The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, the Bogota Chamber of Commerce and Corferias open the doors of the Agora Convention Center to kick off EXPO BIC on April 5, 6 and 7, the first business meeting of Collective Benefit and Collective Interest Companies in our country, supported by Confecámaras and iNNpulsa Colombia.

During this business fair, Colombian companies that already comply with this model will share their experiences and inspire the local market so that more companies become BIC companies.

It should be noted that BIC companies (Sociedades de Beneficio e Interés Colectivo) are all those that voluntarily decide to adopt new business practices to promote social, environmental and economic development in our country.

In Colombia, these companies came into trend since June 2018, covered by Law 1901, which created the legal conditions for an existing or future company of any corporate type, to voluntarily adopt the status of a Benefit and Collective Interest Company (BIC).

The companies that will present their business models at the EXPO BIC business meeting will show how they implement the five main dimensions that define them, such as: corporate model, labor practices, environmental practices, community practices and business model.

This will be a space to raise awareness among Colombian entrepreneurs and motivate their transformation towards BIC thinking, so that they can enter into a new model of production and promotion of products and services, of which more than 1,300 companies in Colombia are already part.

"I want to invite the business community and citizens to attend EXPO BIC to learn about this model of sustainable organizations in which Colombia is already a benchmark, both for Latin America and the rest of the world, in promoting a business model that generates social, environmental and economic benefits to society," said the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, María Ximena Lombana.

Those attending this fair will have the opportunity to learn about the new programs, projects, incentives and benefits aimed at potential new BIC companies, under the premise of reaching the goal set by the National Government of having 1,800 consolidated BIC companies in the country by the end of 2022.

Likewise, during the days of the event, the creation of these types of companies will be encouraged and stimulated through a space conducive to training, inspiration and the creation of contacts and businesses.

Nicolás Uribe Rueda, president of the Bogota Chamber of Commerce stated that: "BIC companies are one of the legal forms to reformulate businesses towards models that generate a greater social, economic and environmental impact. In this sense, from the CCB we are committed to promote these models. To this end, we have a program in which we provide awareness, training and technical assistance for companies to incorporate business sustainability practices. To date, we have sensitized more than 4,367 and more than 200 have received support from the entity for their transformation to BIC companies".

Development of EXPO BIC During the event, visitors will be able to interact with products and services of BIC companies and learn about the scope and impact of the best sustainable practices that seek to contribute to society to minimize environmental and social problems.

The fair will feature a business roundtable with the participation of BIC companies and buyers interested in including sustainable products and services in their value chain.

As a complement to EXPO BIC, business visitors will have access to experiential training sessions led by the CCB and CONFECÁMARAS who will present the mechanisms, tools and entities that work permanently to accompany entrepreneurs on the road to becoming a BIC company.

Andrés López Valderrama, Executive President of Corferias, states that: "at Corferias we are very proud to be able to organize EXPO BIC, a unique event worldwide that is committed to generating a business platform for the benefit of all those companies and enterprises in the country that are committed to generating economic, social and environmental value. economic, social and environmental value. Undoubtedly, the world needs more BIC companies, to be in line with the realities of today's market, which undoubtedly requires a dynamic aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

The fair will have a space to recognize and present the BIC award to the companies that have been part of this business transformation movement and that contribute significantly to the sustainable development of the country.

It should be noted that entities such as iNNNpulsa Colombia and Confecámaras will support this fair in which there will be valuable spaces for the relationship of the participating companies with the public and private sectors and academia to obtain information and valuable contacts, and at the same time learn and put into practice the mechanisms and tools to consolidate a BIC Society.

For Julián Domínguez Rivera, president of Confecámaras, "Expo BIC is the national scenario that makes visible the relevance of BIC companies in the context of the sustainable development strategy of the national government, to which Confecámaras and the Chambers of Commerce have been firmly committed, supporting and accompanying the more than 1,000 entrepreneurs from all over the country who accepted the invitation to be part of the largest community of purpose-driven companies in Latin America".

Likewise, this scenario will consolidate the creation of synergies between public policies and government achievements, with the private sector that contributes to the triple impact economy in the country and serves as an inspiration to the Latin American region.

"From iNNpulsa we recognize the leading role that the entrepreneurial ecosystem must assume in the consolidation of business models committed to economic, but also social and environmental development; that is why we join initiatives such as EXPO BIC that connect with this purpose and attract more responsible companies to assume this national effort," emphasized Francisco Noguera Cepeda, president of iNNNpulsa Colombia.

Finally, EXPO BIC's main objective is to position Colombia as a benchmark in Latin America for a BIC, business and entrepreneurship ecosystem, with the support of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Confecámaras and iNNpulsa Colombia.