Two important business expositions, the Construction and Housing Exposition and Costa Rican Investment World, will run through this weekend in the San José area. The Construction and Housing Exposition, or Expo Construcción, runs through Sunday at the PedregalExpoCenter in La Asunción de Belén, Heredia. Over 382 product stands and 200 different companies will provide information on the latest offerings in construction, architecture, design and financing. Expo Construcción is organized by the Chamber of Industries and is geared towards builders, architects, designers, homeowners, re-modelers and investors.
Expo Construcción features three main categories: construction, real estate projects and financing. The aim of the Expo is to provide businesses and consumers with everything from electrical installations to bathroom accessories and mortgage financing options. Nearly every major national bank will be represented. For more information on visit: www.construccion.co.cr/expo2010.
Following is Expo Construcción schedule:
Friday: 1 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Entrance to the Expo on Friday is free of charge; Saturday and Sunday the entrance is ¢1000; and parking on all days costs ¢1500.
Costa Rica Investment World, an international investment promotion fair hosted by the Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER), also started this week and is being held at the San José’s Hotel Ramada Plaza Herradura. The fair will host international companies, conferences and displays in hopes of attracting foreign investment to Costa Rica.
“This is the first event of this type to be held in our region,” said Emmanuel Hess, general manager of PROCOMER. “It should boost investment in Costa Rica and, above all, it will help us to promote the revised free-trade zone laws in the country. The new policies have given us the opportunity to work in the more remote areas of the country.”
In December, the Legislative Assembly approved a reform of the free-trade zone law that provides incentives and lower tax rates to companies that establish operations in areas outside of the Central Valley, such as Puntarenas, Guanacaste, Limón and the country’s southern zone. PROCOMER intends to promote the incentives to companies interested in establishing operations in Costa Rica.
The Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE) reported that in 2009, 29 foreign companies established or expanded operations in the country, accounting for more than $304 million in investment and creating more than 5,729 jobs. Over 100 foreign investors, 70 local suppliers and 23 multinational companies will participate in Costa Rican Investment World.
–Adam Williams
