View of CONLATINGRAF Actions to go beyond frontiers By Juan Carlos Sacco President of CONLATINGRAF . : versión en español

The agreement that was signed by the authorities of CONLATINGRAF and UNI - Global and Americas Graphical Unions – backing the regional market and the preservation of jobs was one of the highest item, but not the only one, which were dealt in the institutional meeting that was just held in the Brazilian city of Guaruja and ABIGRAF was the member association that organized it.

The President of the Commission of Permanent Representatives in MERCOSUR, Dr. Carlos “Chacho” Alvarez, agreed to promote the parliamentary process of the agreement that was signed by the authorities of CONLATINGRAF and UNI - Global and Americas Graphical Unions – backing the regional market and the preservation of jobs in Latin American countries. This statement – transmitted by Portal CONLATINGRAF – was observed by 36 attendants from eight member countries in the 71st Ordinary General Assembly, which met in the Brazilian town of Guarujá.

Let’s become aware about such a fact, the same as the greeting of the Argentine Minister of Economy, Lic. Miguel Peirano, to the Assembly people – this greeting was also transmitted by video on our Portal – are landmarks in the international transcendence our Confederation has got. The review of those activities our CIFAG has organized has been other index about the dimension their aim of training throughout the entire continent has got. During the last semester, every month courses and seminaries have been recorded in different countries.

A task that was done optimizing resources, which have allowed us streamlining their economic situation. In such an amazing program, specialized teaching institutions of member countries as ASIMPRES, CIGRAF, FUNDACIÓN GUTENBERG, SENAI, and other ones, took part and, it’s still more innovative, important supplier firms have been their sponsors participating in their curricular design: Xerox, DuPont, Rotatek, Sun Chemical, X-Rite.

Those who visit our Portal have been verifying the profit we are getting because of the helm switching we did. With the new management, weekly and even daily, up-dated information is shown. This is important but it is not the only element. In the Assembly licensee Diego Corrallini offered an exposition about world economic situation, the insertion of graphic industry in the international context, the behaviour of several fields of graphic industry, being all that detailed country by country, that struck de audience deeply. The powerful tool that will be to have structural rates about the behaviour of the graphic industry from each Latin American country was clearly noticed. This tool will be an unavoidable data source – which, of course, will not be free – to deal in and with a market that includes 59,150 graphic plants with about 600 thousand jobs.

Even, for different reasons, the expected attendance was not got, the open and deep dialogue showed values of this activity to integrate our productions and to find new courses of global positioning. So the Assembly understood it when voting their continuity in future meetings. ABIGRAF was on charge of organizing the Assembly and also the XIV Latin American Contest of Graphic Products Theobaldo De Nigris. This contest has become synonymous of outstanding showcase to show our graphic excellence in the world.

That was ratified by our colleague Mário César de Camargo when he informed that other record was beaten by the amount of enrolled works. 1,342 works from 11 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, competed. Likewise, other proof about the importance the Contest that CONLATINGRAF promotes has been the sponsorship of the Ceremony of Awards by Heidelberg, one of the most important supplier firms in the world.

Again our Portal CONLATINGRAF has a leading role. In the Assembly, face to the screen, we were viewers of their growth. There are already existent sections that are improved and other new sections have been added. All together, these sections build up a big store of information material. But the most remarkable is the Portal is going to be consolidated as a point of purchasing and selling where not only Latin American firms go but also firms from other continents. And other even more important section: more and more graphic enterprises are entering to introduce themselves, by means of their video, to the world and so to be projected to the international market.

The meeting of Guarujá was closed by a merry party with exciting Brazilean rhythm. The fact the meetings are professionalized does not pass over the value of friendship these parties encourage. During the party, besides Theobaldo De Nigris awards, the “Benjamin Hurtado Echeverría” awards were given to personalities and enterprises that, together with a successful course, have held a strong participation in the graphic interest. The Argentine entrepreneurs who received this award were:

Fernando Biglia, Roberto Montepeluso, Néstor Flamini, Fernando Leiro and Mario Recio, all of them are examples of working for graphic union.

Next 23rd November our CONLATINGRAF will be their first 40 years old. From them to now CONLATINGRAF has been consolidated and expanded at such a level their founders couldn’t surely foresee. Also the Brazilian graphic industry will celebrate 200 years from their start with the arrival of the first printing plant to the country. These two dates invite us to celebrate and share them very enthusiastically. At the same time these dates should encourage to foster the reflection about our managing engagement with the institutions that defend the sector’s right. Specially, in regard to a supranational organism as CONLATINGRAF, a bastion to protect our establishments and to make them go forward with firm step on the stage of the XXI century.

The entrepreneur Nestor Flamini, now president of UGAR – Regional Argentine Graphic Union, who received “Benjamin Hurtado Echeverría”, said: The managerial union activity is by itself very rich as experience, nevertheless it means: effort, steadiness, devotion, participation and concern to give solution to common problems of our sector, besides of a great vocation of service. In this long way there are many obstacles and many problems to solve, but when there is an acknowledgement as this Benjamin Hurtado Echeverría award to the worked up task is as a balm that nurtures with energy to go on. It’s as a pat on the shoulder from a friend who says: Don’t get slack off!