Business Overview
Affectionately called the "Brazilian locomotive", Sao Paulo drives the economy of the nation. Home to almost every major and minor industry of Brazil, it is one of the most important financial and industrial centers.

Sao Paulo is also the Brazilian capital of events and fairs. It carries a largest number of great expositions of the country. The city in the last few years has become a major home to many international events and fairs visited by the most varied audiences. ranging from scientists and artists to merchants and entrepreneurs, coming from Brazil and also abroad. Unsurprisingly, on any given week the city hosts major expositions, conferences, and international trade meetings. It offers a superb selection of meeting halls and convention centers.

Some of the most important events that usually take place in the city are:

• Shoes and Sport Items International Fair - COUROMODA
• Textile Industry International Fair - FENIT
• Construction International Fair
• Commercial complex in Itaim Bibi, one of the main business districts in the city
• Commercial complex in Itaim Bibi, one of the main business districts in the city
• Shoes, Fashion Accessories and Machines International Fair - FRANCAL
• Cosmetics and Beauty International Fair - COSMETICA
• Lodging-related products, services and equipment International Fair - EQUIPOTEL
• Car International Fair - Salão do Automóvel
• International Book Fair - Bienal Internacional do Livro

There has been a gradual change in the city economic profile since a decade ago, from a strongly industrialized base to service and technology-oriented activity. Intensive manpower-consuming industries have been replaced by a great number of high-technology industries and service providers of many flavors. Business has increased, many new colleges have been founded, and there has been a boom in many sectors, particularly shopping malls, entertainment, construction and business-oriented tourism.

The city is considered to headquarter more German companies than any other single city outside Germany. Likewise, it is also considered to headquarter more American companies among any other city outside the United States. São Paulo is also home to a large number of advertising and broadcasting companies.

São Paulo's stock exchange is the Bovespa, while its futures exchange is BM&F. The São Paulo Stock Exchange (BOVESPA) is the only stock trade center in Brazil and Latin America's largest stock exchange, accounting for nearly 70% of the region's trade volume. BOVESPA counts on a technological infrastructure comparable to the world's most developed markets, besides having an outstanding role among international players, being an active member of the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), Federacion Iberoamericana de Bolsas (FIAB) and International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).

Major Business Centers
Anhembi Park:
Hosting 30% of the events of Brazil, the Anhembi Park owns versatile spaces to carry events of any kind including fairs, congresses, shows, expositions and meetings of the most diverse types.

With more than 30 years of history, the Park in last two years has registered a significant increase in the percentage of occupation of its spaces, mainly in the Palace of the Conventions and the Sambodromo (before used for Carnivals only). The prescription increase of the spaces surpassed 70%.

Transamerica Expo Center:
Inaugurated in 2001, this newly constructed Expo Center is the most complete and modern infrastructure for accomplishment of events.

Stretched over 33,000 m² of constructed area, Transamerica today is the main address for fairs, expositions, congresses and entertainment of the city of Sao Paulo and of the country as a whole.

Major Commercial Areas
Avenida Paulista (Paulista Avenue):
Identified, as the ‘new business center’ of the city, Paulista Avenue is one of the most important avenues in Sao Paulo. Not only notable for the large number of financial institutions and corporations, the area is also clustered with radio and TV station antennas as it is one of the highest points in the city.

A symbol of the economic power of Sao Paulo State, the avenue today is home to the biggest financial institutions of the world like Avenida Berrini located in the south and Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima.

Besides being a work place of more than 800 thousand Brazilian citizens, Avenida Paulista also has some tourist landmarks in its vicinity including a small native forest park, the Parque Siqueira Campos (Trianon) and Sao Paulo Art Museum (MASP - Museu da Arte de Sao Paulo)

Consequently, these all characteristics have made the avenue second most expensive real estate in Latin America.

Pinheiros:
An important borough of Sao Paulo, Pinheiros by name means ‘pine trees’ and it refers to a river at the western edge of Sao Paulo.

One of the oldest urban areas of the city, Pinheiros today is known as a "new downtown" because of recent investment and revitalization. Markedly the wealthiest district of Sao Paulo, the borough holds headquarters of many international companies. Besides it also accommodate many important museums, cultural centers, luxury stores, nightclubs and bars.

Santo Amaro:
Placed in the southern area of the city Santo Amaro is an another important borough of Sao Paulo. It borders the borough of Pinheiros in the north limits and shares with it the area known as "Brazilian Manhattan" due to the very modern buildings like five star hotels like Hyatt and Hilton and many of multinational companies like Intel, Microsoft, SAP, Nestlé and Accenture.

It also enclose some of the leading upscale shopping malls of the city including Shopping Morumbi (the best known mall in Brazil), Shopping D&D and Shopping Marketplace.

Major Manufacturing Zones
San Bernardo:
Located at the greater Sao Paulo area, San Bernardo is an industrial zone where most of the automotive factories are located. Some of the major automobile factories located here are Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz.

Moocwa:
Mooca was the first industrial area built in Sao Paulo. Though many industries changed the factories to other cities or were closed but a great number of them are yet active in the borough.

Most of the inhabitants living in Mooca are descendant of the Italian workmen of the industries and while the city was changing its profile from an industrial city to a business center, many of these aboriginal workmen families opened their own companies.

The borough includes the districts of Bras, Pari, Belem, Tatuape and Agua Rasa.