For a long time, trade show organizers wanting to expand their portfolios cast their eyes on the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries, but recently, they have started taking a closer look at Mexico, a country poised for growth.

There have been several moves in the past few months to raise the profile of the trade show industry there.

In April, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events formed the IAEE Mexico Chapter, citing a rapid growth in the country and the association’s “long and fruitful relationship with the Mexican exhibitions and events industry.”

IAEE Mexico Chapter Interim Chairperson and 2000 IAEE Chairman of the Board Patricia Farias Barlow, said, “I am very pleased that the IAEE Board of Directors approved our petition to form the chapter. We believe that bringing IAEE programming to Mexico will be well received, and we look forward to carrying the IAEE brand throughout the country.”

Farias Barlow will serve as interim chairman for several months and will then transition leadership to Chair-Elect Horacio Vazquez, president of Expo Guadalajara.

The goals for the IAEE Mexico Chapter are to provide relevant and timely programming and education for exhibition organizers and suppliers throughout Mexico, according to IAEE.

“The board of directors is extremely supportive of this chapter, and it is our intent to support the chapter and its programming. IAEE has always been very supportive of our colleagues in Mexico, and we welcome them to the IAEE chapter network,” said IAEE President and CEO David DuBois.

To further its commitment to Mexico, IAEE also recently signed onConsultancy Company Global Meetings and Tourism Specialists, owned by exhibitions and events industry veteran Eduardo Chaillo, to help lead membership recruitment and strategic partnership development efforts in support of the new IAEE Mexico chapter and throughout Latin America.

Chaillo, who was inducted into the Convention Industry Hall of Leaders this year, will work closely with IAEE staff to develop new opportunities and assist in enhancing stronger communities of exhibitions and events industry professionals in Mexico and Latin America.

Most recently, Chaillo has served as executive director for the meetings industry of the Mexico Tourism Board in Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for developing alliances with organizations in the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry with Mexico.

He formerly was regional director of the Mexico Tourism Board’s offices in North America headquartered in the Midwest marketing office in Chicago, overseeing marketing activities in eight offices in the U.S. and Canada.

"It is a real privilege to represent such a prestigious organization as IAEE in the Latin American region,” Chaillo said. “Building bridges in the Americas through encouraging the trade show industry is one of the main objectives of our recently-formed consultancy company GMTS."

Shows in Mexico also are looking for more legitimacy in the global market, with auditing firm BPA Worldwide performing Mexico’s first-ever event audit on Expografica, owned by ANIDIGRAF A.C. and held May 22-25, in Guadalajara, Mexico.

“Expográfica is proud to implement this third-party measurement process through BPA Worldwide. Independent assurance of our data will have a positive impact on not only propelling Mexico’s graphic arts industry, but also the entire exhibition industry in our country in providing transparency as an industry best practice,” said Juan J. Vilar de la Isla, ANIDIGRAF president.

He added, “As the first trade show in Mexico to take this action, we demonstrate our solid commitment to transparency in providing our exhibitors and association members with assurance and reliability for what our business forum does for their companies.”

Produced by ANIDIGRAF A.C. since 1979 and one of Mexico’s 10 largest business exhibitions, Expográfica provides attendees and exhibitors with education and serves the Hispanic market from Mexico, as well as the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The audit will be completed to the Exhibition and Event Industry Audit Council (EEIAC) standards, according to BPA Worldwide.

"We are pleased that Expográfica has applied for membership with BPA Worldwide,” said BPA President and CEO Glenn Hansen.

He added, “We applaud ANIDIGRAF A.C. for leading Mexico and Latin America in this measurement initiative by providing their stakeholders with the assurance of an independent event audit conducted according to uncompromising standards. Sponsors and exhibitors can be confident that with accurate audience information, they have the data they need to assess an event’s effectiveness in serving its market."