FACIM

Brief History of FACIM – Maputo International Trade Fair

FACIM is a general trade fair, privileged meeting point for producers, salespersons, investors, importers, exporters, buyers, etc.

The acronym FACIM, means Feira Agro-Pecuaria, Comercial and Industrial de Moçambique.

The main objective of FACIM is the promotion of the commercial activities, to stimulate the production and the consumption, and the economic integration of Mozambique in the world economy.

In any trade fair or exhibition ehxist three main intervenients: the Organizer, Exhibitors and Visitors.

The Organizer, in this case FACIM, defines the regulations of the trade fair, fix the dates, timetable, profile of the Exhibitors and Visitors, etc., in short, it establishes the rules of the event.

Within the established rules, it competes to the exhibitors the maximum use of the available space, to publish their products, equipments, machinery, innovations and services.

The Exhibitors uses several marketing techniques to divulge their message, such as the simple exhibition of the display cases, making practical demonstrations of the products, distributing samples, promoting lectures, etc.

The success of the Exhibitor depends on several factors, namely, the quality of decoration of the Pavilion or stand, in order to attract a larger number of visitors, the amount of established contacts, volume of sales rendered, etc.

HOW FACIM STARTED

The 1st edition of FACIM - FEIRA AGRO-PECUÁRIA, COMERCIAL e INDUSTRIAL de MOÇAMBIQUE was inaugurated on July 24, 1965, in the same place that actually occupies.

Though, it is important to mention that, in 1950, the site of the area situated between Rua Belmiro Muianga and Nautical School, Av. 25th of September and Av. 10th of November, housed the Exhibition of the Portuguese World, that marked the visit of the General Oscar Carmona, Portuguese President, to the then Mozambique Overseas Colony.

The buildings that houses the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Restaurante Zambi and Painter Naguib's Studio, they are remains of the facilities used in that fairs.

FACIM started through a initiative of a group of Portuguese settlers linked to varied financial and agricultural interests, with the objective of demonstrating the economical vitality of the then Overseas Province of Mozambique.

In 1970 FACIM. - Feira Agro-Pecuária, Commercial and Industrial of Mozambique was admitted as a full member of UFI - Union of the International Fairs, as recognition of the importance of the activities that carried out in the promotion of the economic activities of the area where it is located.

In 1971 FACIM. - INTERNATIONAL FAIR OF LOURENÇO MARQUES started to exist with this denomination in result of its international recognition reached in the previous year, maintaining, however, the acronym FACIM for having already conquered a space in the emerging colonial economy of Mozambique.

In 1978 FACIM registered the largest record of all of the times. A total of 403 thousand people visited the showgrounds, witnessing the products of 866 exhibitors distributed by 120 national stands and 40 international pavilions, of which 25 Countries and 15 foreigners companies. It occupied a total area of 32.715 square meters.