will increase significantly’, say the ABF’s Executive Director, Ricardo Camargo.

FIAF Board of Directors – Mexico City 2009 From left to right: Ricardo Bomeny, president of ABF; Julio Bonilla,
vice president of AEDEF; Xavier Patiño, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce of Cuenca

With the reason of strengthening the development of the franchising in Latin America, supported by IADB (Inter-American Development Bank), which develops incentive projects for the sector, the ABF (Brazilian Franchise Association) and the AEDEF (Ecuadorian Franchisors Association) signed last June 19th a convention to promote the interchange of information and relationship between the franchise in this two countries.

The convention was signed by the ABF’s president, Ricardo Bomeny, the vice president of the AEDEF, Julio Bonilla and by the vice president of the Chamber of Commerce of Cuenca, Xavier Patiño.

Seminary about the franchising in the Iberian American countries – SIF&Co – Valencia – 2008


FIAF Board of Directors visits the Brazilian Franchise Association – ABF – Sao Paulo – 2008


FIAF Board of Directors - Sao Paulo – 2008


Spanish Franchise Awards Ceremony (AEF – SIF&Co.) – Valencia – October 25^th, 2007.

FIAF Board of Directors – Valencia – 2007

 
Seminary about the franchising in the Iberian American countries – SIF&Co – Valencia – 2007
 

• Promote, diffuse and foment the development of the franchise system in the particular ambit of the countries members and of the whole Iberian American area.
   

• Promote and help the development of the franchises of the associations members in the distinct countries in the Iberian American area.
   

• Fight for a permanent respect and defense of the intellectual property rights involved in the distinct franchises to each one of the countries members, as well as to held actions that is considered as needed to make effective such defense.
   

• Promote and held studies, analysis and investigations about the franchising and its specifics characteristics in the Iberian American region.
   

• Propitiate and keep, by the conduct of the members, relations with the governments of the Iberian American region to foment the development of the legislation which protect the intellectual properties linked to the franchises and which foment and defend the development of the franchise system.
   

• Establish and keep relations with the World Franchise Council, with the international federations of franchise and with the national franchise associations not members of the FIAF.
   

• Represent the associations members in face of the private and public organisms which lead knowledge, expertise and perfection in the franchise system, with the objective of giving assessorial and collaboration in the themes of its competence, whatever directly or throughout the association members.
   

• Organize information’s interchanges and documentation among the members, as well as to organize events which bring benefits to the franchise system.
   

• Promote, orientate and collaborate with the constitution of the franchise national associations which is countries of the Iberian American area where it not exists or it is not being structured.

• Defend the deontological principles.
   

• Promote and stimulate the training, diffusion, investigation and development of the franchise system.