Sao Paulo (Brazil) hosted Hospital 2011, the annual healthcare fair organized by Hospitalar (Sao Paulo, Brazil), which included 91,000 visits of hospital directors, healthcare sector professionals, and entrepreneurs of the medical, hospital and dental care industry. The wide variety of innovations brought by the exhibitors, combined with the professional caliber of the conference attendees, and generated US$3.75 billion in business--11% above the 2010 conference, confirming the strong growth of Brazils healthcare market.

Brazils healthcare sector forecasts about $213 billion in turnover in 2011, representing 8.64% of the domestic GDP. Fifty-five percent of these investments are made by the private sector, making Hospitalar a strategically important fair for healthcare managers and the supply industry.

Hospitalar also boosted the Brazilian hospital products export market. The Brazilian Association of the Medical, Dental, Hospital and Laboratory Articles and Equipment--ABIMO, conducted business with importers worldwide, generating sales of $18 million, compared with $14.6 million recorded in 2010.

Hospitalar also serves as a key platform for the Latin American market. Fifteen Latin American countries attended the fair with solid representation from each of the countries. The event was also characterized by its great diversity with participants coming from as far away as South Korea.

Hospitalar 2011 was the 18th fair of its kind and brought together 1,250 exhibiting companies, including 525 foreign enterprises, representing 34 countries. International participation has increased with a rise in foreign exhibitor participation and the presence of 30% more international visitors compared with 2010, totaling more than 4,700 buyers from 63 countries.