The Americas Competitiveness Forum 2010
"Building a Prosperous a Sustainable Future for the Americas"

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Atlanta's Mayor Kasim Reed are hosting the fourth annual Americas Competitiveness Forum (ACF) on November 14-16, 2010, in Atlanta, Georgia. The ACF is the preeminent economic and commercial event in the Americas, attracting approximately 1,000 participants from the Western Hemisphere's public and private sector, including Heads of State, Ministers of Economy, Commerce, Trade and Industry, and leaders from academia, civil society and business.

The ACF is a unique blend of policy dialogue on competitiveness, combined with business-to-business promotion and business-to-government interaction. ACF promotes innovative approaches to economic competitiveness and enables private and public sector representatives to take advantage of creative opportunities to explore new business models and expand their businesses:   

o   Promotes cooperation among the countries in the Western Hemisphere on economic issues of mutual interest.

o   Facilitates the development of public-private partnerships through meetings between the business community and foreign government officials.

o   Provides one-on-one export counseling sessions to businesses interested in pursuing new trade and investment opportunities in the Hemisphere.

o   Supports small businesses interested in trade and investment opportunities in the Americas by enabling connection and networking opportunities. All together, over 200 meetings take place during ACF.

o   Introduces participants to innovative practices and experiences that enhance productivity.

o   ACF helps formulate public policies that expand opportunities for entrepreneurs and foster job creation in all of the Americas.