Global Chamber, a network of CEOs and leaders in 535 metro regions in the world, has selected Little Rock out of the many thriving municipalities in the U.S. to host its 10th annual United States and European Union Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Workshop.
What started in 2011 as a way to create opportunities for companies in the European Union and the United States that were not in the more frequent exporting locations such as coastal cities, has turned into a much-anticipated yearly event.
Small businesses are often described as the backbone of their country, but they lack the ability to easily engage in international trade. The U.S. – EU SME Workshop opens a continuous dialogue between the U.S. and the EU, which terminates the trade barriers most SMEs face.
Doug Bruhnke, the CEO and founder of Global Chamber, says each year the workshop alternates between being hosted somewhere in the U.S. and somewhere in the EU. In 2018, the EU hosted the workshop in Vienna, Austria.
“It’s a particularly unique opportunity for businesses in Little Rock and across Arkansas to participate,” Bruhnke explains. Global Chamber urges “small and medium-sized firms that are selling or planning to sell products or services in the EU” to attend.
Local business leaders, like Gina Radke, lobbied to have Little Rock host the event this year. Radke, CEO of Galley Support Innovations, says having the workshop in Arkansas emphasizes the state’s economic competitiveness and demonstrates that the state can play at the global economic level.
“It was important for me to host this event in my home state of Arkansas because I believe that Arkansas is an excellent place to do business and we have the right economic atmosphere or environment, and it’s important to me for Arkansas small and medium enterprises to have this opportunity close to home,” she says.
This is a rare chance for business owners to meet and network with different supporters like economic leaders in Arkansas, the U.S., and the EU. The State of Arkansas Economic Development Commission will host the one-day workshop, which will include multiple speakers. A networking reception where participants will be able to talk to officials from the European Commission, EU Member States, U.S. officials, and executives from SMEs and business associations will follow.
Speakers at the event will touch on topics including U.S. – EU trade, international strategies for rural economic development, small business participation in transatlantic supply chains, workforce training for global competitiveness, and small business innovation in industries of the future.
“As you grow your business on a new continent, it’s so important to have supporters who can point you in the right direction,” Bruhnke says. “Global Chamber is there along the way as well, and we encourage companies to create their network through our global tribe and events like this, including ones supported by the U.S. government as this one is.”
This year’s event is taking place in Little Rock on September 19, 2019. Find more information and purchase tickets here.
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