Within a year, the Tigers of Asia Expo has evolved into a top general consumer products trade show in the US catering to Caribbean, Latin American and American buyers. This year's expo showcased 524 exhibiting companies and registered over 10,000 buyers. The visitor profile of the first expo comprised exporters and agencies of Latin American companies. Of these 55 per cent were based in the US, 40 per cent in Latin America, and 5 per cent elsewhere.

The Tigers of Asia Expo 1998 was the brainchild of Michael Finocchiaro, who is also the president of the show. His realisation of the need to bridge the gulf between the importrequirements of the resurgent Latin American economies and manufacturers in the Asian region culminated in the Tigers of Asia Expo 1998 in April this year.

Finocchiaro is also the man behind the Miami International Construction Show (MIACON) and Miami International Mining Expo (MIAMIN). He has launched an in-depth study of the supply scenario and personally undertaken business tours in the Asian region, including India in 1996. Daniel Fernandes is the vice-president for the promotion of the expo.

Fresh from the success of the previous expo, the organisers of the mega-event have announced the launch of Tigers of Asia Expo 1999. The exhibition is scheduled from March 9-11, 1999, at the Miami Beach Convention Centre, Miami, USA.

In an effort to reach out to Indian companies wishing to participate, the duo have appointed Arien Advise as their agent for India.

The Latin American market provides ample opportunities for exports. India's share in this $250 billion market is very small, and Indian productsonly occasionally find their way to Latin America through middlemen in the US.

The last expo attracted over 10,000 buyers from Latin America, the Caribbean and the US, benefiting 524 companies, including 13 from India. Over 62 per cent of those who attended were decision-makers and 24 per cent represented various companies in the region.

This success is attributed to a widespread promotional programme and the organisers' strategic contacts in the region cultivated over a span of 23 years. In fact, most of last year's Indian participants have already confirmed their space and gone in for additional booths. A separate India Pavilion has been planned for the next expo, which will bring all Indian companies onto a single platform.

Promotional programmes for the next expo include distribution of multilingual brochures to chambers and business promotion organisations in the region, and Dun & Bradstreet's list of importers, besides the visitors who attended the previous expo.

A widespread advertisingcampaign including over 40 daily regional newspapers and business journals will lend teeth to the promotional blitz. Over 90 coordinators who organise complete programmes for qualified buyers and mass presentations to business chambers, trade associations and World Trade Centres will support the effort to muster a larger number of buyers this year.

The exhibit categories include giftware, stationery, houseware, toys, sporting goods, furniture and furnishings, automotive parts and accessories, watches, jewellery, hardware and tools, apparel and fashion accessories, and electronics.

There is no substitute for a one-to-one contact with the customer in a sales situation, says Anil Advani, managing consultant of Arien Advise. Tigers of Asia aims to do exactly this in a market that is open, non-fussy and non-traditional.

For more information, companies may contact: The Managing Consultant, Arien Advise; Phone: (022) 556 0678; Telefax: (022) 551 1547 or E-mail: arien5@hotmail.com.