FOR RELEASE: BFIF 2010 PROPOSALS FOR URUGUAY

UNCLAS MONTEVIDEO 000032 SIPDIS STATE FOR EEB/CBA - DENNIS A. WINSTED E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ABUD BTIO ECON EINV ETRD BEXP UY SUBJECT: FOR RELEASE: BFIF 2010 PROPOSALS FOR URUGUAY REF: REF: STATE 126674 ¶1. THE FOLLOWING ARE PROJECTS FOR WHICH POST IS REQUESTING FY 2010 BFIF FUNDS - NOT IN PRIORITY ORDER: -------------- PRADO FAIR -------------- ¶2. In 2009, Post adjusted its participation at the Prado fair from the large-scale U.S. pavilions of years past (lasting the entire two weeks),to a shorter weekend-long presence that focused primarily on public outreach and U.S./Uruguay cultural connections. With record-breaking crowds (est. 500,000 total over the course of the event),the Prado Fair remains Uruguay's most-attended agricultural-themed event, providing a forum to promote the commercial services we offer and the benefits brought by U.S. investment in Uruguay. At the 2010 Prado Fair, we envision a commercial annex to incorporate displays from large U.S. companies in Uruguay, which under the embassy umbrella can illustrate their commercial activities, their corporate social responsibility programs, the number of people they employ, their adaptation to clean energy sources, their employment of women and minorities, etc. While a small participation fee may be charged to each company, we would still need to rent space and equipment for their presentations. Approximate request for the commercial segment of the Embassy-wide presence at Prado: $1,750 -------------- EXPOACTIVA -------------- ¶3. From March 17-20, Soriano, Uruguay will be hosting the largest regional hands-on agricultural expo, ExpoActiva. Thanks to BFIF funds, Post was able to organize very successful catalog shows in both 2004 and 2005. Post's presence resulted in five significant export successes, ranging from irrigation equipment to the sale of tractors. The expo attracts farmers and businesspeople not only from Uruguay but also southern Brazil and Argentina. This would be the first time since 2005 that we would participate in such an event in the interior of Uruguay. Given the current boom in the use of modern Agricultural technologies in Uruguay, the increased sale of tractors and farm equipment (both new and refurbished),the quadrupling of land prices in the last three years, etc., this is an opportunity not to be missed. our participation would closely follow the arrival of our new ambassador, providing an early opportunity for post management to participate in outreach programs carried out by the Embassy Commercial Services on behalf of U.S. exporters, thanks principally TO BFIF support. BFIF funds would support rental and outfitting of space at the expo, and travel for State participation. Both USDA and USDOC have committed personnel resources and the use of client data towards the success of this event. TOTAL MAXIMUM FOR PARTICIPATION IN EXPOACTIVA: $6,000 -------------- - COMMERCIAL OUTREACH TO THE INTERIOR OF URUGUAY -------------- - ¶3. cS MONTEVIDEO has had limited opportunities to conduct focused outreach to BUSINESSPEOPLE in THE INTERIOR OF URUGUAY since 2002. at that time, POST organized A DELEGATION OF THREE PEOPLE (THE DCM, TWO COMMERCIAL SPECIALISTS, AND A DRIVER, with BFIF funding the commercial specialists and the driver) THAT MADE STOPS IN OVER TEN CITIES in THE INTERIOR OF URUGUAY. IN 2010 WE AIM TO CONTINUE THIS important OUTREACH. CS MONTEVIDEO WILL WORK WITH LOCAL CHAMBERs OF COMMERCE TO GIVE NIGHTLY SEMINARS ON IMPORTING directly FROM THE U.S. and HOW TO BYPASS THE MONTEVIDEO MIDDLEMAN; ON MAKING MUTUALLY PROFITABLE CONTRACTS WITH SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED FIRMS IN THE U.S.; and on how to best use the embassy resources available to local importers. the delegation WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF front office PARTICPATION, WHENEVER POSSIBLE, TO STREGTHEN HIGH-LEVEL CONTACTS WITH MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES. IN 2002 the PRESENTATIONS RECEIVED WIDESPREAD PRESS AND RADIO COVERAGE, WHICH WE EXPECT TO BE SIMILAR THIS YEAR. IN ADDITION TO EXTENDING cs services, THIS OUTREACH WILL SERVE AS an opportunity TO VISIT local INDUSTRies IN THE INTERIOR, to EXPLAIN AND PROMOTE TDA, EXIM, AND OPIC programs and ASSISTANCE. DUE TO THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE COUNTRY, WE ENVISION THREE SUCH OUTREACH TRIPS THROUGHT THE YEAR: a) MONTEVIDEO, FLORIDA, DURAZNO, TACUAREMBO, AND RIVERA; b) MONTEVIDEO, COLONIA, FRAY BENTOS, PAYSANDu AND SALTO; c) MONTEVIDEO, MINAS, TREINT Y TRES, MELO, ROCHA, AND MALDONADO; DEPENDING ON GAS PRICES AT THE TIME (THE CURRENT COST OF A GALLON OF GAS IN URUGUAY IS ALMOST $5.60, AND with PER DIEM OF $192 PER PERSON, the AVERAGE COST PER TRIP WOULD BE $3,000. TOTAL REQUEST FOR OUTREACH: $9,000 -------------- TRAVEL TO INTERNATIONAL BUYER PROGRAMS (IBP) -------------- ¶4. PArtICIPATION AT INTERNATIONAL BUYER PROGRAMS HAs consistenly BEEN AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF export SUCCESS STORIES. In FY2010, post requests funding for two of the following events, for which we are already actively recruiting and expecting sizeable delegations: NAB - NATIONAL BROADCASTER'S ASSOCIATION april 12 - 15, 2010 las vegas, nv uruguay is fast becoming a regional center for the filming of advertising and feature cinema and television productions. in 2001, uruguay exported 15 percent of its audiovisual production; in 2009, that figure was 90 percent. a combination of good weather, landscape advantages, good communication and logistics networks, and an abundance of cheap and qualified labor have catapulted uruguay to the forefront of the industry. in 2009 uruguay created its first film commission and promotion office to further promote the sector. as uruguay becomes increasingly well known as a film and production location, local companies are being encouraged to purchase state-of-the-art equipment to satisfy the needs of its international clients. INFOCOMM june 9 - 11, 2010 las vegas, nv THIS EVENT HAS BECOME THE PREMIERE EVENT FOR THE AUDIOVISUAL INDUSTRY. URUGUAY'S Audiovisual INDUSTRY IS GROWING AT A TERRIFFIC PACE, FUELED MAINLY BY VIDEO GAMES AND ANIMATION, some of WHICH HAs BEEN contracted to be BROADCAST ON THE CARTOON NETWORK, BBC, ETC. Likewise, URUGUAY IS BEING Increasingly SELECTED AS A LOCATION FOR THE FILMING OF COMMERCIALS AND FULL LENGTH FILMS, DUE TO THE MANY DAYS OF SUNNY WEATHER, THE AVAILABILITY OF relatively CHEAP AND QUALIFIED LABOR, AND INCENTIVES offered BY THE GOU. In addition, URUGUAY IS RAPIDLY BECOMING A CENTER OF MAJOR INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS AND is IN DIRE NEED OF STATE-OF-THE ART AUDIOVISUAL EQUIPMENT. AAPEX/SEMA Show: Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week 2010 Las Vegas, NV, November 2 - November 05, 2010 Over the last three years, CS Montevideo has promoted the AAPEX/SEMA Show with the participation of close to 40 people. We believe that in 2010, with a good promotion strategy, CS Uruguay will again recruit a large delegation of people by including the country's most important car dealers and spare parts firms. as the global recession had a relatively mild impact on uruguay, sales of new vehicles are booming. chinese manufacturers are actively considering establishing assembly plants in uruguay. -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶5. EMBASSY MONTEVIDEO APPRECIATES STATE'S CONTINUED SUPPORT OF BFIF FUNDING FOR COMMERCIAL PROGRAMS. all programs suggested for funding have measurable outcome and success criteria as requested reftel. points of contact are Jack Doutrich (doutrichjt@state.gov),econ/comm officer, and robert gorter (gorterrh@state.gov),senior commercial specialist. SUMMARY OF REQUESTS FOR FY10: a) PRado fair: $1,750 b) expoactiva: $ 6,000 c) oUTREACH to the interior: $3,000 per trip d) travel to ibp: $2,000 per ibp Matthewman