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Heeere's Sao Paolo!Noisy. Mixed-up and Messy. Huge!By Marguerite Jordan
Like London did in Charles Dickens’ time, this massive Brazilian city entices people, companies and things from around the world, and lures them at a speed that makes urban planners gasp. With a population of 18-plus million people, Sao Paolo is larger than most countries. The city has more people than Ireland, New Zealand, Costa Rica and Portugal – combined! Every day Sao Paolo adds another street to its already 10,000 miles of streets. It is the largest city in South America, the second largest in the Western Hemisphere (after Mexico City). Sao Paolo evokes images both rich and overwhelming, futuristic and backward, positive and negative. The wealthy of the city (and there are many) go to work by helicopter. Yet most of the poor share with their counterparts of 1800’s London the problems of overcrowding and unemployment. About 20% of the population live in extreme poverty. Both groups must deal with the smog.
IT’S GOT THE BEATAlong with the absorption of new cultural influences, Sao Paolo moves with a Latin/Afro beat. The Samba, a dance that evolved from African roots, and Carnaval, the giant party that signals the beginning of Christian Lent, seem to shape the year. One is either getting ready for, taking part in or getting over this mind-blowing festival. Even in its younger days, this city attracted people from other places. According to the Fodor’s Guide, “By 1895, 70,000 of the city's 130,000 residents were immigrants. Their efforts transformed São Paulo from a sleepy Jesuit mission post into a dynamic financial and cultural hub.” The immigrants came in waves, to fuel the machine of this country which, like the United States, is blessed with fantastic natural resources. Mining, engineering, manufacturing and service companies from around the globe come here to operate. Each of the twenty-six states and the Federal District offers regional specialties that have attracted workers and investors, such as coffee, bananas and other fruits, rubber, tin, emeralds, iron ore, manganese, aluminum, etc. In Sao Paolo, you see the headquarters of many companies on the Avenida Paulista (the so-called Brazilian Wall Street). The mansions that were once the homes of the coffee barons are tightly squeezed between skyscrapers. It is in this region too that you will find various museums of art. São Paulo is a center for the arts and culture. Given that there are so many ethnic groups, one is never more than a week away from a parade or a festival. Most gatherings involve costumes, music and special foods, all of which amaze visitors. And, as for restaurants in this huge city, you would be setting yourself an impossible task if you tried to sample all 12,000! (See Companion Article this issue, “Work Hard, Play Hard in Sao Paolo” this issue.) ONCE YOU HAVE SEEN SAO PAOLO, EVERYWHERE ELSE SEEMS SMALL
But the real view is in walking around town, through the numerous ethnic neighborhoods, such as Liberdade, the Japanese section. Or, visit the Italian residential area, Bela Vista. You will find in the side streets the best view of the city: the residents who have a remarkable sense of style and charm.
As the financial and industrial capital of Brazil, which is itself the fifth largest country in the world, Sao Paolo is a major global market if there ever was one. A NATURAL SETTING FOR NEW STARTS, NEW BUSINESSESThe business of Sao Paolo is business. While Portuguese is Brazil’s official language, English is widely spoken. Companies, both Brazilian and international, see the possibilities for a bright future and have come here to set up factories, showrooms and product fairs. One of the largest exhibition forums is held by Anhembi, a national promotion entity and the largest city convention center.
Cajueiro reports, “Today, CIE Brazil owns theaters (among them Sao Paulo's 7,500-seat Credicard Hall) has management contracts for other venues, runs ticketing operation MegaIngresso, sells advertising and sponsorships, and operates the Portuguese version of Web site El Foco. Events included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lou Reed, and Brazilian Gilberto Gil, as well as "The Lord of the Dance" and "The King and I." Eric Clapton, Hanson and Brazil's Milton Nascimento are scheduled for this year.
"’I have very good confidence in the external finances of Brazil. They have a $30 billion package from the International Monetary Fund and they have some additional potential assistance from us,’ he said at a press conference held under unusually heavy security. “He added that he came away from a meeting with President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, ‘with a sense of fiscal responsibility that he and his financial people expect to show.’ Brazil has just elected left-wing Worker's Party candidate Lula, who will take office in January. USING THE CURITIBA MODEL, IT IS POSSIBLE TO TAME THE BEAST
But, closer to home, in the Brazilian city of Curitiba, the process of ecologising an urban area has already begun. Many people are currently working on the need to plan for equitable land use, recycling, mass transit and water quality. Former Mayor, Jaime Lerner, who is now governor of the state of Parana, is famous for introducing environmental change to cities.
YOU NEED TO STAY AT A PLACE THAT UNDERSTANDS BUSINESSStill coming in droves, today’s ‘Immigrants’ are likely to be CEOs, CFOs, lawyers, public relations people, other workers and investors of international companies who see SP as a great place to do business. In a city this large, this frenetic, it pays to headquarter yourself where your needs are completely understood. Hotel InterContinental, located a few steps from the main business street, Avenida Paulista, is a five-star hotel that has been leading the way for decades. In fact, InterContinental was the first large hotel company to locate in South America, when it built its first property in Belem in 1946.
Hotel concierges can provide InterContinental “Insiders’ Guides to the City”, “Insiders’ Shopping Programmes”, a Jet Lag Recovery Kit and a Currency Pack containing small change and advice on local tipping. Local currency can be added to the hotel bill, making expenses easier to reclaim. In addition, from now until May 2003, business and leisure travelers visiting any Inter-Continental in Central and South America will be pampered with room upgrades, complimentary offers or special discounts as part of InterContinental Hotels & Resorts’ relaunched Options program which is available now through May 31, 2003. INVESTIGATE THE POSSIBILITIES OF DOING BUSINESS IN BRAZILIf you personally or your company wants to do business in Sao Paolo, there are numerous resources to help you get the edge you need. You can contact both the U.S. Government and the Brazilian Government for detailed information packets. Numerous books, trade fairs and professional societies can help you get started. For an excellent understanding of the problems and possibilities that accompany the growth of Sao Paolo, read the essay by David Harvey, The Geography of the City. http://dkc.mse.jhu.edu/City/Mockup/Geography/geography.html
Latin America Profiled: Essential Facts on Society, Business and Politics in
Latin America (Syb Factbook) For additional background on the challenges and growth of Brazil and its businesses, consult universities in this country that are working to educate students about the challenges of cities like Brazil. Center for International Education CONTACT TOURISM AND CONVENTION PEOPLE FOR HELP IN PLANNING ON HOSTING OR ATTENDING AN EVENTEmbratur Brazil Tourism Sao Paolo Tourism & Anhembi Convention Center
Anhembi Turismo e Eventos da Cidade de São Paulo S.A. American Chamber of Commerce in Sao Paolo Amcham, founded in 1919, is recognized by governmental and national associations as a leading representative of investors within and outside Brazil. Its mission is to serve members by constructively influencing Brazilian and American public policy and promoting trade, investment, and corporate citizenship. U.S. State Department Services & Information
Brazilian Ambassador to the U.S., Rubens Antonio Barbosa Amb. Barbosa is most active in reaching out to American businesses, and frequently travels to the US to give talks and to meet future investors in Brazil. THE FOLLOWING WILL HELP PLAN YOUR STAY IN SAO PAOLO
SIX CONTINENTS HOTELS Six Continents Hotels, Inc. offers information and reservations capability on the Internet – www.sixcontinentshotels.com , www.intercontinental.com for InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, www.crowneplaza.com for Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts, www.holiday-inn.com for Holiday Inn hotels, www.hiexpress.com for Express by Holiday Inn hotels, www.staybridge.com for Staybridge Suites by Holiday Inn, and www.priorityclub.com . 1-800-327-0200 or visit www.intercontinental.com/business-options or www.intercontinental.com/weekend-options . VARIG Airlines Text and Images © by Marguerite Jordan |
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Sao Paolo, with its vast collection of concrete, glass and
steel skyscrapers is one giant magnet.
Sao Paolo is equally famous for its music and its traffic
jams, its mammoth businesses and their corporation headquarters as well as
its shantytowns that edge the city. It has a dynamism, like London’s or New
York’s, but it is truly unlike any other city. Sao Paolo was multi-cultural
before the term hit the dictionary, with the earliest invaders, the
Portuguese, intermarrying with the indigenous people (there are more than
200 tribes in Brazil) and then later with the slaves who were brought here
from Africa.
Visually, you can grab a view of the entire city from
the gallery on the fortieth floor of the Edificio Italia, which has a
balcony that allows a 360-degree view of the downtown. Facing north, south,
east and west, there are endless skyscrapers. Some call it Los Angeles on
Speed, the “Locomotive of Brazil” and “The city of the future” (and, says
one wag, “It always will be.”) At 2,000 square kilometers it has to be one
of the largest cities in the world.
On a recent visit to Sao Paolo and other world cities,
National Geographic writer Erla Zwingle traveled to discover how residents
are coping with dramatic growth. She writes, “I was prepared to be
overwhelmed and I was…but it wasn’t the …shapeless turmoil, the crushing
slums…and the mindless skyscrapers…that left the deepest impression. It was
the people, so tenacious, gallant, ingenious and hopeful.” Almost everyone
who comes to this city gathers similar impressions. Brazilians are hopeful
people, who move and work and play in a singular fashion.
Ford, General Electric, IBM
are here to buy and to sell. Dozens of other multinational companies, such
as Phillips, Shell, Volkswagen, see this as a city of opportunity. According
to Variety writer Marcelo Cajueiro there is potential for the entertainment
businesses as well as manufacturing. "The value of the Sao Paolo market is
bigger than Mexico City, so you can imagine the potential," says Gabriel
Lecumberri, director of CIE's (InterAmerican Entertainment Company)
international division.
According to an article published in the Wall street Journal
on 11/26/02, “World Bank President James Wolfensohn on Monday said that
after paying visits to Peru and Brazil, he was confident that both nations
were on the right path.
There is no denying the fact that Sao Paolo is a
city in need of solutions, the same solutions that are needed all over the
world: eliminate poverty, clean up the environment, create a viable food
supply, improve transportation, make education available for everyone, etc.
Looking at the Sao Paolo of today there are parallels in the
past, of which London is perhaps the most apt comparison. With a great deal
of business investment and a bit of prodding on social issues, London
overcame its ragged image of Dickens’ day. It was forced to deal with issues
of employment (remember the sweatshops?); housing, transportation, social
supports, health, etc. In the 1800’s some social commentators thought the
problems of smog, disease and overcrowding were positively insurmountable,
yet, today, London is a most attractive, most wonderful city and it
continues to attract millions of tourists.
How could Sao Paolo transform itself? Today thousands of
other people have come to ‘make it in the New World”, from as far away as
Japan, Lebanon, Italy, Poland, Spain, Germany and South Africa, and, of
course, Portugal. More than half its current residents were born somewhere
else. Since its rate of growth is staggering, it is imperative that
governmental, business and environmental groups tap Brazilian as well as its
new ethnic groups’ ingenuity and engineering skills to make it a more
cohesive city for all its residents.
It could look to London,
say, or large cities in the United States – and review their successes and
failures.
Curitiba's current mayor, Cassio Taniguchi, continues the
challenge. One very innovative move is in the field of public
transportation. Main transit stops have clear tubes, elevated to the height
of buses. It is quite futuristic looking. People pay to enter these bus-size
tubes where they wait minutes for the next bus. The time needed to drop off
and pick up passengers is a fraction of the time at a conventional stop. The
city, which is more European than Latin American in its wealth and
cleanliness also banned cars from the main street. It retains some of its
colonial features and is often the site of street fairs and celebrations.
Alvaro Diago, Area President, Latin
America, of its parent company, Six Continents Hotels, said:
“InterContinental has a long history of serving the needs of international
travelers.” Since Six Continents purchased the InterContinental hotel family
four years ago, they have modernised properties, bought properties, and
upgraded service standards across the globe. Diago added that
InterContinental Hotels are adding special services for its business
customers, including their WorldLink (patent pending), a device that allows
a laptop connection without carrying any special cables or adapters.
Additionally, visitors will have access to their local television station
and newspaper, with a choice of over 150 publications and TV stations. So,
even though you may be far from your base in San Francisco or Boston or
Tokyo or Rome, you can keep up with the news from home. Other news that is
that any time is the right time to call for room service, a valet, send a
fax or visit the gym, as these services are now available 24 hours a day. If
there is one thing a business traveler knows well, it is that it is often
the little things that help guests to feel prepared for the day ahead.