PROCOLOMBIA Events Agenda from March 18th to 24th, 2012

Events agenda:

Six Colombian publishers will participate at the Bologna Children' s Book Fair

1. Rey Naranjo Editores, Tragaluz Editores, Editorial Gato Malo, Villegas Editores, Entela LTDA and Panamericana Editorial are the companies traveling to Italy to show the world the Colombian potential in creating children' s content.
PROCOLOMBIA will have an exhibition stand where 60 business appointments will be held to promote Colombia' s activity in the field of children' s literature, involving the five book professionals and over 600 international journalists attending the event.

Date: March 19th to 22nd.
Place: Bologna, Italy

Seminar on challenges and opportunities in the FTA with the United States

2. On Wednesday, March 21st, at the main auditorium in the Salitre facilities of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, the seminar " Challenges and opportunities for Colombian entrepreneurs within the framework of the FTA between Colombia and the United States" will take place. The event will also feature the presence of the Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Sergio Diaz-Granados the President of PROCOLOMBIA, María Claudia Lacouture the President of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, Consuelo Caldas and the mayor of Bogotá, Gustavo Petro, among other panelists.

Date:   March 21st.
Place: Salitre Auditorium of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce.

PROCOLOMBIA will participate in the panel on the FTA challenges in the tourism sector, during the Cotelco Assembly

3. The panel " FTA Challenges and Opportunities in the tourism sector" will take place between March 21st and 23rd in the city of Pereira, within the 58th Cotelco Assembly.  The assembly will be attended by almost 300 hotel professionals, as well as National Government representatives.

Date: from March 21st to 23rd
Place: Pereira, Colombia

Ecuadorian entrepreneurs from pharmacy chain will visit the country

4. The group of executives represents Fybeca, one of the leading companies in the sale of pharmaceutical, personal care and household products in Latin America. The visitors will have the opportunity to meet in PROCOLOMBIA with Hola Lola Sapia, Vhera Lucci, Artefama, Stanichformas, Delcomadrea and Corona, looking to create trade partnerships.
Among its products, the chain offers medications, baby products, toys, personal hygiene, perfumes, make-up, hair accessories, books and more.

Date:   March 22nd.
Place: Bogotá, Colombia

Second Latin American forum on Investment in the United Kingdom

5. Entrepreneurs from 16 Latin American countries will meet at a venue that seeks to show British investors the existing business opportunities in sectors like infrastructure, mining, agri-business and renewable energy.
The event, which is organized by the Latin American Trade and Investment Association (LATIA) and PROCOLOMBIA, will feature the participation of 300 entrepreneurs, political representatives and academic experts who will discuss the opportunities and challenges of the various economies.

Date:   March 22nd.
Place: London, United Kingdom.

Investment Opportunities on Oil Goods and Services

6. On March 23rd, British entrepreneurs from the Oil industry will have a first-hand look at the investment potential offered by the oil goods and services sector in Colombia. The seminar has been arranged by PROCOLOMBIA, within the tour around several countries by the National Hydrocarbons Agency.

Date:   March 23rd.
Place: London, United Kingdom.

New charter flight between San Juan de Puerto Rico and Cartagena

7. PROCOLOMBIA, in alliance with the Cartagena Tourism Corporation, has joined efforts to hold an event in Cartagena to promote the new route, enabling the two highly tourist cities to strengthen ties. The Good Quality Tours charter, the largest wholesaler in the southern part of Puerto Rico, will offer a direct flight from San Juan de Puerto Rico with eight weekly departures.
Among the participants will be three Puerto Rican media representatives. Nuevo Día, Periódico La Perla and Buen Viaje. The journalists will have the opportunity to see the attractions of Corralito de Piedra.

Date: from March 14th to 18th
Place: Cartagena, Colombia

SMEs from Pereira are ready to export food and garments to Europe

8. A total of 78 companies from the agri-business sector and 69 from the garments sector will participate in a workshop arranged by PROCOLOMBIA in joint efforts with the International Trade Technical Assistance Program. During the training sessions, the entrepreneurs from Pereira will learn about the European requirements relative to non-tariff barriers for articles like leather, textile and footwear, in addition to labeling and food packaging.

Date:   March 22nd.
Place: Pereira, Colombia.

Five cruise ships will dock in Cartagena next week

9. The cruise liner season continues, and between March 19th and 24th, Cartagena will host thousands of tourists coming from different parts of the world, hoping to get to know Colombia' s historic city. The ships are:

Grandeur of the Seas
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean
Passengers: 2446 Approx.
Crew Members: 760 Approx.
Date of arrival: March 19th
Route: Cartagena (Colombia), Bonaire & Curaçao (Netherlands Antilles), Colon (Panamá), Cartagena (Colombia).

Island Princess
Cruise Line: Princess Cruises
Passengers: 1970 Approx.
Crew Members: 900 Approx.
Date of arrival: March 22nd
Route: Ft. Lauderdale (USA), Aruba (Netherlands Antilles), Cartagena de Indias (Colombia), Colon (Panamá), Puerto Limón (Costa Rica), Georgetown (Cayman Islands), Ft. Lauderdale (USA).

Coral Princess
Cruise Line: Princess Cruises
Passengers: 1970 Approx.
Crew Members: 900 Approx.
Date of arrival: March 23rd
Route: Los Angeles (USA), Puntarenas (Costa Rica), Fuerte Amador (Panamá), Cartagena (Colombia), Aruba (Netherlands Antilles), Ft. Lauderdale (USA).

Infinity
Cruise Line: Celebrity Cruises
Passengers: 1950 Approx.
Crew Members: 1000 Approx.
Date of arrival: March 23rd
Route: Ft. Lauderdale (USA,) Cartagena (Colombia), Colon (Panamá), Puntarenas (Costa Rica), Puerto Quetzal (Guatemala), Acapulco (Mexico), Cabo San Lucas (Mexico), San Diego (USA).

Horizon
Cruise Line: Pullmantur
Passengers: 1828 Approx.
Crew Members: 620 Approx.
Date of arrival: March 24th
Route: Cartagena de Indias (Colombia), Aruba (Netherlands Antilles), La Guaira (Venezuela), Curaçao (Netherlands Antilles), Colon (Panama), Cartagena de Indias (Colombia).

Dominican travel agencies will learn about the country' s tourism offering

10. The ATOM sales force will participate in a training session to learn about the main tourism destinations in Colombia and include them in their agencies' suite of products, while in turn, promoting the country.

Date: March 21st.
Place: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.