MECÂNICA THROUGH TIME AND IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE

The year is 1959. The National Machinery Trade Fair is launched in Brazil amidst a climate of economic optimism generated by the Juscelino Kubitscheck government, who had established a Government Policy Paper for the country modernisation. In fact the initiative to organise the fair came from Caio de Alcantrara Machado, founder of Alcantara Machado Trade Fairs, who received the support of Einar Kok, the then president of SINDIMAQ – São Paulo State Machine Industry Union.

The first edition, from November 14th to 29th, 1959, at the Industry Pavilion at Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo, Brazil, brought together 220 exhibitors and was visited by about 200 thousand people, attracted by the possibility of knowing what Brazil was actually manufacturing at that time in the sectors, such as the metal-mechanic, electrical and electronics, transport, among others. In the next edition, in 1961, it gathered 229 exhibitors and attracted, during the 14 days of the event, 150 thousand more qualified visitors and trade professionals and now, without the aura of the curiosity appeal, beginning to exercise its role of trade and business promoter.

The fourth edition, in 1963, opened with the first foreign exhibitors, three companies from Argentina and one from Mexico. At this trade show there was an area reserved for the 1st FEE – Electro-electronic Industry Trade Fair, the forerunner of what is today the International Electrical Industry Trade Fair and the electronicAmericas. In 1966, the National Machinery Industry Trade Fair, still at its venue at Ibirapuera Park, initiated its cycle of biennial presentations. In 1972, the Trade Fair started a new phase at Pavilhão de Exposições do Anhembi. With 270 exhibitors and running for 10 days, the event became segmented and restricted to the sector professionals.

In 1976, sharing the space with the Electro-electronic Industry Trade Fair, it left the Parque do Anhembi pavilion completely full, with 493 exhibitors. During this year Alcantara Machado announced the separation of these both fairs and also that part of refrigeration and air-conditioning (the forerunner of Febrava – International Refrigeration, Air-conditioning, Ventilation, Heating and Air Treatment Trade Fair), what occurred in 1978, creating the opportunity to segment by sectors the Mecânica exhibitors.

One of the most important highlights of the 13th edition, in 1980, was the concentration of the machine-tools segment in a specific area, which again became the third forerunner of what is today known as Feimafe – International Machine Tools and Integrated Manufacturing Systems Trade Fair, which became an independent event in 1989. In 1986 the sheer vitality of the plastic industry machinery manufacturers created another embryo of the trade fair, generating the Brasilplast in 1987 – International Plastic Industry Trade Fair.

In 1992, with 922 exhibitors, among them 287 foreign, Mecânica, now under its new denomination, Machinery Trade Fair, prepared itself to become international. This, in fact, occurred during its 20th edition, in 1994, when the event got its current designation – Mecânica - International Machinery Trade Fair.

Mecânica, in fact, launched the industrial trade fairs in Brazil. The event was launched in an era of mass production, adjusted itself to time and today, in the era of globalised economy and of personalised production, has become the most important event of the sector in Latin America and one of the most traditional machinery trade fairs in the world.