Event tourism has moved more and more Joinville, the largest city of Santa Catarina, located in the north of the state, according to industry representatives. To get an idea, EXPOVILLE, the largest leisure and convention center in the South of the country, was the stage for 176 events in 2017. About 1 million people visited the complex and the financial impact left by the public to the municipality was estimated at around R $ 350 million. With regard to the generation of business conducted at trade fairs, congresses and exhibitions among EXPOVILLE participants, the number reached R $ 1 billion last year, according to management.
The Convention & Visitors Bureau of Joinville and region, which works to attract qualified events to the various specialized spaces of the municipality, announces that it already has almost 50 events registered for 2018. Other great meetings are already confirmed until 2022 as is the case of the Congress Latin American University of Biomedical Engineering. This reflects significantly in the economic movement of the city and region and joins the municipal calendar that already has consolidated events such as the Dance Festival, the Flower Festival, Expogestión, Intermach among others.
According to the director of the EXPOVILLE Luciano Coradi Convention and Exhibition Center, there was a 10% increase in the number of events last year compared to 2016. “Even in the face of the crisis, we were able to grow, together with the work carried out by the municipality and entities, gradual and solid in recent years. Our focus is to grow not only in volume of events, but mainly in qualification. This projects our region as a business destination and contributes to the economy of the city and the state of Santa Catarina, “he says.
In terms of new events for the city as a whole, the CVB Joinville has contributed to boost the destination on the map of major national and international events.
“To get an idea, from 1997 to 2012, that is, in fifteen years, we brought 97 new events to the city. Compared to the last five years, from 2013 to 2017, the city received 75 events, of which approximately 35% were nationals, with more than 47,000 members. This generated an impact of R $ 42 million in direct expenses of the participants, in addition to 96 thousand per day in the hotel network, “comments Joinville CVB executive Giorgio Augusto Souza.
The Executive of the Convention & Visitors Bureau also recalls that in September 2017, Viva Bem Union recognized the increase in event tourism for the occupation of the hotel network. At the time, Joinville hotels recorded the second highest annual occupancy rate. That’s because during the period the city hosted events such as Intermach 2017, the 3rd CONEMB – National Congress of Mobility Engineering and the 45th COBENGE – Brazilian Congress of Engineering Education that together received approximately 27,500 people.
For this year, events such as the 47th Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the 22nd Brazilian Beekeeping Congress and the 8th Brazilian Congress of Meliponicultura, the Brazilian Congress of Communication Sciences, the National Congress of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial, the International Symposium on Fruticulture, among others.
Joinville among the best cities for events tourism
According to Joinville CVB, among the factors that have contributed to the tourism of events in the city, besides traditional tourist points, gastronomy, hotel chain, commerce in the place and the ample infrastructure for events of the most different sizes, is the reduction of Service Tax (ISS) to promoters of events for 2% in activities such as stands, fairs, congresses and exhibitions held in the municipality. The law that came into force earlier this year should boost the sector in addition to improving the city’s competitiveness with other tourist destinations.
The municipality also stands out for its strategic location, close to other consolidated tourist destinations in Santa Catarina and Paraná, and easy access by land and sky. It is an industrial and university pole which also contributes to the attraction of events, product launches and news for the various segments.
About EXPOVILLE
The EXPOVILLE Exhibition and Convention Center, with an area of 210,000 m2, is considered the largest of its kind in southern Brazil and is located in the city of Joinville – an important industrial, tourist and leisure center in Santa Catarina. It is located on the banks of the BR-101, 25 minutes from the city airport, and close to airports such as Navegantes, Curitiba and Florianópolis.Receivers congresses, fairs, exhibitions, shows, graduations, weddings, lectures, among other events. The structure of EXPOVILLE comprises a large air-conditioned pavilion and 13 auditoriums in different formats with acoustic insulation and internet. It also has a restaurant with catering service and parking for 2,500 vehicles. Its outdoor area still has restaurants, choperia and park with numerous attractions and outdoor activities.
Photo: Press release