Global California: Economy in Transition Conference
A Success from All Angles!
The Global California Conference held in San Jose at the Cisco Conference Center in early December drew conference goers from around the State to discuss pertinent issues in the California Trade Community.
Video Highlights:
View a 9Mb QuickTime movie (best viewed with a broadband connection) of Global California highlights. Don't have the free QuickTime Player? Download it here.
With a new governor in office and economic indicators pointing toward recovery, California's trade community joined forces to begin a new phase of cooperation and collaboration among trade promotion agencies throughout the Golden State.
"Global California: Economy in Transition," was a day-long conference held at the Cisco Conference Center on December 5, 2003. Featured speakers were selected from a broad cross-section of trade service experts, but all seemed to agree on the need for heightened awareness and public outreach, to improve the environment for further grown in this sector.
"Arnold Schwarzenegger is an action guy who wants to have 'action items' on his desk. He's not interested in white papers or long, involved studies," said trade consultant, Jerry Levine, president, Mentor International. "We have to unite to provide him and our legislators with plans they can implement without delay."
The conference - organized by TradePort, The Monterey International Trade Association, and the CalTrade Report - drew from a number of Bay Area trade experts as well, including Jerry Bridges, the Maritime Director at the Port of Oakland, of the nation's fourth largest port. "We are the engine of economic growth," he said. "But for that to be sustained, we need support for the steady expansion of our infrastructure."
In a post Conference survey conducted online, over 80% of the participants felt that the conference was particularly timely and relevant to the current trends in the trade promotion arena. One respondent states, "This conference provided an excellent opportunity to hear opinions and voice concerns about International Trade Issues."
In addition, 80% of the respondents reported to have made contact with an individual or an organization that they believe will be a benefit to their business in the near future and over 85% reported that they would attend a similar conference in the future.
Another attendee wrote, "The Global California: Economy in Transition conference was an important step in initiating dialogue between public and private trade groups to address the critical economic issues facing California today."
On that note; TradePort, The LA Chamber of Commerce, the CalTrade Report and MBITA have already begun planning a Southern California version of the Global California Conference to be held in May of 2004. Please check the TradePort website for more information as it becomes available.
Re-Cap of Global California Conference by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
For a more detailed article see the CalTrade Report.
