Participate as Exhibitor, Hosted buyer, Visitor, Sponsor and Business Forum

ICA´s second official fair to promote co-operative trade globally Collaborator – Indian Farmers Fertilizer Co-operative (IFFCO)

The International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), is organizing its second official fair of the co-operative business at the Bangalore Trade Centre from 8 to 10 December 2010 in Bangalore, India.

The first ICA Expo was held in Oct 2008 in Lisbon, Portugal and the event attracted nearly 8,000 visitors. Intended mainly for professionals of the sector, the fair promoted the growth of co-operative business, the practice of inter co-operation among participants and the implementation of strategic alliances.

The event also received thousands of visitors, who enjoyed the food, beverage and traditional products presented by co-operatives from more than 25 countries. There were Portuguese regional wines, Brazilian traditional beverages, a wide selection of coffees from Angola, teas from China, outstanding Italian cheese and fascinating spices from Iran and the Palestine, to name a few.

ICA Expo 2010 – The World Co-operatives Exhibition – is a landmark in our efforts to promote co-operative business as well as to create a greater visibility for cooperatives with main focus on food, beverage and products.

ICA Expo 2010, as such, is a real opportunity to show our values, achievements, growth, importance and, most of all, to highlight how much of a player the Cooperative Movement is, in the Global Economy. Your participation is for us an endorsement on the quality, excellence and high standards that we also claim and adhere ourselves as a condition in providing the best to ICA members.

Bangalore also known as Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and fifth most populous urban agglomeration. Today as a large city and growing metropolis, Bangalore is home to many of the most well-recognized colleges and research institutions in India. Numerous software companies, heavy industries, aerospace, telecommunications and defence organizations are located in the city. Bangalore is known as the Silicon valley of India because of its position as the nation's leading IT exporter.

Due to its high elevation, Bangalore usually enjoys a more moderate climate throughout the year. The coolest month is January with an average low temperature of 15.1 °C and the hottest month is April with an average high temperature of 33.6 °C.

With a strategic view and focus on the development of business, the ICA Expo 2010 is offering a pack with special prices so that every country can have the opportunity to display its products to a broad market in a shared booth. IFFCO, the main collaborator of the event in India has committed its prime stakes for the success of this grand event in India.

Co-operatives from the ICA Asia Pacific region who are unable to meet the published cost of rentals may send their request for special discounts with convincing arguments in support thereof.

The ICA Expo will facilitate trade in many commodities like food & dietary products, dairy products, organic products, fruits, vegetables, gift items, handicrafts, textiles, home appliances, industrial goods, mineral products, building construction material, service products and many more produced / consumed by co-operatives across the world.

There are several ways to be part of ICA Expo 2010 - exhibitor, hosted buyer, sponsor and visitor.

For details about optional packages and logistics please visit our dedicated website: www.icaexpo.coop.

There would certainly be serious transaction of interests and businesses among cooperatives from all over the world. And to add to the seriousness of business interests, I would like to call upon all the potential business cooperative institutions from Asia-Pacific, the host region, to please expedite the confirmation of their participation by logging on to the above mentioned website and securing the space and place of their choice at the earliest.