OWIT Celebrates 1st Year

October 14, 2011 marked the first-year anniversary for the Arkansas chapter of the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT), a professional organization designed to promote women doing business internationally by providing networking opportunities, export education and global business contacts.  OWIT’s Arkansas chapter hosted many of the International board members from as far as Geneva, Switzerland and as close as Bentonville, AR.

OWIT just recently celebrated its 20th anniversary as a national organization which held its first national conference in Washington D.C.   Today, OWIT is recognized worldwide for building ongoing trade relationships within and between global communities. OWIT’s organization serves in more than 20 countries within all continents around the globe.

Angela Hofmann, President of OWIT and Arkansas native, hosted the members of the board for an evening with Chef Dane of La Petit Bistro to kick off the weekend.  The intimate and flavorful evening gave the ladies a chance to reunite with their current members from various chapters worldwide.

Friday’s luncheon, hosted by the Arkansas World Trade Center (AWTC), gave the OWIT Arkansas chapter the opportunity to have a one-on-one session with guest speaker Luby Ismail.  Ismail, the founder and president of Connecting Cultures, a professional service providing presentations and training on communication and work in diverse and multicultural environments, presented her speech on “Cultural Competency”.  As a Muslim woman with multiple sclerosis, Ismail spoke about overcoming general bias in the work world and the ways culture plays a major part in everyday encounters.  Ismail says that “every encounter is a cultural encounter.  Understanding this is the only way you will reach full potential to build bridges and lead businesses that help improve our world.”

The first anniversary celebration of OWIT served as an evening of dinner and entertainment for over fifty of its international members.  The event was hosted at the beautiful Compton Gardens and dinner was provided by Catering Concepts of Bentonville, AR.  Luby Ismail returned as the guest speaker, and was followed by music from the T. Maechelle quartet.  The evening was a great way to end a successful year for OWIT, and served as a wonderful networking experience for each of the members in attendance.

Senator Pryor shares his "Six Point Solution" at the World Trade Center Arkansas

On October 25th, Senator Mark Pryor visited the World Trade Center Arkansas for a scheduled press conference introducing his “Six Point Solution” towards economic growth and deficit reduction.  Senator Pryor’s points brought light to the economic potential for Arkansas through National reform needed in Washington.

In his solution, Pryor called for: the reduction in deficit, expanded market access, the advancement of nanotechnology, expansion of clean and domestic energy and expansion of the production of products through the American Opportunity Act.  Within each area of the six point plan, Senator Pryor highlighted what the individual change could do for Arkansas’ job growth.  ‘’Lifting export restrictions in Cuba alone could potentially generate 480 new jobs for Arkansans”, says Pryor.   The Senator’s proposal for advancement of nanotechnology is estimated to bring in $1 trillion by 2015.  This technology would help support science parks in Fayetteville and Little Rock.

What would the reductions in budget be able to do for our national deficit?  Senator Pryor’s proposed cuts show just how much can be saved through a few of the following Acts:

• Government Excess Prevention Act (Saves $8 b.)       http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s112-477
• Federal Contractors Accountability Act (Saves $1.5 b.)http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s112-478
• Federal Real Property Disposal Act (Saves $1 b.)       http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s112-479
• Broadcast Savings Act (Saves $30m./year)                 http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s112-476
• Prisoner Fraud Reduction Act (Saves $134m./year)     http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s112-1367

 

Within all of the reform changes proposed by Pryor, the Arkansas Senator emphasized the solutions needed to invest in Arkansas’ infrastructure.  “Now is the time to make major investments’’, says Pryor.  “Modernizing our roads, rails, waterways and runways will create good-paying jobs in the near-term, while increasing productivity and expanding our exports in the long-term.”

World Trade Center Arkansas Brazil Trade Mission: October 9-12

The below story was included in University of Arkansas Newswire, September 29.

World Trade Center Arkansas Goes South Of Equator in October

On October 9-14, the World Trade Center Arkansas will lead a trade mission to Brazil and attend the 42nd World Trade Center Association General Assembly.

The WTC Arkansas professionals leading the trade mission are: Dan Hendrix, President and CEO; Herbert Morales, Director of Latin America Trade Development; Boon Tan, Director of Asia Trade Development; and Natalia Moreno, Latin America Trade Development Intern.

The trade mission delegation will include corporate representatives, professionals and educators. Businesses represented will include Rebounces, LLC , HP Engineering, and FRI Consulting. Dr. Andrew Horowitz, Professor of Economics at Sam. M. Walton College of Business and two Walton college students will also accompany the trade delegation.

Brazil is now well known in the business world as a member of the fast- growing BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, and China). According to the World Economic Forum, Brazil went up 5 positions in the rank for global competitiveness, giving it a current rank of 53 out of 142 countries.

Adding to this strategically competitive position, Brazil has been scheduled to host the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the 2016 Olympic Games. The FIFA World Cup 2014 will held in twelve of Brazil’s cities: Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Cuiaba, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Sao Paulo.

Consequently, Brazil is undertaking many infrastructure projects in preparation for these events.. The Brazilian National Development Bank programs assure that projects related to the World Cup will be built with particular emphasis on power efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Current projects underway include, but are not limited to the following:

· Olympic Village Clinic (three state-of-the art hospitals)
· Modernizing and enlarging two airport terminals
· Highway widening to accommodate “Olympic Lanes”
· Revitalization of the Port of Rio
· High speed transportation from Rio to Sao Paulo

· Green building initiatives
· Balneariu Camburiu Shopping Complex expansion
· Water sanitation
· Numerous stadiums and hotels

These projects provide ideal opportunities for U.S. companies in the construction, security technology, accommodation, transportation, and service sectors. Nevertheless, challenges to foreign investment still exist in the form of inflexible labor laws, local content requirements and a complex tax system. World Trade Centers, Chambers of Commerce, and commercial services can aid in navigating these complexities, as well assisting with research and networking connections.

The World Trade Center Arkansas’ October trade mission will include visits to the cities of Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. WTC Arkansas will provide one-on-one business matchmaking services and networking opportunities for the Arkansas delegation.

In addition, the delegation will have the opportunity of attending the 42nd World Trade Center Association General Assembly at which world trade center delegations from around the world meet, providing additional global resources, investment prospects and trade opportunities.

~submitted by Mary Otilia Rash, Marketing and Communications Intern