Embassy Information
Embassy Event
AMERICAS COMPETITIVENESS FORUM, DAY TWO
August 19, 2008
Following a successful first day, day two of the Americas Competitiveness Forum in Atlanta, Georgia showcased Argentina with a business forum hosted by the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) and the Argentine Consulate in Atlanta. Thirty companies attended the workshop featuring the Governors of the Mendoza and Salta provinces. Also attending was Minister of Science and Technology Lino Barañao, PROSPERAR Director Beatriz Nofal, and Ambassadors Timerman and Wayne. A discussion on opportunities for U.S. firms followed the presentations.
Following the BCIU event, Ambassador Wayne moderated a panel on business opportunities in the southern cone, which included a presentation by Dr. Beatriz Nofal, President of PROSPERAR. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez then met briefly with the Argentine delegation.
The afternoon sessions included a presentation by Minister of Science and Technology Lino Barañao as part of a panel on alliances in business and education where the discussion focused on strategies for creating partnerships for competitiveness.
Concurrently, during the SME/PYME trade capacity building panel, the Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Jovita Carranza and the Vice President of the Argentine Chamber of Exporters (CERA) Elvio Baldinelli, announced that CERA had completed a Spanish version of the SBA’s Guide for SME Exporters “Breaking Into The Trade Game: A Small Business Guide to Exporting,” and that it was now available for downloading from the internet. Ambassador Wayne commented “This book is an excellent example of U.S./Argentine collaboration to help stimulate SME/PYME growth throughout the region. Argentina was well represented these past two days. There was a great deal of sharing best practices among the participants.”
