The completion of the new Poliforum exhibition hall made Anpic – La Feria de América 2001 – the largest edition ever. There were an extra 68 exhibitors and 12,960m² of additional exhibition space compared with the 2000 edition.
Although, the show was positive there was a subdued atmosphere among many of the exhibitors. The domestic market appeared to be quieter after a number of productive years. Some exhibitors and visitors expressed concern over the slow-down of the US economy and the escalating price of raw materials.
The US is the single largest export market for Mexican footwear and the domestic market is heavily dependent on sales to the region. ‘The market in Mexico is not to good at the moment and business is quiet’, said Jose Maria Noriega, general manager for Mexican tanners, Corporación Nacional Curtidora (CNC). ‘We have a crisis in Mexico at the moment and people do not have any money to buy or invest in their businesses.’
Many people were waiting until after the show to see if any business would materialise as a result of the event.
Anpic, which took place from March 11 to 14 at the Poliforum exhibition centre, León, Guanajuato, México, featured a total of 1,320 exhibitors representing the tanning, footwear component and accessories, footwear and tanning machinery, and footwear and tanning chemical sectors. The new building was officially opened last December.
During the four-day fair 19,750 visitors attended from a total of 28 different countries. A large number of visitors were reported from the US, Guatemala, El Salvador, Italy, Spain, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Brazil as well as Mexico. A total of 18,828 visitors attended from Mexico and 922 (6.2%) were foreign.
Anpic 2002 is scheduled to take place in the same venue from February 23 to 26.