The world is a small place. In a matter of hours, those of us living on the West Slope can be in a foreign country. Likewise, products made in the Grand Valley are exported daily to international markets. Supply chains help bring raw materials from foreign lands to Colorado to be fabricated into cutting edge products.
On September 14, 2023, “The World Comes To Grand Junction,” is a one-day, unprecedented, international business and diplomacy symposium held at the Grand Junction Convention Center. The Consul-Generals of Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Taiwan, along with the Governor of Colorado, the US Department of Commerce, and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade have accepted our invitation to come to Grand Junction to talk about international trade, exports, imports, and why Western Colorado entrepreneurs should be thinking big!
Whether you are an established business with some international sales on your financials or a fledgling
entrepreneur at the Business Incubator Center, “The World Comes To Grand Junction” is an event you won’t want to miss. Never has such a delegation ever assembled on the Western Slope and you’d be hard pressed to find an event with the top diplomates from Colorado’s top trading partners together even on the Front Range!
The Grand Valley is about partnerships. Together with the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction Economic Partnership, the Business Incubator, and Colorado State Representative Matt Soper’s Office, we went to work to give entrepreneurs, businesses, students, and the general public an opportunity that rarely ever happens.
On September 14, you will get a unique opportunity to hear from the Governor, The Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), the US Department of Commerce, and five of Colorado’s top foreign trading partners.
OEDIT and the US Department of Commerce will discuss state and federal resources to help businesses export and sell to foreign markets. Canada and Mexico will discuss trade under the new NAFTA (USMCA), and how the two nations import over $8 billion of products to Colorado and Colorado companies export over $3 billion to each of these nations. The United Kingdom will discuss doing business in Britain post-BREXIT, and Japan will talk about how their nation is a half-billion-dollar consumer of Colorado products per year and the long-standing trading relationship with our state. Both nations have daily non-stop flights from Denver International Airport (DIA) and are Colorado’s major Asian and European trading partners. There will be a moderated conversation with Taiwan to discuss how Taiwan is a top-5 importer to Colorado, and in 2019 Colorado and Taiwan signed an agreement for Colorado beef to be the preferred choice from America. There is much speculation about whether Coloradans should invest in trade with Taiwan, and the conversation will dive into what Western Colorado businesses need to know about the situation in Asia.
The evening will be capped off with a dinner panel discussion featuring Grand Valley business CEOs who are currently engaged in international business. The panel will be moderated by Representative Rick Taggart, who was formerly President and CEO of Victorinox Swiss Army, Inc., and is currently a professor of marketing and international business at Colorado Mesa University. Rep. Taggart will guide a conversation to elicit war stories from local business leaders who are currently in the international market place and help attendees learn what to think about and what pit falls not to replicate, but also what decisions are worthy of emulating.
Our goal is to see Western Colorado companies and entrepreneurs be successful and compete on the international stage. The world is an increasingly smaller place. Just as we can have “The World Come To Grand Junction”, come join us on September 14 to meet the diplomats and hear how your spot on the world stage is more attainable now than ever before!
Registration is now open for this unique opportunity to engage. This event is open to the public but pre-registration is required.
Visit www.gjchamber.org/events or scan the QR code on the next pages to sign up today.
