A Word From the President

Dear ALAFAVE family,

The end of each year is an inevitable invitation to meditate and examine our doings. Particularly, for the Association of the Latin American Candle Manufactures, this is a special moment where we encounter the outcomes and see them inclining on the positive side of the balance.

I’m confident that as a consequence of our congresses your businesses are experiencing positive changes, and creating, developing and implementing new strategies bringing about growth; as well as having had formed solid relationships with our partners and suppliers.

As part of the desire that moves ALAFAVE today, we already have our eyes and heart set on our next congress. The challenge will be greater, but we are ready to face it and accomplish it. Hence, our Association’s Board of Directors met on October for an important and crucial reunion, whose results I would like to disclose with each one of you.

First of all, we made important advances during the organization of our upcoming congress and supplier trade show. ALAFAVE 2018 will be held in Asuncion Paraguay; an old city that emerges as a relevant business center in South America.

In addition, I will have the pleasure to serve you as the venue host, and show you the splendor of my homeland. I am committed, along with all the people that volunteer for the organization of the event, to create the perfect frame for our members to acquire new capabilities and knowledge. The objective is to help them position themselves on the global cutting edge of our candle industry.

We have invited leading experts and candle manufacturing raw material suppliers. Specialists like Leandro Nogueira and Malen Sid, from Sao Vitor Wicks, will teach us the differences between wicks and how to select the best ones. Our special guest, Mauricio Duque, leading expert in digital commerce, will share his best strategies with a main and clear purpose: to drive us into the digital marketing and commerce; the future of business worldwide.

Our meeting in Asuncion, has to be in our agenda this 2018. Right now is the best time to schedule, the early bird registration fee will end by February 28. I invite you to visit our website www.alafave.org to get familiar with all the details and maximize your experience.

We are also organizing our next World Candle Congress 2019, to be held April 29-May 1, its stage will be one of the most beautiful and cosmopolitan cities in the world: Barcelona, Spain. Save the date. This is one more reason to celebrate and raise our glasses to growth and evolution of our era.

ALAFAVE has a promising future, a horizon that each day expands more. The decisions we make, and the steps that we’ll take moving forward, will be crucial to opening new opportunities on the road. It is a fascinating process in which each of you could contribute. Being part of our Board of Directors is the best way to do it. In this critical time for the candle industry, it is us who play an important role in setting and determining its destiny.

I would like to make use of the warmth of the Holidays to extend my gratefulness; for the trust that each of you placed in me during my term as President of ALAFAVE; one which is about to conclude. Being on the front line of this great family at times of great challenges, and expectations, has impacted my life. I have given my time, my efforts and my whole heart to accomplish my duties. My desire is to continue investing time and energy in ALAFAVE in the upcoming years through different means.

There are many reasons to begin the New Year with an overflow of enthusiasm and great hopes. Through these lines I’m sending you a sincere hug, the best wishes for health, success and harmony. I invite you to strengthen each day this association of hardworking, successful and unique women and men.

Happy Holidays and a plentiful and kind 2018.

Alfredo Ocampo

President

Association of Latin American Candle Manufacturers

ALAFAVE