For the first time, the Brazilian car rental sector's annual trade event and conference on Nov. 21-22 featured simultaneous sessions in two auditoriums and occupied an 8,600 square foot area with nearly 40 exhibitors.

Held at the São Paulo Expo in São Paulo city, the 18th International Forum of the Vehicle Rental Sector exceeded expectations with about 1,500 attendees, up from 1,200 last year, reaffirming the growth of the vehicle rental industry in Brazil. The sessions discussed  themes directly related to vehicle rental activities in Brazil and globally. Additionally, the exhibitor area doubled in size.

"The Forum presented an excellent opportunity for industry entrepreneurs to exchange experiences," said Marco Aurélio Nazaré, president of the ABLA Management Council, in a news release. ABLA is the Brazilian car rental association.

ABLA's survey, presented at the Forum's opening, projected that car rental companies in Brazil will finish 2023 with a fleet of 1.56 million vehicles, the largest in the sector's history.

The opening session included Jorge Lima, São Paulo's Secretary of Economic Development, and Adrualdo Catão, National Secretary of Transit from the Ministry of Transport. Lima emphasized the growth potential of car rentals in the São Paulo market, citing the movement of 40 million people across the state as a sizable opportunity.

Catão, in turn, highlighted the transformative impact of technology on rental companies, advocating for modernization and cautioning against regression and rising operational costs in Brazil.

The following morning, Basílio Militani Neto, director of regulation, supervision, and management at the Ministry of Transport, spoke about services like e-fleets, emerging as valuable additions to rental companies. A key highlight was the meeting with automotive industry entities. ABLA President Marco Aurélio Nazar  shared industry data, followed by insights from representatives of Anfavea, Fenauto, and Fenabrave.

• Márcio de Lima Leite, Anfavea's president, remarked on the critical partnership between car manufacturers and rental companies in Brazil and globally.

• Marcelo Franciulli of Fenabrave emphasized the shared agendas of dealerships and rental companies in the mobility sector.

• Enilson Sales de Souza, Fenauto's president, stressed the importance of viewing the business environment with rental companies as an integrated chain.

• ABLA also invited federal deputy Luiz Carlos Hauly, a proponent of tax reform, to discuss the anticipated impacts of consumption tax simplification on the economy.

• Victor Hugo Scandalo Rocha from Rocha & Rocha Lawyers addressed the entity's stance on tax reform.

• Igor Rose, a senior economist at Itaú, shared economic outlooks for 2023/2024, highlighting the challenges posed by high interest rates.

International speakers included Andy Shields from the Autorola Group, discussing car pricing and market analysis, and Pablo Berardi from the TRX Group, sharing insights on motorcycle rentals.

Fabio Leite, CEO of Adiante, explored truck rentals, and Guilherme Cavalcante, CEO of Ucorp, discussed car-sharing competition and opportunities for rental companies.

The second day of the Forum brought the following speakers and topics:

• Gil Giardelli, an innovator and educator, explored the intersection of human and artificial intelligence.

• Livia Villar of Locarx Car Rental and Liandra Boschiero from Osten Fleet discussed women's roles in vehicle rental, moderated by journalist Giovanna Riato.

• Ana Renata, general director of Cox Automotive in Brazil, addressed the timing of proper fleet demobilization.

• Entrepreneur Paula Harraca spoke about leadership and passion in business.

The event also focused on the "electric transition" in vehicle fleets, with discussions led by experts like Gustavo Willy from the National Transport Confederation and Fernando Pfeiffer from 99 Technology.

Among exhibitors, notable names included BYD, Nissan, Renault, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, Volkswagen, Stellantis, Ford, Hitech Eletric, Serpro, Ituran Mob, Easy Carros, Segplus, Vai, Able-On, Ticket Log, Solution4fleet, Info Systems, Flash Engineering, SEST SENAT, Itaú, OLX, Nantes, Desmob Já, Swint, Mônaco, Brick Seguros, Versloc, and MGL Official Auctions.