PANELS

MORNING

8:30 – 8:45a.m.
INTRODUCTION: MBITA/TradePort & CalTrade Report

WELCOME: California Secretary of State Bruce McPherson

8:45 – 9:15a.m.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION: "Global California Goes On-line"

9:15 – 10:00a.m.
PANEL 1: "The State of ‘Global California"

International trade and its impact on the lives of Californians transcends whatever information can be gleaned from canned formulae and statistics. Every day, California manufacturers, consumers, growers, traders, retailers, wholesalers, professionals, and business owners of all sizes are affected by trade patterns and developments a world away that influence what they buy, sell, distribute, produce, and consume. This panel will look the major challenges facing the state’s international trade community including the developing role of Sacramento in developing California’s international business posture; whether the state is prepared to deal with the surge in trade expected over the next decade; and how California is perceived as a venue for international business.

Panelists
Sean Randolph– Bay Area Economic Forum
Howard Shatz – Public Policy Institute of California
Mark Mosher – California Jobs Commission
Janice Cooper – Pacific Resources

10:00 – 10:45a.m.
PANEL 2: The California-China Connection

California serves as the nation’s revolving door for trade with the world’s fastest growing economy – China. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach – the busiest in the country – currently handle more than 40% of the country’s total imports, a huge percentage of which is sourced in China. While the state serves as both a marketplace and distribution center for a vast variety of products from China, California also exports a huge volume of products to the country – some $6.8 billion in 2004, a 25.19% surge over the previous year. What are the challenges for a small or medium-sized company thinking of doing business in China?; What legislation is being planned that will directly impact China-US trade; and how doing business in China is unlike doing business anywhere else are some of the topics that will be covered by this panel.

Panelists
Moderator: Sean Randolph– Bay Area Economic Forum
John Liebman– McKenna, Long & Aldridge
Margaret Wong – McWong International
Bruce Berton – Stonefield Josephson Inc.
Patrick Mulcahy – Team China/California LLC

10:45 – 11:00a.m.
BREAK

11:00 – 11:45a.m.
PANEL 3: Taking Your Company Global – The Basics

You know your company has growth potential, but does that opportunity lie overseas? But international opportunities demand careful exploration. Every company looking at “going global” should become aware of the developments that could impact their potential overseas operations and ask – How do I find the right overseas business partner?; Is my company ready to go global?; What kind of help is available from government and private sector sources?; How Can I protect my product from being pirated? How much will this cost me in terms of capital and time investment? This panel will address those questions and many more, as well.

Panelists
Maurice Kogon – Centers for International Trade Development
Rod Ballance– Global Trade Center of the Inland Empire
Rod Hirsch – U.S. Commercial Service
Jose Duenas – Bay Area World Trade Center

11:45 – 12:30p.m.
PANEL 4: Branding Your Product or Service Overseas

How a product or service is branded is crucial to the success of any marketing campaign, particularly so in the international arena. The “small details” that can mean success or failure for a product in the global marketplace – packaging, lettering, graphics, logos, and a host of others – are absolutely critical, but are often overlooked by companies that are concentrating on larger issues. This panel will study the fascinating challenges facing international traders dealing with cross-cultural issues and their often amusing solutions.

Panelists
Mike Bawden – Brand Central Station
Ayse Oge – Ultimate Trade

12:30 – 1:30p.m.
LUNCH

AFTERNOON

1:30 – 2:15p.m.
PANEL 5: California Public Trade Initiatives- (sponsored by Commercial News USA)

With the dissolution of the California Technology, Trade & Commerce Agency in 2003, a number of public-sector trade initiatives have been created to assist California-based companies in their efforts to penetrate international markets and serve as points of access for overseas businesses to connect with potential partners in the state. The state’s Centers for International Trade Development network, the U.S. Commercial Service’s California Trade Initiative and others are actively serving the global trade community with plans for additional initiatives currently in the planning stages. This panel will outline what management and educational services these initiatives have to offer start-up global traders.

Panelists
Moderator: Gregory Sandler, Commercial News U.S.A.
Robert Tse – Director of Trade for California Dept. of Food and Agriculture. (CDFA)
Jeff Williamson – Centers for International Trade Development
Mary Delmege – U.S. Commercial Service
Yolanda Benson – California Business, Transportation & Housing Agency

2:15 – 3:00p.m.
PANEL 6: Secure Trade: the Challenges and Options (sponsored by NucBioAlerts)

Trade in the days since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 has taken on a new face with a myriad of threats to the free-flow of global trade causing international firms of all sizes to re-examine not only how they do their global business, but where, and with whom. Are the risks worth the investment?; How is the need to move goods internationally weighed against the need to ensure a safe and efficient global logistics network?; How do I vet a potential global business partner?; and what do I need to do to maximize the safety of the system and, at the same time, minimize the negative impact on my ability to effectively sustain my overseas business operations? will be among the topics covered by this panel.

Panelists
Moderator: Hal Nissley – PE, Board of Angel Capital Network
Art Astrin– NucBioAlerts
George Cummings – Port of Los Angeles
Franca Gargiulo – U.S. Council for International Business
Steve Baxter – U.S. Customs & Border Protection

3:00 – 3:15p.m.
BREAK

3:15 – 4:00p.m.
PANEL 7: Trade Finance Options (sponsored by the Bank of Alameda)

Most, if not all, small and medium-sized businesses require an infusion of capital to finance the investment in people and equipment necessary to meet the demands of global expansion. But many large banks are unwilling to assume the risk usually associated with such needs or are not interested in dealing with “small fish.” Over the last several years, though, a number of companies, smaller banks, and initiatives have been created to assist just such “small fish” with getting the financing they need to develop their overseas business potential. This panel will outline several of these programs and offer useful advice on how to secure the financing needed to take your company global.

Panelists
Moderator: Michael Farstad – Bank of Alameda
Patrick Reilly– TEFO
Bernd Hermann – World Finance Inc.
John Dunlop – AVG LC Management

4:00 – 4:45p.m.
PANEL 8: California’s Transportation Infrastructure
(sponsored by the Port of Oakland)

California is home to three of the nation’s top container ports – Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland – as well as a number of its busiest so-called “specialty” ports including Stockton, Hueneme, Sacramento, Redwood City, Benecia, and San Diego. California is also served by several of the world’s busiest airports and is cross-hatched by a network of rail lines and highways that provide ready access to points throughout the state, the Western U.S., the nation, and, in turn, the world. Is that network capable of handling the tidal-wave surge of international trade expected to flow through the state within the next ten years? That’s the question that being asked not only in Sacramento, Oakland, and Los Angeles, but in Washington, D.C. and around the world, as well. This panel will address the challenges facing California’s goods movement capabilities and deficiencies and what remedies are being proposed to re-create California world-class transportation infrastructure.

Panelists
Moderator: Ray King - Port of Oakland
Senator Tom Torlakson (Contra Costa)
Barry Sedlik – California Business, Transport & Housing Agency
Jock O'Connell – The ClarkStreet Group
William Lewicki – Port of Stockton

4:45 – 5:00p.m.
CONFERENCE WRAP-UP- Jerry Levine, Chair Emeritus, California Council for International Trade

5:00– 6:00p.m.
MIXER (sponsored by Netherlands Business Support Office (NBSO), San Mateo)

Click here for TradePort Collaborator

View the World Trade Week Events Calendar for information on upcoming California Global Trade events.

TradePort is sponsored by:

MBITA is a nonprofit organization based in the Monterey Bay Area that provides trade promotion services to California, U.S. and foreign markets.

Bay Area Economic Forum develops, analyses and implements programs to strengthen the Bay Area's competitive economy and quality of life.

LA Chamber of Commerce serves as the voice of business for the Los Angeles area, helping its members grow and promoting collaboration.

CalTrade Report provides in-depth weekly coverage of California trade news and issues of interest to businesses large and small.

Trade & Export Finance Online is taking a leadership role in developing a public-private sector partnership to assist SMEs by mobilizing private sector capital for their trade finance needs.

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