Latin American Product Showcase Returns to Panama City July 20-21

This year the USMEF Latin American Product Showcase will return to the location where the event was launched in 2011 – Panama City, Panama. In just a five-year span, the showcase has developed into the premier gathering for exporters and buyers conducting business in Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

The 2015 showcase, held in San Jose, Costa Rica, was the largest to date, attracting 44 USMEF member companies and nearly 100 buyers from 16 countries in the region. Click on the photo on the right for video highlights and testimonials from last year’s event.

Gerardo Rodriguez, USMEF marketing director for Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic, expects another excellent turnout in Panama City.

“Panama City was a great venue for the inaugural showcase five years ago,” he explained. “It’s a very active economic hub for the entire region, and the positive response we received in 2011 helped the showcase expand into what it is today – an essential business event for buyers and exporters alike, attracting participants from Chile all the way to the eastern Caribbean.”

Buyers gather at the FPL Food display at the 2015 USMEF Latin American Product Showcase in Costa Rica

Since its inception, the Nebraska Beef Council and Illinois Soybean Association have provided financial support for the Latin American Product Showcase. Support for this year’s event will also be provided by the Beef Checkoff Program, the Pork Checkoff and the USDA Market Access Program (MAP).

The 2016 showcase will be held at the Hilton Panama July 20-21. Those attending will have an opportunity to network with other industry professionals, attend educational seminars and participate in one-on-one business meetings. The agenda also includes rainforest and coffee plantation tours, as well as a group dinner following the showcase. Registration is now available online. If you have questions, please email Tammy Connolly or call 303-623-6328.