Atlanta to host Americas Competitiveness Forum

Atlanta Business Chronicle

Andrew Nelson

Atlanta's international recognition will get a boost when the first Americas Competitiveness Forum opens in June.

More than 500 senior political and business leaders from 34 countries, stretching from the tip of Chile to Canada, will come to Atlanta for two days of workshops. Local achievements with public-private partnerships are to be featured during the discussions on business innovations.
"The city of Atlanta has a wonderful story to tell. It needs to be showcased," said Walter Bastian, the U.S. Department of Commerce deputy assistant secretary for the Western Hemisphere.
Bastian and Mayor Shirley Franklin signed an agreement Tuesday to cooperate on hosting the forum, scheduled for June 11-12. Franklin signed the document as chairwoman of United Nations affiliate CIFAL Atlanta.
Georgia also has carved out a place on the international stage.
Officials from the state Department of Economic Development are represented in 10 countries, including a post in Mexico and Chile. An additional office is to open in China this year. And trade is booming. In 2006, Georgia companies exported $20 billion in goods and exports were responsible for more than 142,000 jobs.
It is the first forum since President George W. Bush suggested the conference following the November 2005 Summit of the Americas.
The meeting is unique because it brings policy and private sector leaders together to improve the business climate of America's neighbors. Among the participants will be foreign trade officials, cabinet-level ministers, non-governmental organizations, and universities. Topics for the forum include leveraging public-private partnerships to foster innovation, workforce development and supply chain management.
"This is not a trade policy conference. This is a practical conference," said Jorge Fernandez, vice president of global commerce at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. "It'd be a place to learn more about globalization and more about what is going on in the hemisphere," said Fernandez.
Free trade agreements, such as the new Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement are considered important tools for business growth. Improving competitiveness helps business conditions, spur demand for American products and slow immigration down.
"People don't generally think about competitiveness. It's an economic security issue," Bastian said.
Atlanta beat Louisville, Ky. and North Carolina's Research Triangle to host the international conference.