Cargando...
Contrary to what its name might suggest and to the stereotype that sometimes prevails about what happens there, the Havana International Fair (Fihav) is fundamentally an event of hard work, before, during and after its execution. On the 40th anniversary of its creation, betting on the realization of Fihav 2024 in the midst of such difficult circumstances for the country, shows the priority that the Cuban government gives to increasing trade relations with the rest of the world, and the persistent interest of foreign businessmen to take advantage of the business opportunities offered by a market like ours.
According to the Cuban News Agency, representatives of more than 60 nations, including a dozen official delegations, and more than 700 companies (including about 200 national ones) are expected to attend the largest trade fair in the Caribbean.
To combine all this international presence and the patio, with an intense program of exchanges, forums, presentations of products and services, as well as the conclusion of agreements under negotiation and the exploration of new beneficial horizons for the participating entities, requires technical and even diplomatic work of great magnitude, which must be used to the fullest extent possible.
The previous effort to remodel and improve part of the facilities of Expocuba, a historic venue for these events whose workers have stood out for their professionalism and dedication for decades, is not to be underestimated.
The fair must be attended with clear goals and objectives, which then become tangible and measurable. Particularly for Cuban companies, this moment can be decisive to ensure their export plans for next year or even to think about them in the longer term, an urgency of our economy that is often greatly helped by exploring the interests of partners and international markets in spaces such as Fihav.
The presentation of an updated portfolio of foreign investment opportunities at the 7th Investment Forum, which has become a tradition at the fair, is also the result of a permanent systematization that each year perfects, expands and directs with greater precision the offers of joint ventures with foreign capital, in all its variants, to the sectors, areas and infrastructures available in the country and with greater attractiveness for this type of mutually beneficial alliances.
The participation of several dozens of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the fair is another sign that demonstrates the transformation of the Cuban economic model and the potential of these actors to promote certain productions and services in which this type of more flexible and dynamic business structure can be more effective.
It is also an opportunity to perfect, adapt and practice everything that has to do with our entrepreneurial learning in areas such as advertising, marketing, design and institutional communication, skills that in the editions of Fihav have a marked prominence, especially in the face of the attending public, but without forgetting on this occasion the economic conditions of the country and the call of the organizers for «a rigorous, decent, dignified and successful fair».
And then, of course, we have to follow up on everything that was discussed, agreed and planned at the fair. It is in this continuity that lies the true success of a meeting like this, which is often only a first step towards similar or complementary economic activities, although it also serves to strengthen existing relationships.
In any case, Fihav 2024 is a very timely practical response to accompany the victory of just a few days ago at the United Nations General Assembly, when 187 governments voted in favor of the Cuban resolution calling for the end of the economic, commercial and financial blockade against our country.
The admission of Cuba as an associate member of the BRICS during its XVI Summit held in Russia is another recent milestone that paves the way for further integration with the world economies, based on beneficial relations and without political conditions, expressed in commercial relations such as those that can be established at this International Fair in Havana.
