Rio, 10/3/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - People who work in all areas of sports and businesses related to sports are in Rio de Janeiro for the 1st Pan American Congress on Sports Marketing and Business which is being promoted as the kickoff for the XV Pan American Games which are scheduled take place in Rio in 2007. Along with the congress, there is a sports fair with some 100 domestic and foreign exhibitors present.

One of the objectives of the congress is to stimulate the transfer of sports business technology. Another objective is to spotlight Rio. "The congress is a demonstration of Rio's organizational capacity not only in sports, but in tourism and dealing with the press. We seek to unite sports marketing and business in order to benefit athletes," declared Carlos Arthur Nuzman, the president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee.

The state governo, Rosinha Mateus, pointed out that authorities will work to make sports activities a success. Among other things, a state law was just passed exempting sports equipment for the games from taxes. (AB)