events industry in Brazil has shown impressive numbers in recent years: the latest ICCA GlobeWatch Business Analytics, for example, has shown Brazil rising to a top 15 position in the international ranking and being the leading destination for MICE events in Latin America.

UBRAFE, the Brazilian Fair and Business Events Union, is on trend here, reporting a record of 612 business events and fairs, a number representing a 19 % growth in the total events and a 14 % spike in attendance, with over 3.2m visitors – all in the first half of 2025. How is Brazil is reaching these impressive numbers? A recent World

Map of Venues report by UFI and jwc consultancy marked Brazil the eighth ranking county for exhibition space, with more than 800,000sqm gross indoor space when considering venues over 5,000sqm. That is a figure that effectively puts the country ahead of the UK, United Arab Emirates, India and Mexico for example.

When these numbers are put in comparison with the region, in Central and South America, we can see that Brazil boasts nearly 60 % of all the event facilities – with Argentina having 10 % of the centres in the region. It is also worth noting that in Latin America exhibitions are often held in smaller venues, hotel congress centres and sport facilities.

Below: RioCentro Convention and Event Centre

Leading centres In terms of major purpose-built centres, São Paulo Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre and RioCentro Convention and Event Centre are the two leading venues in Brazil: with the first holding the most events, and the latter the largest exhibition space, respectively, in the country.

GL Events has been organising events for the past 20 years in Brazil and has invested over R $ 2.8bn and much time and effort into this market.

Willians Lopes, director of business unit at São Paulo Expo & Santos and institutional marketing director from GL Events Brazil, explains that the event market is in clear expansion mode in Brazil and says there are good investments being made to transform the venues in attractive locations capable of hosting large exhibitions, events and entertainment, all crucial to positioning the country in this global sector.

Lopes adds:“ RioCentro has on its books over eight international congresses to be held for the first time in Brazil until 2027, which should welcome nearly 50,000 participants, and São Paulo Expo has received, to date, an estimated 2.5m visitors in the year to November 2025 alone.”

Embratur – the Brazilian Tourism Board – has announced that inbound international tourist numbers have grown by 42 % to reach a record of over eight million visitors during the first 11 months of 2025, the highest number ever recorded. The target of nine million