October 2010 ITU
- Table of Contents
- Full Issue in PDF
- New Report on U.S. Export Policy Provides a Road Map to Continued Economic Recovery and Job Creation
- Manufacturers Embrace Sustainability in a Competitive World Market
- The Services Sector: How Best to Measure It?
- Short Takes
- Trade Calendar
- Featured Trade Event: Americas Competitiveness Forum
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Americas Competitiveness Forum
November 14-16 2010
Atlanta, Georgia
The Americas Competitiveness Forum (ACF) returns to Atlanta, Georgia, after being held in Santiago, Chile, in 2009. The event will bring together leaders from the private and public sectors from throughout the Western Hemisphere to share best practices for enhancing competitiveness, innovation, and prosperity in the region.
ACF grew out of a commitment made by the United States at the November 2005 Summit of the Americas in Mar de Plata, Argentina, to cooperate with other Western Hemisphere countries to advance prosperity, to combat inequality, and to achieve sustainable economic growth throughout the area. Since its first gathering in Atlanta in June 2007, ACF has established itself as the preeminent economic and commercial event in the Americas by regularly attracting approximately 1,000 participants from more than 30 countries each year.
This year’s theme is “Building a Prosperous and Sustainable Future for the Americas.” Attendees will focus on four main topics: (a) innovation and green technologies; (b) education and workforce development; (c) entrepreneurship and small business development; and (d) trade facilitation, border clearance, and supply chain logistics.
ACF 2010 will be co-hosted by Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Mayor Kasim Reed of Atlanta. Also participating will be representatives from CIFAL Atlanta (a United Nations affiliate organization) and other stakeholders from the region.
According to Locke, “As our economy continues to grow, events like ACF provide excellent opportunities for the business community to showcase new ideas and technologies, explore new markets, and uncover future opportunities for economic growth and job creation.”
Participating in ACF will allow attendees to explore new business models and to hear about innovative practices and experiences that are designed to create jobs, to increase trade and investment, and to enhance hemispheric productivity. In addition, over the course of the three-day event, the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) will offer U.S. businesses the opportunity to meet with foreign delegations and to participate in export-counseling sessions, which are designed to promote export opportunities and business partnerships. During ACF 2008, ITA provided more than 200 one-on-one export-counseling sessions.
For more information about ACF 2010, visit its Web site at www.competitivenessforum.com or contact Tricia Johnson of ITA, tel.: (202) 482-5876; e-mail: tricia.johnson@trade.gov.
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