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Response overwhelming for Miami food and beverage show The 7th Americas Food and Beverage Show and Conference being held in Miami, Florida, December 2-3, will have a larger Atlantic Canadian presence this year. Company registration for the Atlantic Canadian pavilion is at capacity and has increased by two-thirds from 2003. In total, 23 companies have registered for the event. The Canada/Atlantic Provinces Agreement on International Business Development (IBDA) has invested $118,000 in this project. The agreement is designed to help provide opportunities to companies from Atlantic Canada to enter, explore and succeed in markets around the world. It involves three federal departments � the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Industry Canada and International Trade Canada � and the four Atlantic Canadian provinces. "Through this agreement, ACOA continues to invest in projects that help Atlantic Canadian companies capitalize on their export potential," said Joseph McGuire, Minister of ACOA. "The Americas Food and Beverage Show, in particular, presents a significant growth opportunity for Atlantic Canadian companies. Miami is a major sales and distribution centre for food and beverage products heading to the Latin American and Caribbean region."
"Newfoundland and Labrador
has distinctive food and beverage products, and trade shows such as the
Americas Food and Beverage Show provide local entrepreneurs the opportunity
to present their products to an international market," said Kathy
Dunderdale, Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development. "There
are over 100 secondary food processors in our province, and value-added food
and beverage products is a growing niche market."
In the weeks leading up to the
event, federal and provincial trade officers worked closely with
participating companies to help them prepare for the event and identify
potential business opportunities.
During the event, Atlantic
Canadian companies will exhibit their products under the Atlantic Canadian
pavilion. They will also participate in a partnering program with Publix (a
large supermarket chain), which will connect companies directly with Publix
buyers via one-on-one meetings. There will also be networking opportunities
during the show and on-site market visits to retailers in the Miami
area.
Since 1994, the IBDA has
provided support to more than 65 international trade missions. Exit surveys
administered by ACOA indicate that 34 per cent of companies that
participated in an IBDA-sponsored trade activity for the first time have
since begun exporting internationally. Forty per cent of the companies
already exporting reported an increase in the volume of their exports and 30
per cent started exporting to new markets as a result of an IBDA activity.
NOTE TO EDITORS: The following companies are scheduled to attend the Americas Food and Beverage Show (December 2-3, 2004):
Media contact:
2004 11 29 4:05 p.m. |
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